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Cambria's L.A. Letter: Allegedly Misrepresenting the Risks of Artificial Stone
Artificial Stone Manufacturer: Cambria Company LLC: 2023 Los Angeles
In a July 28, 2023 letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Cambria, a manufacturer of artificial stone, urged against a proposed ban on the material. The letter allegedly attempts to downplay the health risks associated with artificial stone and shift responsibility for worker safety to small fabrication shops. However, a closer look reveals alleged inaccuracies and inconsistencies in Cambria's arguments.
Alleged Questionable Claims:
- Safety of artificial stone: While Cambria allegedly asserts that their product is handled safely every day, the growing number of silicosis cases among stonemasons, particularly in L.A., contradicts this claim.
- Responsibility for worker safety: The letter allegedly places the onus of safety measures solely on fabrication shops, overlooking the cost constraints these small businesses face in implementing expensive equipment and training. This approach allegedly ignores the role manufacturers play in ensuring the inherent safety of their products.
- History of artificial stone: Cambria allegedly suggests a long history of safe handling of artificial stone, a statement at odds with the reality of its relatively recent market entry and the first recorded silicosis case allegedly linked to it in 1997.
