Criminal
May 12, 2026
The silicosis epidemic and misplaced criminal liability
California is facing its worst occupational disease epidemic in a century, yet instead of banning the artificial stone products responsible, Cal/OSHA's Standards Board chair is urging prosecution of immigrant shop owners and workers affected by the hazard.
We are now in the midst of the worst occupational disease epidemic of a century. Thousands of workers who fabricate artificial stone countertops throughout the world are developing an extremely aggressive form of silicosis--an occupational lung disease that, over the millennia, has claimed the lives of more workers than any other toxic substance, including asbestos.
This new epidemic is worldwide in scope but has its epicenter in California, which is no...
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