Addressing the Alarming Rise of Silicosis Diagnoses Among Workers in San Fernando Valley

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, CA - Senator Caroline Menjivar (D- San Fernando Valley) seeks to address the disproportionate number of silicosis diagnoses among workers in her district.

On November 9, 2024, Senator Menjivar co-hosted a community forum on silicosis in Canoga Park with health experts and city, county, and Cal/OSHA representatives. A combined resource fair and listening session, stories from those working in the industry and doing worker outreach detailed the dangers of the work environment, as well as the physical and emotional toll of developing silicosis.

“Shops looked white because of how much dust there was,” one outreach worker recalled during the worker education training session.

“Some employers don’t let us talk to their employees,” another outreach worker reported.

In 2023, the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health (DPH) submitted a memorandum to the Board of Supervisors stating, “The San Fernando Valley has become ground zero for silicosis cases in Los Angeles County.” The study cites the inordinate stone cutting and fabrication industry in the Valley, and other businesses related to silica engineered stone that have concentrated in the region. At the time of the study, 91 countertop workers had been diagnosed with silicosis in California, and 50 of them had received treatment at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, a hospital in Senate District 20. Since then we have not seen an urgency in preventing lives lost within this industry.

“Witnessing the numerous health injustices in my communities was one of the main catalysts when I ran for office,” said Senator Caroline Menjivar. “I have brought to the legislature my years of local experience within my communities and am now turning my attention to this inexcusable workplace hazard that has been thrust upon workers who are more vulnerable to exploitation due to their economic status, immigration status, or family financial obligations.”

Silicosis is an irreversible and fatal, but preventable, occupational lung disease affecting predominantly uninsured or underinsured Latino immigrant males. Among construction and stone fabrication workers, the disease stems from inhaling silica dust found in sand, stone, concrete, and artificial stone. Exposure causes inflammation, stiffening, and scarring of the lungs, which can then lead to difficulty breathing and disease.

Every day that we continue this lack of urgency, another person will breathe in this workplace toxin that can potentially make them severely ill and die without a lung transplant. Last year, the legislature protected approximately $300 million within the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and it is incumbent on them to address this pressing issue. Previous legislation has attempted to increase worker protections through more comprehensive worker training and licensing requirements, but it stalled in the Senate policy committee, as the Administration was not supportive of moving the bill forward. As state legislators, we must step in now, and enact more robust oversight of employers to make certain they are following workplace standards and training workers on best practices for their safety and health.

The growing consumer demand for engineered countertops, which can contain more than 90% silica, has contributed to the rapid increase in silicosis cases in spite of workplace safety regulations established by Cal/OSHA. Currently, industry employers are required to minimize worker exposure, instate measures to prevent dust from becoming airborne, and monitor the amount of silica dust in work areas. Yet, it is clear there is a detrimental inadequacy in the implementation of and worker adherence to these policies.

Senator Caroline Menjivar is currently researching potential legislation, and will begin announcing her 2025 bills shortly after the legislature reconvenes on January 6.

For information on Senate District 20 bills or bill comments, constituents can call the Capitol Office at 916-651-4020. Press inquiries, please email Celeste Jale directly at Celeste.Jale@sen.ca.gov.