Asbestos Exposure in the Military

Asbestos was used on military bases, naval shipyards and in navy ships throughout the 20th century. The use of asbestos on ships was especially harmful to many navy veterans. Hundreds of thousands of our military veterans have suffered from asbestos-related illnesses, including mesothelioma.

Areas on the ships that were most dangerous were usually in the fire and engine rooms. However, most navy veterans can recall the asbestos insulation that covered pipes and wiring throughout the ship.

Some of the personnel most at risk include boilermen, electrician's mates, enginemen, firemen, machinist mates, pipefitters and shipfitters. Seabees who helped with military construction and the civilian shipyard workers were also at high risk.

What follows is a list of shipyards where military personnel and civilian workers were exposed to asbestos. To see a list of specific Navy ships where asbestos exposure may have occurred, click here.

Naval & Private Shipyards (Navy, Liberty, and Victory ships):

Alabama

• Chickasaw, AL - Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation
• Mobile, AL - Alabama Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company

California

• Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Naval Shipyard
• Los Angeles, CA - California Shipbuilding Corporation
• Los Angeles, CA - Todd Shipyards, Inc.
• Oakland, CA - Moore Dry Dock Company
• Richmond, CA - Kaiser Company
• Richmond, CA - Permanente Metals Corporation
• San Francisco, CA - Bethlehem Steel Company
• San Francisco, CA - Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard
• San Pedro, CA - Bethlehem Steel Company
• San Pedro, CA - Western Pipe & Steel Company of California
• Sausalito, CA - Marinship Corporation
• Vallejo, CA - Mare Island Naval Shipyard

Connecticut

• Groton, CT - Electric Boat Company

Delaware

• Wilmington, DE - Dravo Corporation

Florida

• Jacksonville, FL - St. John's River Shipbuilding Company
• Panama City, FL - J. A. Jones Construction Company
• Tampa, FL - Tampa Shipbuilding Company, Inc.

Georgia

• Brunswick, GA - J. A. Jones Construction Company
• Savannah, GA - Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation

Illinois

• Seneca, IL - Chicago Bridge & Iron Company

Indiana

• Evansville, IN - Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company
• Jeffersonville, IN - Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company

Louisiana

• New Orleans, LA - Delta Shipbuilding Company

Maine

• Bath, ME - Bath Iron Works Corporation
• Kittery, ME - Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
• South Portland, ME - New England Shipbuilding Company

Maryland

• Baltimore, MD - Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards, Inc.

Massachusetts

• Charlestown, MA - Boston Naval Shipyard
• Hingham, MA - Bethlehem Steel Company
• Quincy, MA - Bethlehem Steel Company

Michigan

• Bay City, MI - Defoe Shipbuilding Company
• Houghton, WA - Lake Washington Shipyards

New Jersey

• Camden, NJ - New York Shipbuilding Company
• Kearny, NJ - Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company
• Port Newark, NJ - Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company

New York

• Brooklyn, NY - New York Naval Shipyard
• Staten Island, NY - Bethlehem Steel Company

North Carolina

• Wilmington, NC - North Carolina Shipbuilding Company

Oregon

• Portland, OR - Oregon Shipbuilding Company
• Portland, OR - Willamette Iron & Steel Corporation

Pennsylvania

• Chester, PA - Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company
• Philadelphia, PA - Cramp Shipbuilding Company
• Philadelphia, PA - Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
• Pittsburgh, PA - American Bridge Company
• Pittsburgh, PA - Dravo Corporation

Rhode Island

• Providence, RI - Walsh-Kaiser Company, Inc.

South Carolina

• Charleston, SC - Charleston Naval Shipyard

Texas

• Houston, TX - Brown Shipbuilding Company
• Houston, TX - Todd Houston Shipbuilding Corporation
• Orange, TX - Consolidated Steel Corporation

Virginia

• Newport News, VA - Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company
• Portsmouth, VA - Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Washington

• Bremerton, WA - Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
• Seattle, WA - Associated Shipbuilders, Inc.
• Seattle, WA - Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc.
• Tacoma, WA - Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc.
• Vancouver, WA - Kaiser Company

Wisconsin

• Manitowoc, WI - Manitowoc Shipbuilding Corporation