A new wave of workers, including Appalachian coalminers and Latino countertop fabrication workers, are developing and dying from silicosis and black lung. Public health experts have known for decades how to prevent silicosis, one of the oldest workplace hazards.
Coalminers in central Appalachia are increasingly being diagnosed with black lung disease at younger ages. John Robinson, a coalminer in south-west Virginia, was diagnosed at 47, whereas his grandfather developed the disease after decades in the mines, often dying in their 60s, 70s, and 80s.
Around 2018, doctors across the US began documenting outbreaks of lung disease among countertop fabrication workers. Seven workers were diagnosed in Colorado and 12 in Texas. In the same year, a 38-year-old Hispanic man in California, who ground stone edges at a countertop fabrication company, died of respiratory failure.
Public health experts attribute both outbreaks to the inhalation of tiny crystalline silica dust on the job. Prevention involves limiting worker exposure by sampling and tamping down dust to prevent particles from becoming airborne. For miners, a 2024 Mine Safety and Health Administration (Msha) rule was intended to address this occupational hazard, but industry groups petitioned to overturn it, and the Trump administration did not defend the rule. The eighth circuit court of appeals stayed the rule, and Msha stated it would reconsider portions affected by the industry challenge.
The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) led the legal challenge to Msha's 2024 silica dust rule, taking issue with frequent air sampling and medical surveillance requirements. The American Exploration & Mining Association (AEMA) also challenged the rule, arguing it would "undermine miner safety and health due to the restrictions Msha imposed on its implementation."
Countertop fabrication workers are meant to be protected by a 2016 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) rule, which also faced industry pushback. David Michaels, an epidemiologist and professor, stated that artificial stone slabs used for countertops can contain up to 90% silica, suggesting the Osha rule alone may not be sufficient. He also noted that many small employers often do not comply with regulations.
In January, Michaels testified at a congressional subcommittee hearing regarding mounting lawsuits against manufacturers and sellers of stone slab products. The subcommittee, however, discussed how to protect the industry from litigation. Congressman Darrell Issa of California, the subcommittee chair, is among 16 co-sponsors of a proposed bill to ban lawsuits against manufacturers or sellers of certain stone slab products. Michaels suggested prohibiting the sale of engineered stone products with high silica concentrations, noting that comparable and safe substitute products exist.
In May, California's Osha began rulemaking to prohibit the fabrication and installation of artificial stone products containing more than 1% crystalline silica.