A stone countertop fabricator wears a mask to help protect against airborne particles, which can contribute to silicosis, at a shop in Sun Valley, Calif.

Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times

An epidemic of a deadly lung disease among hundreds of workers who cut kitchen and bathroom countertops has regulators on opposite sides of the country considering two drastically different responses this week.

In a California hearing on Thursday, workplace safety regulators will be discussing a proposed ban on cutting so-called quartz or engineered stone, a popular choice for countertops. That's because this material creates an unusual amount of lung-damaging silica dust when it gets cut or polished, far more than natural granite or marble.