A+ Marble & Granite in Skagit County has been cited and fined $329,880 by the state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) for knowingly exposing its employees to crystalline silica dust, which can cause deadly health problems including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease.
L&I first determined that the workplace at the Burlington stone countertop business was unsafe during a 2022 inspection. A+ Marble & Granite was cited at the time for using stone polishing and cutting equipment and processes that could lead to silica overexposure for its workers.
In a news release on Aug. 28, L&I said that the business didn’t take any steps to address the hazard in the interim and the owner “was uncooperative at every turn” during site visits in February and March of this year, so inspectors got a warrant from Skagit County Superior Court to enter the workplace and test for silica levels.
L&I inspectors observed air purifying respirators contaminated with stone dust and an employee without respiratory protection polishing a stone slab. In total, there were 10 instances of failure to abate existing issues, along with more than a dozen serious and repeat violations. A violation is considered serious when it is likely to result in the injury or death of a worker.
Business owner Emilio Gomez, a disabled U.S. Navy veteran, wrote in an email to CDN that he’s “trying my best to provide for our families and have positive impact in the community.” Gomez employs only two workers and claims he complies with L&I regulations and industry standards.
“In general, we follow the same process for all citations,” explained L&I public affairs manager Matt Ross, “looking first at how serious the violation is and then weighing a range of factors like whether they knew or should have known better, safety history, and more.”
Ross said that because A+ Marble & Granite was aware of the violations and didn’t work to fix them, the fines were much higher.
Gomez has filed an appeal of the fines. L&I can either reconsider the citation or send the case to the independent Board of Industrial Industry Appeals, which will issue a decision.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
