Stone Industry Proposes Self-Policing as California Weighs Artificial Stone Ban | KQED

"A stone countertop fabricator polishes the surface of a countertop at a shop on Oct. 31, 2023, in Sun Valley, California. As California regulators consider banning high-silica engineered stone linked to deadly silicosis, countertop manufacturers and industry groups are proposing a voluntary certification program to regulate fabrication shops and avoid stricter state action. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)"

"Facing a proposal in California to ban the use of a popular countertop material linked to a growing lung disease killing stonecutters, industry representatives said they are taking steps to self-police and tackle the crisis. The group aims to begin piloting business certification in Southern California, the nation's silicosis epicenter, as early as this summer, according to testimony by ISFA's CEO Laurie Weber to California regulators on Thursday in Sacramento."

"The testimony came a day after Cambria and other beleaguered industry representatives testified before a U.S. House subcommittee in support of a bill that would immunize their companies from hundreds of lawsuits by sick stoneworkers. H.R. 5437, introduced by California Rep. Tom McClintock last September, would prohibit civil lawsuits against stone slab manufacturers or sellers for harm resulting from the alteration of their products and dismiss pending claims."

Industry representatives are proposing a voluntary audit and training certification program for countertop fabrication shops to reduce worker exposure to high-silica engineered stone linked to deadly silicosis. The group plans to pilot certification in Southern California this summer and expand statewide later in the year, aiming to protect workers while avoiding a ban on artificial stone. ISFA CEO Laurie Weber testified to regulators that bans occur when systems fail and that industry seeks to fix the system collaboratively. Industry lobbying included testimony before a U.S. House subcommittee supporting H.R. 5437, a bill that would bar lawsuits against stone manufacturers for harms from product alteration.

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