For these California workers, silicosis remains a potentially fatal threat to their health

“¿Quién te quiere … mi vieja chula?” Or, “Who loves you my beautiful lady?”

Those words bring tears to Ana Miriam’s eyes. Shortly before her husband passed away, he sent her a video jokingly asking who loved her the most. He replied to his own question: “Not anybody else, I love you the most!” 

After being diagnosed with silicosis, Victor would walk up the hill by their neighborhood to get some fresh air. He knew his lungs needed it after working in the countertop industry for 30 years. 

According to experts, silicosis is caused by inhaling silica particles. This mineral component is found in engineered stone, also known as artificial stone, used for kitchen and bathroom countertops. 

For months, Victor relied on an oxygen tank to breath. He was scheduled for a lung transplant, but he never made it. He died three years ago from silicosis. 

Victor is one of many who have died from this disease in California. At least 14 former engineered stone workers have passed away, according to the California Department of Public Health. Since 2019, more than 230 of these workers have been diagnosed with the uncurable and potentially fatal illness. 

The projections are even more alarming. According to Cal-OSHA, around 4,040 workers are part of this industry in our state. The agency projects that up to 800 will get diagnosed with silicosis, and even worse, between 90 and 160 of them will die from this disease.

Ana Miriam has an altar by the entrance of the small apartment she shared with Victor. She looks at their pictures and is reminded of the special moments they lived together. 

“El siempre me traía flores.” She places fresh flowers by the altar because her husband would always bring her flowers when he was alive. 

Why we should care

People are dying from this disease and their families are suffering. Not only are they impacted physically but mentally as well. More than one of the patients I have spoken to have considered giving up. They feel vulnerable, sometimes useless. They cannot work anymore nor provide for their families. Their only support is the care they receive from their loved ones.

Most workers in this industry are Latino immigrants according to a UCLA and UCSF study from 2023. Some patients are also undocumented. They are often ignored, low-income workers who got into this industry not because they wanted to, but because they needed to support their families. Every single one of the former workers I have interviewed did not know about silicosis when they were diagnosed.

Right away they asked for the treatment and solution, only to be shocked by the reality that there is no cure for this disease. In some cases, a lung transplant is the only solution to stay alive. 

Pacoima Beautiful is a community-based organization that educates workers and employees about the dangers of artificial stone and silicosis. Maria Cabrera, who works for them, has told me that with the new Trump administration, undocumented people will be more scared to seek access to healthcare, wrongly thinking that this might affect their immigration status. In California, regardless of a person’s legal status, anyone can qualify for Medi-Cal. 

This is very concerning. Some silicosis patients could be so scared to look for medical help, and the disease will speed up its own natural process. 

Experts were already concerned of the rapid increase of cases. Dr. Jane Fazio says the disease can take years to develop. Some of the patients have worked for 10, 20 or 30 years and are just recently showing symptoms and getting diagnosed. 

Is enough being done?

Cal-OSHA enacted a temporary emergency order in late 2023. It requires the implementation of water systems while cutting the stone, and the use of special respirators called PAPR. The order is expected to become permanent in early 2025. 

But in 2024 alone, the first full year in which the order was in place, 110 cases were confirmed out of the 230 total. In contrast, only 13 diagnoses were reported in 2019, when the state department of public health started recording silicosis cases.

Therefore, the year with most cases so far has been the one with the Cal-OSHA temporary order into effect. Experts believe businesses are not following the order and I can attest to that. When conducting my interviews and research in 2024, I saw a few shops using water systems, but I only saw a worker or two using the PAPR respirators. Everyone else did not, even though they had heard about silicosis and the order. 

One business showed me a PAPR respirator, but none of its employees were using it. Some other workers only had the regular face masks we all used during the pandemic. 

State Sen. Caroline Menjivar recently introduced a bill to protect countertop workers in California. The bill is expected to be discussed in Sacramento during 2025. A similar bill was presented in 2024 but lacked support and was suspended. 

In August 2024, a Los Angeles County jury awarded more than $52 million to Gustavo Reyes. He was diagnosed with silicosis and had a double lung transplant. The jury decided that the fabricating companies Gustavo had sued were at fault for his medical condition. This was the first case of its type that went to trial in the country. Appeals are expected.

According to the workers and experts I have interviewed throughout this project, artificial stone is the most used material for countertops nowadays in the United States. According to the CDC, artificial stone contains more than 90% silica, the mineral compound that causes silicosis when inhaled.

Although the patients and families are the ones directly impacted by this disease, anyone buying or using this material could potentially contribute to the issue. Awareness is vital to make a conscious impact. 

Australia banned the material in July 2024 after thousands of cases and deaths. There are currently no plans to prohibit it in California.

Be persistent and find ways to get answers

Since silicosis is a major concern for workers in our state, I wanted to speak to Gov. Gavin Newsom about it. Since March, I contacted his office to schedule an interview, but they referred me to other state agencies. My requests for interviews with Newsom kept getting denied.

But as any reporter would, I was persistent. While covering an unrelated event where the governor was present, I grabbed my phone, went up to him and asked him about silicosis. He said he had heard about the issue but needed to meet with his health officials. A few weeks later, I contacted his office again to see if that meeting had taken place and to request a formal interview. 

His representative told me a statement would be provided. After weeks, multiple emails and texts requesting that statement, I finally got it. 

The statement said, in part, that they are taking the increase of silicosis cases very seriously. It also referred to the Cal-OSHA order aimed at protecting workers and that they will continue to closely monitor the situation. 

I still want to interview the governor about this issue, hoping he has a better understanding of the subject. I also want to know if he would support an artificial stone ban in California, if it is ever proposed.

As reporters, we must be persistent and continue holding elected officials accountable. 

Staying committed to the story

Since I started reporting on silicosis, I have done more than 10 stories and a special half-hour show that aired in early December 2024. 

Regular stories on news broadcasts run for about two minutes. Most of the time, reporters cover a story once and never follow up on the subject. Not because we don’t want to, but because there is another issue to cover the next day.

I have been fortunate enough to be able to dedicate the time and commitment to report on silicosis. I have been in constant contact with the patients I have interviewed and their families. I have also been in communication with the local and state authorities to report on new cases and updates. 

I was able to partner with two local community organizations. Back in November, they hosted an educational forum about silicosis and my TV station and I helped promote it. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health director was in attendance and she thanked our work and community engagement.

As the issue continues to develop, my commitment to this story will not stop. The more awareness we bring to silicosis, the closer we might get to a solution, or at least avoid more deaths.