Brooklyn Navy Yard
Overview
The Brooklyn Navy Yard — officially the New York Naval Shipyard — stands as one of the most significant sites of occupational asbestos exposure in American history. Operating continuously from 1801 until its closure as a naval facility in 1966, the yard employed roughly 70,000 workers during its World War II peak, running three eight-hour shifts around the clock to build and repair warships for the Allied effort.[1] Workers at every level — insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, electricians, welders, and shipfitters — were exposed to asbestos-containing materials in virtually every corner of the facility and aboard every vessel they touched.
The yard's nickname, "The Can-Do Shipyard," captured its wartime reputation for rapid, relentless production. It also captured the conditions that made asbestos exposure nearly universal: enclosed ship compartments, around-the-clock production pressure, dedicated pipe shops manufacturing asbestos lagging, and a Navy mandate — backed by a 1942 presidential order — that prioritized asbestos supply for military use above all civilian applications.[2] The consequences of that exposure took decades to appear. When they did, they came in the form of mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer among workers who had spent years breathing asbestos fibers without adequate warning or protection.
The resulting litigation produced some of the largest asbestos verdicts in New York history, including a $104 million award in 2001 and a $190 million verdict in 2013 — the largest consolidated asbestos verdict in the state at the time.[3] Workers and their families continue to pursue claims through both the court system and asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers whose products caused the harm. Legal analysis by Danziger & De Llano indicates that many Brooklyn Navy Yard workers qualify for claims against multiple trust funds simultaneously, given the number of asbestos product manufacturers documented at the site.[4]
Key Facts
| Metric | Finding |
|---|---|
| Year Established | 1801 — operated as U.S. Navy facility for 165 years; closed 1966; civilian industrial park opened 1969[1] |
| Peak WWII Employment | Approximately 70,000–71,000 workers operating in three 8-hour shifts around the clock[1] |
| Ships Constructed | More than 230 naval warships and auxiliary vessels across all eras, including 10 battleships and at least 6 aircraft carriers[2] |
| Notable Vessels | USS Arizona (BB-39), USS Iowa (BB-61), USS Missouri (BB-63), USS Constellation (CVA-64), USS Independence (CVA-62)[5] |
| Asbestos Mandate | FDR's 1942 Asbestos Conservation Order prioritized all asbestos supply for military use; Navy milspecs beginning 1939 required asbestos in insulation[6] |
| Key Asbestos Products | Pipe insulation (85% magnesia), boiler lagging, Marinite board, Unibestos, Kaylo, gaskets, spray-on fireproofing, deck tiles[7] |
| Highest-Risk Trades | Insulators/laggers (extreme), pipefitters, boilermakers (very high), electricians, welders, shipfitters (high)[8] |
| Landmark Verdict (2001) | $104 million — approximately 100 BNY worker cases; defendants included Owens-Illinois, Keene Corp., Manville Trust[3] |
| Landmark Verdict (2013) | $190 million — largest consolidated asbestos verdict in New York history; against Cleaver-Brooks and Burnham LLC; later reduced by judge[9] |
| John Crane Verdict (2004) | $7.6 million — BNY electrician vs. John Crane Inc.; John Crane held 100% liable; upheld on appeal[10] |
| Environmental Status | NYSDEC Voluntary Cleanup Agreement (1998); NOT a federal Superfund site; PCBs, VOCs, SVOCs documented[11] |
| Applicable Trust Funds | Johns-Manville, Pittsburgh Corning, W.R. Grace, Babcock & Wilcox, Eagle-Picher, and additional trusts |
History of the Brooklyn Navy Yard
The Navy acquired the Brooklyn waterfront site in 1801, and the yard quickly became America's premier naval shipbuilding facility.[1] The first ship built at the yard was USS Ohio, a 74-gun ship of the line, with the keel laid in 1817 and launched on May 30, 1820. Over the following century, the yard built warships for every major American conflict, including the Civil War — during which it produced 14 large vessels and retrofitted four more — and both World Wars.[12]
The neighborhood surrounding the yard has deep historical roots. The nearby Vinegar Hill district takes its name from the 1798 Battle of Vinegar Hill in County Wexford, Ireland. Local landowner John Jackson, who sold land to the Navy Yard and sought to attract Irish immigrants, named the area in honor of that battle.[12]
The interwar period saw the yard maintain a workforce of roughly 10,000 workers by 1937 — substantial for peacetime but a fraction of what would come. When war mobilization began in earnest after Pearl Harbor, employment exploded. By 1944, over 70,000 people worked the yard in round-the-clock shifts, earning it the wartime nickname "The Can-Do Shipyard."[13] The yard's production record during this period was extraordinary: it built battleships, aircraft carriers, destroyers, and numerous support vessels simultaneously while also conducting major repairs on Allied ships from around the world.
Women entered the yard's production workforce for the first time in August 1942. Their numbers grew rapidly: by January 1945, 4,657 women held production jobs, representing approximately 10 percent of the total workforce.[14] African American women who worked at the yard were notably concentrated in skilled positions — 63 percent worked as welders or welder trainees, a high-skilled, high-exposure trade.
After the war ended, employment fell sharply. The yard retained about 9,500 civilian workers at closure in 1966. The Navy formally decommissioned the installation that year, and the City of New York took ownership. In 1969, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation reopened the site as a civilian industrial park, which it remains today. Seatrain Shipbuilding operated a commercial shipbuilding enterprise at the site until the company's bankruptcy in 1981.
Asbestos Products Used at the Yard
Asbestos was integral to virtually every aspect of ship construction and repair at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The yard itself maintained a dedicated pipe shop that manufactured asbestos lagging — the cloth used to insulate hot water and steam pipes running throughout ships. A separate dedicated asbestos mixing room combined magnesium oxide and asbestos fibers (primarily chrysotile and amosite) to produce thermal insulation compound applied throughout the fleet.[15]
The U.S. Navy mandated asbestos use through military specifications beginning in 1939. These milspecs required specific minimum asbestos fiber content in insulation materials. President Roosevelt's 1942 Asbestos Conservation Order placed military asbestos needs above all civilian applications, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of asbestos-containing materials to the yard at the height of its production output.[6]
| Product Category | Application | Asbestos Type(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Pipe insulation — 85% magnesia, pre-formed sections | Steam and hot water pipes throughout all vessels | Chrysotile, amosite |
| Boiler lagging and insulation (block, blanket, cement) | Marine boilers, steam generators | Amosite, chrysotile |
| Gaskets and valve packing | High-pressure connections throughout ship systems | Chrysotile |
| Spray-on fireproofing (including Monokote) | Structural steel, bulkheads | Chrysotile, crocidolite |
| Marinite board | Bulkhead fire barriers, ship panels | Chrysotile |
| Deck tiles and floor coverings | Ship decking throughout vessels | Chrysotile |
| Wire and electrical cable insulation | Wiring systems on all vessels | Chrysotile |
| Insulating cements and pipe coverings | Machinery compartments, turbines | Amosite, chrysotile |
| Welding blankets and heat shields | Protection during fabrication | Chrysotile |
| Thermal block insulation (Unibestos, Kaylo) | Refrigeration and cryogenic systems, engine rooms | Amosite |
According to Mesothelioma.net's documentation of asbestos products used in shipbuilding, the concentration of multiple asbestos-containing products in the confined spaces of ship compartments created especially dangerous conditions. Workers who removed old insulation, cut new sections to fit, or worked nearby generated clouds of airborne fibers in spaces with limited ventilation — engine rooms, boiler rooms, pipe chases, and below-deck compartments where the heat and humidity accelerated the deterioration of insulation materials.[7]
Manufacturers Who Supplied Asbestos to Brooklyn Navy Yard
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals, in its 1992 ruling in In re Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Litigation (971 F.2d 831), found that asbestos products from multiple manufacturers were used "interchangeably throughout the yard."[16] This legal finding is significant for workers and their families: it means that documenting employment at the yard, without necessarily identifying every specific product encountered, can support claims against multiple defendants.
| Manufacturer | Products / Trade Names | Primary Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Johns-Manville | Thermobestos, Superex, Marinite | Pipe insulation, boiler insulation, bulkhead panels |
| Pittsburgh Corning | Unibestos | Block insulation, pipe covering |
| Owens-Illinois | Kaylo | Thermal insulation, pipe covering |
| Owens-Corning Fiberglas | Various insulation products | Thermal and acoustic insulation |
| Keene Corp. | Various products | Insulation materials |
| Eagle-Picher | Super 66 and related products | Insulation, pipe covering (BNY on approved job site list) |
| W.R. Grace | Monokote | Spray-on fireproofing |
| Babcock & Wilcox | Boiler insulation and components | Marine boilers and steam generation |
| Cleaver-Brooks | Boilers with asbestos insulation | Boiler systems (defendant in $190M verdict) |
| Burnham LLC | Boiler components | Boiler systems (defendant in $190M verdict) |
| John Crane Inc. | Gaskets, seals, packing | High-pressure valve and pipe connections |
Mesothelioma Lawyer Center's documentation of Brooklyn Navy Yard cases confirms that each of these manufacturers faced litigation from BNY workers, and several established bankruptcy trusts that continue to pay claims today.[17]
Which Trades Had the Highest Asbestos Exposure?
Asbestos exposure at the Brooklyn Navy Yard was not limited to workers who directly handled asbestos materials. The confined spaces of ship compartments allowed fibers to accumulate in the air, creating bystander exposure risks for workers in adjacent trades. However, certain occupations carried especially severe direct exposure risk.[8]
| Trade | Exposure Level | Primary Exposure Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Insulators / Laggers | Extreme | Direct mixing of asbestos cements; cutting and applying pipe insulation; working in dedicated asbestos mixing room and pipe shop |
| Pipefitters / Steamfitters | Very High | Cutting and installing asbestos-insulated pipe; replacing gaskets and packing in confined below-deck spaces |
| Boilermakers | Very High | Removing and replacing degraded boiler lagging; gaskets and rope seals; working in poorly ventilated boiler rooms |
| Shipfitters | High | Structural work in insulated compartments; bystander exposure during installation of fireproofing and insulation |
| Electricians | High | Asbestos-insulated wiring; drilling through asbestos-containing bulkheads; bystander exposure in all compartments |
| Welders | High | Welding blankets and heat shields; bystander exposure to friable insulation disturbed by heat and vibration |
| Painters | Moderate–High | Surface preparation on asbestos-coated surfaces; bystander exposure during ship repair |
| Laborers / Helpers | Moderate–High | Material transport, cleanup of asbestos debris; bystander exposure throughout facility |
| Important for Claims: Even electricians and other workers whose primary duties did not involve direct asbestos handling showed elevated mesothelioma rates. A study published in the British Journal of Cancer found that electricians face an odds ratio of 9.3 for mesothelioma compared to unexposed populations.[18] In shipyard environments, where multiple trades worked simultaneously in enclosed spaces, bystander exposure was both pervasive and well-documented. |
Ships Built and Repaired at Brooklyn Navy Yard
Over its 165-year history as a naval facility, the Brooklyn Navy Yard built more than 230 naval warships and auxiliary vessels, including 10 battleships and at least 6 aircraft carriers.[2][5] The yard also conducted major repairs on thousands of vessels during World War II. Every ship built or overhauled at the yard during the asbestos era contained extensive asbestos insulation — in pipes, boilers, bulkheads, deck coverings, and electrical systems.
| Vessel | Type | Launched | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Ohio (74-gun) | Ship of the Line | 1820 | First ship built at the yard; keel laid 1817 |
| USS Maine (ACR-1) | Armored Cruiser/Battleship | 1889 | Later sunk in Havana Harbor, precipitating the Spanish-American War |
| USS Arizona (BB-39) | Battleship | 1915 | Lost at Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941; now a national memorial |
| USS New Mexico (BB-40) | Battleship | 1917 | Lead ship of her class |
| USS North Carolina (BB-55) | Battleship | 1940 | First U.S. fast battleship; now a memorial at Wilmington, NC |
| USS Iowa (BB-61) | Battleship | 1942 | Lead ship of the Iowa class; FDR's wartime flagship |
| USS Missouri (BB-63) | Battleship | 1944 | Site of Japan's formal surrender, September 2, 1945[19] |
| USS Bennington (CV-20) | Aircraft Carrier | 1944 | Essex-class fleet carrier |
| USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) | Aircraft Carrier | 1944 | Essex-class fleet carrier |
| USS Independence (CVA-62) | Aircraft Carrier | 1958 | Forrestal-class supercarrier |
| USS Constellation (CVA-64) | Aircraft Carrier | 1960 | Kitty Hawk-class supercarrier[5] |
The yard's wartime production record was remarkable not only for its volume but for its speed. Hulls progressed from keel-laying to launch in compressed timeframes under wartime urgency. Every vessel built contained extensive asbestos throughout its pipe insulation, boiler systems, bulkheads, and deck coverings — creating decades of latent disease risk for the workers who built and later maintained these ships.
Women Workers at Brooklyn Navy Yard
The Brooklyn Navy Yard's wartime workforce transformation included a dramatic expansion of women into production roles. The yard first hired women for production jobs in August 1942, responding to the labor demands created by military service pulling male workers into the armed forces. By January 1945, 4,657 women held production positions at the yard, representing approximately 10 percent of the total workforce.[14]
African American women who worked at the yard occupied a notably skilled subset of the workforce. Sixty-three percent worked as welders or welder trainees — a high-skill, physically demanding trade that placed them directly in the highest-exposure environments. Welding work required close proximity to asbestos lagging and insulation materials, and welding heat contributed to the deterioration of nearby asbestos-containing materials, releasing fibers into the workspace.
For legal and compensation purposes, the inclusion of women workers in the BNY's production workforce is important: asbestos exposure and resulting mesothelioma are not exclusively male conditions, and women who worked at the yard — as well as family members who washed workers' clothing and thereby received take-home exposure — may have viable claims. Secondary asbestos exposure through contaminated work clothing is well-documented among shipyard workers' households and has produced its own body of litigation.[20]
What Did the Navy Know About Asbestos Hazards?
Documentary evidence establishes that the U.S. Navy was aware of asbestos hazards well before it took meaningful action to protect workers. A memorandum dated March 11, 1941, from a Navy official named Stephenson to Rear Admiral McIntire — preserved in the Reagan Library archives — documents internal awareness of the health risks associated with asbestos dust in naval facilities.[6]
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals, in its landmark 1992 ruling in In re Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Litigation (971 F.2d 831), made an explicit judicial finding on this point: the Navy "knew of dangers but failed to warn workers or take available precautions."[16] This finding emerged from the consolidation of approximately 600 asbestos cases before Judge Jack B. Weinstein in the Eastern District of New York and Justice Helen Freedman in New York Supreme Court.
| "The Second Circuit's finding that the Navy knew of dangers but failed to warn workers is a critical legal foundation for BNY cases. This documented knowledge distinguishes shipyard asbestos exposure from situations where employers can claim ignorance." |
| — Paul Danziger, Founding Partner, Danziger & De Llano |
The Navy's 1939 military specifications required asbestos content in shipbuilding materials, and FDR's 1942 Asbestos Conservation Order prioritized the military's asbestos supply, ensuring the yard received materials throughout the war even as civilian uses were curtailed. Workers, however, received no corresponding warning about the health consequences of working with those materials.
In 1972, the New York Times reported that shipyard workers from the 1940s were being notified of cancer risks from their wartime exposure — decades after the exposure had occurred.[21]
Medical Research on Brooklyn Navy Yard Workers
The foundational medical research on asbestos and mesothelioma was conducted in the New York area, where the concentration of shipyard and insulation workers made the disease epidemiology visible to researchers. Dr. Irving Selikoff and colleagues at Mount Sinai Medical Center produced the landmark studies that defined asbestos carcinogenicity for the scientific and legal communities.
Selikoff's 1964 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (PMID: 6420020), which examined 632 insulation workers in the New York and New Jersey union locals, found 45 lung cancer deaths against 6.6 expected — a 6.8-fold excess mortality. Many of these workers had worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and other New York shipyards.[22] Selikoff's 1979 study of 17,800 insulation workers across the United States and Canada confirmed the pattern at scale.[23]
In October 1964, the New York Academy of Sciences convened a landmark conference titled "Biological Effects of Asbestos," the proceedings of which were published as Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Volume 132 (1965). This conference — organized with significant involvement from Selikoff — brought together international scientists and is widely recognized as a turning point in the scientific consensus on asbestos carcinogenicity.[24]
A study of 286 ship repair workers found that 86 percent had radiological evidence of asbestosis 20 or more years from onset of employment.[25] This population overlaps substantially with Brooklyn Navy Yard workers, where ship repair was central to the yard's wartime mission. Research on naval shipyard workers more broadly has found standardized mortality ratios for mesothelioma far exceeding those of the general population.[26][27]
Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Lawsuits and Verdicts
The Brooklyn Navy Yard generated one of the largest bodies of consolidated asbestos litigation in American history. The Second Circuit's 1992 ruling in In re Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Litigation (971 F.2d 831) consolidated approximately 600 cases before federal and state courts and established key legal frameworks for subsequent BNY litigation.[16]
| Verdict / Case | Year | Amount | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase I Trial — BNY Consolidated | 1992 | >$30 million | 64 cases with 90%+ BNY exposure history; 52 plaintiff verdicts; part of the Second Circuit appeal |
| BNY Workers vs. Owens-Illinois, Keene Corp., Manville Trust | 2001 | $104 million | Approximately 100 BNY worker cases consolidated; main defendants Owens-Illinois, Keene Corp., Manville asbestos trust[3] |
| BNY Electrician vs. John Crane Inc. | 2004 | $7.6 million | BNY electrician developed mesothelioma; John Crane Inc. found 100% liable for gasket exposure; verdict upheld on appeal[10] |
| Five Plaintiffs vs. Cleaver-Brooks and Burnham | 2013 | $190 million (later reduced to ~$30M by judge) | Largest consolidated asbestos verdict in New York history at the time; five tradesmen with boiler exposure; individual awards ranged $20M–$60M; judge subsequently reduced the total award[9][3] |
The Second Circuit's 1992 ruling was pivotal in establishing the legal framework for BNY cases. The court found the Navy had known of dangers and failed to warn, confirmed that manufacturers' products were used interchangeably throughout the yard, and upheld the consolidation methodology that allowed hundreds of cases to proceed efficiently. Danziger & De Llano's review of BNY litigation indicates that the legal precedent established in these cases continues to inform how courts evaluate evidence in individual BNY worker claims today.[28]
Post-Closure Exposure and Environmental Remediation
The Brooklyn Navy Yard's asbestos hazards did not end with the Navy's departure in 1966. The civilian industrial users who occupied the site beginning in 1969 — including Seatrain Shipbuilding, which operated a commercial shipbuilding enterprise until its 1981 bankruptcy — worked in structures and environments still containing legacy asbestos from the naval era.
Environmental documentation shows that the site carries contamination from its industrial history. In 1998, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation executed a Voluntary Cleanup Agreement (Index No. 02-0001-97-08) covering the Brooklyn Navy Yard.[11] The documented contaminants include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Environmental records indicate that 24 of 27 substations at the facility tested positive for PCB contamination. Asbestos abatement work was conducted by Hi-Tech Environmental Renovation as part of cleanup operations.
The BNY cleanup proceeded under New York State's voluntary remediation program rather than federal Superfund designation. This distinction affects the legal documentation available to workers and their attorneys, but the environmental records still provide independent, government-verified confirmation of the site's hazardous material history.
Today, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation operates the site as a thriving industrial and technology park employing more than 11,000 people across hundreds of businesses. Workers in renovation, demolition, and maintenance activities at the historic structures may still encounter legacy asbestos-containing materials from the naval era. Modern OSHA regulations require proper asbestos protocols for any disturbing of such materials.[29]
Asbestos Trust Fund Claims for Brooklyn Navy Yard Workers
Many of the asbestos product manufacturers who supplied the Brooklyn Navy Yard subsequently filed for bankruptcy under the weight of asbestos liability and were required to establish asbestos bankruptcy trust funds as a condition of reorganization. As Mesothelioma.net explains, workers exposed to asbestos at the yard can file claims with every trust whose products they encountered — and because multiple manufacturers' products were documented throughout the facility, many BNY workers are eligible for simultaneous claims against several trusts.[30]
| Trust Fund | Approximate Payment Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Johns-Manville / Manville Personal Injury Trust | ~5.1% (approx. $17,850 per eligible claim) | One of the largest trusts; covers Thermobestos, Superex, Marinite — all documented at BNY |
| Pittsburgh Corning Trust | ~19% (approx. $33,250 per eligible claim) | Covers Unibestos block insulation heavily used in shipbuilding |
| W.R. Grace Trust | ~$10,800 per eligible claim | Covers Monokote spray-on fireproofing documented at BNY |
| Babcock & Wilcox Trust | ~$12,000 per eligible claim | Covers boiler components and insulation used at BNY |
| Eagle-Picher Industries Trust | Higher rate than many trusts | Brooklyn Navy Yard is on Eagle-Picher's approved job site list |
| Owens-Illinois Trust | Varies by disease level | Covers Kaylo insulation; Owens-Illinois was a primary defendant in the 2001 $104M verdict |
| Keene Corp. Trust | Varies by disease level | Keene was a primary defendant in the 2001 $104M verdict |
Mesothelioma Lawyer Center's trust fund analysis notes that BNY workers can typically pursue claims through multiple channels simultaneously: asbestos bankruptcy trust fund claims, lawsuits against non-bankrupt defendants (such as John Crane Inc. in the 2004 case), and — for Navy veterans — VA disability benefits and VA healthcare coverage for asbestos-related conditions.[17] The Asbestos Trust Fund Quick Reference page provides current data on all major trust funds, including payment percentages and remaining assets.
Veterans who worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard as active-duty personnel may have additional pathways through the VA. The Veterans Mesothelioma Quick Reference page details the specific benefits available to Navy veterans with asbestos-related diagnoses.
| "BNY workers are often eligible for more trust fund claims than workers at other sites. The sheer number of documented manufacturers — each with their own trust fund — means that a thorough exposure history can unlock multiple simultaneous compensation pathways." |
| — Rod De Llano, Founding Partner, Danziger & De Llano |
Frequently Asked Questions
What made the Brooklyn Navy Yard so hazardous for asbestos exposure?
Several factors combined to make the BNY exceptionally dangerous. The yard maintained a dedicated pipe shop that manufactured asbestos lagging and a dedicated asbestos mixing room — meaning asbestos was processed on-site, not just applied. Navy military specifications beginning in 1939 required asbestos in insulation materials, and FDR's 1942 Asbestos Conservation Order ensured an uninterrupted military supply. The enclosed spaces of ship compartments — engine rooms, boiler rooms, pipe chases — concentrated airborne fibers with minimal ventilation. Workers in virtually every trade were exposed, directly or as bystanders. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed that asbestos products from multiple manufacturers were used "interchangeably throughout the yard," and that the Navy knew of dangers but failed to warn workers or take available precautions.[16]
Which shipyard trades faced the highest mesothelioma risk at the BNY?
Insulators and laggers faced extreme risk through direct handling of asbestos in the pipe shop and asbestos mixing room. Pipefitters, boilermakers, and steamfitters faced very high risk through cutting and installing asbestos-insulated pipe and replacing gaskets in confined spaces. Electricians, shipfitters, and welders faced high risk both from their own work materials and from bystander exposure in enclosed shipboard compartments. Research documents that even workers with largely indirect asbestos contact showed significantly elevated mesothelioma rates in naval shipyard environments.[18]
What were the major Brooklyn Navy Yard asbestos verdicts?
Three verdicts stand out. In 2001, a jury awarded approximately $104 million to roughly 100 BNY worker cases, with main defendants Owens-Illinois, Keene Corp., and the Manville asbestos trust. In 2004, a BNY electrician won a $7.6 million verdict against John Crane Inc. — upheld on appeal — with John Crane found 100% liable for gasket exposure. In 2013, five mesothelioma plaintiffs won a $190 million verdict against boiler companies Cleaver-Brooks and Burnham LLC — described as the largest consolidated asbestos verdict in New York history at the time — though the award was later reduced by the trial judge to approximately $30 million.[9][3]
Can family members of Brooklyn Navy Yard workers file asbestos claims?
Yes. Family members may have viable claims through two pathways. First, secondary (take-home) exposure: asbestos fibers carried on workers' clothing, hair, and skin contaminated home environments, exposing spouses and children who washed work clothing or simply lived with the worker. Research documents elevated asbestos disease rates in family members of shipyard workers. Second, wrongful death claims: surviving spouses, children, and estates of workers who have died from asbestos-related diseases can pursue compensation through litigation and trust fund claims.
How many trust funds can a Brooklyn Navy Yard worker claim against?
The number depends on the specific products a worker encountered during employment, but BNY workers are often eligible for claims against several trusts simultaneously. Documented manufacturers at the yard with established trusts include Johns-Manville, Pittsburgh Corning, W.R. Grace, Babcock & Wilcox, Eagle-Picher, Owens-Illinois, and Keene Corp., among others. An experienced mesothelioma attorney reviews a worker's complete exposure history to identify all applicable trusts and coordinates filings to maximize total compensation.[17]
Is there a deadline to file an asbestos claim for Brooklyn Navy Yard exposure?
Yes. New York's statute of limitations for personal injury asbestos claims is generally three years from the date of diagnosis. Wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the date of death. Trust fund claims have separate deadlines that vary by individual trust. Because these deadlines are strict and because asbestos diseases have 20-50 year latency periods that can make timeline reconstruction complex, consulting an experienced mesothelioma attorney promptly is essential. The Statute of Limitations Reference page provides state-by-state filing deadlines.[31]
What happened to the Brooklyn Navy Yard after it closed in 1966?
The U.S. Navy formally decommissioned the yard in 1966, after which the City of New York took ownership of the property. In 1969, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation reopened the site as a civilian industrial park. Seatrain Shipbuilding operated a commercial shipbuilding enterprise there until the company's 1981 bankruptcy. The site underwent environmental remediation under a 1998 New York State Voluntary Cleanup Agreement. Today it operates as a thriving technology and manufacturing hub with more than 11,000 workers — though legacy asbestos in older structures remains a hazard for renovation and demolition workers who must follow OSHA asbestos protocols.
Quick Statistics
- The Brooklyn Navy Yard employed approximately 70,000–71,000 workers at its WWII peak, operating three eight-hour shifts around the clock[1]
- The yard built more than 230 naval warships and auxiliary vessels across its 165-year naval history, including 10 battleships and at least 6 aircraft carriers[2][5]
- The Second Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed in 1992 that the Navy knew of asbestos dangers but failed to warn workers — a finding that continues to underpin BNY litigation today[16]
- FDR's 1942 Asbestos Conservation Order prioritized all asbestos supply for military use, ensuring an uninterrupted flow of asbestos-containing materials to the yard at peak wartime production[6]
- A dedicated asbestos pipe shop and dedicated asbestos mixing room at the yard processed raw asbestos fibers on-site, in addition to pre-formed asbestos products aboard every vessel[15]
- 4,657 women held production jobs at the yard by January 1945; 63% of African American women workers were welders or welder trainees, the highest-exposure skilled trade[14]
- Studies of ship repair workers found that 86% had radiological evidence of asbestosis 20 or more years from onset of employment[25]
- 24 of 27 substations at the facility tested positive for PCB contamination under the 1998 New York State Voluntary Cleanup Agreement[11]
- New York's statute of limitations for personal injury asbestos claims is 3 years from diagnosis — prompt legal consultation is critical given the 20-50 year latency of asbestos diseases[31]
Get Help
If you or a family member worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer, contact Danziger & De Llano at (855) 699-5441 for a free case review. Additional resources and information about compensation options are available at Mesothelioma Lawyers Near Me, Mesothelioma.net, and Mesothelioma Lawyer Center.
Related Pages
- Norfolk Naval Shipyard
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
- Shipyard Exposure Index
- Veterans Mesothelioma Quick Reference
- Asbestos Trust Fund Quick Reference
- Secondary Asbestos Exposure
- Mesothelioma Quick Facts
- Statute of Limitations Reference
- Occupational Asbestos Exposure Quick Reference
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 History of the Yard, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. Established 1801; employed some 70,000 people during WWII peak.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation Archives — Photographs Collection 1846-2005 (PDF). Over the course of its history, more than 230 naval warships and auxiliary vessels were built at the Yard.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Largest Asbestos Lawsuit Settlements in the US, Mesothelioma Lawyer Center. Documents $104M (2001) verdict against Owens-Illinois, Keene Corp., Manville Trust; and $190M (2013) verdict against Cleaver-Brooks and Burnham.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Brooklyn Navy Yard Archives — Ship Construction Records, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. The BNYDC archives document the complete record of vessels constructed and repaired at the yard from USS Ohio (1817) through closure in 1966.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Cancer Risk of Asbestos Exposure — CDC Stacks, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Documents the Navy's internal recognition of asbestos hazards; the March 11, 1941 Stephenson memorandum to Rear Admiral McIntire is cited in asbestos litigation establishing Navy knowledge predating WWII production expansion.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Asbestos Products | Mesothelioma Caused by Asbestos-Containing Products, Mesothelioma.net. Documents pipe insulation, boiler lagging, Marinite, gaskets, and other asbestos-containing products used in shipbuilding.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Mesothelioma Risk: Shipyard, Oil & Construction Workers Most at Risk, Danziger & De Llano. Trade-by-trade risk analysis for shipyard occupational asbestos exposure.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 NY Judge Cuts $190M Asbestos Mesothelioma Award, Top Class Actions. Judge reduced $190 million verdict to approximately $30 million; verdict had been largest consolidated asbestos verdict in New York history.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 John Crane Inc. and Asbestos Gaskets, Mesothelioma.net. Documents John Crane gasket use in shipyards and resulting litigation including BNY electrician verdict.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Brooklyn Navy Yard — EPA Site Cleanup Profile, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency CERCLIS/ECHO Database. Documents remediation history, PCB contamination, and cleanup activities at the former New York Naval Shipyard site.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Brooklyn Navy Yard, Wikipedia. During the Civil War, the yard manufactured 14 large vessels; notes yard history including Vinegar Hill neighborhood naming.
- ↑ The Can-Do Shipyard, Soundings Online. The yard earned the nickname the "Can-Do Shipyard" for its enormous wartime output; employed 71,000 civilians at peak.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 The Brooklyn Navy Yard and Polytechnic During WWII and Beyond, NYU. By 1944, over 4,000 women had become an integral part of its workforce; documents women's production roles beginning August 1942.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 In re Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Litigation, 971 F.2d 831 (2d Cir. 1992). Second Circuit confirmed Navy "knew of dangers but failed to warn workers or take available precautions"; found asbestos products used "interchangeably throughout the yard." Approximately 600 cases consolidated before Judge Jack B. Weinstein (E.D.N.Y.) and Justice Helen Freedman (N.Y. Supreme Court).
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Brooklyn Navy Yard | Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma Risk, Mesothelioma Lawyer Center. Detailed BNY exposure documentation including trust fund pathways and legal options for workers and families.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Occupational, Domestic and Environmental Mesothelioma Risks in Britain, British Journal of Cancer (Nature). Mesothelioma odds ratio of 9.3 (95% CI 4.4-19.4) for plumbers, electricians, and painters vs. unexposed populations.
- ↑ USS Missouri Memorial Association, USS Missouri Memorial. Documents Missouri (BB-63) commissioned 1944 at Brooklyn Navy Yard; site of Japan's formal surrender September 2, 1945.
- ↑ Domestic Asbestos Exposure: A Review of Epidemiologic and Exposure Data, PMC (PMC3863863). 2013 meta-analysis of 12 studies on domestic asbestos exposure; elevated mesothelioma risk among household contacts of shipyard workers and insulators.
- ↑ Shipyard Workers of 1940's Told of Cancer Peril, The New York Times, September 30, 1972. Reports on notification of WWII-era shipyard workers of mesothelioma and lung cancer risks from asbestos exposure.
- ↑ Asbestos Exposure and Neoplasia, Selikoff IJ, Churg J, Hammond EC. JAMA. 1964;188:22-26. PMID: 6420020. Of 632 insulation workers traced through 1962, 45 died of lung cancer vs. 6.6 expected — a 6.8-fold excess mortality.
- ↑ Latency of Asbestos Disease Among Insulation Workers in the United States and Canada, Selikoff IJ et al. Cancer. 1980;46(12 Suppl):2736-40. PMID: 7448712. 17,800 asbestos insulation workers studied; pattern of excess mortality confirmed at scale.
- ↑ Biological Effects of Asbestos: New York Academy of Sciences 1964, PubMed (PMID: 12704628). The New York Academy of Sciences held a conference on asbestos October 19-21, 1964; proceedings published as Annals NYAS Vol. 132 (1965).
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Radiological Evidence of Asbestos Disease Among Ship Repair Workers, American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Study of 286 workers 20+ years from onset of ship repair employment; 86% had radiological evidence of asbestosis.
- ↑ 55-Year Study of Genoa Shipyard Workers and Mesothelioma Mortality, PMC (PMC6310930). Mesothelioma standardized mortality ratio of 575 among shipyard workers.
- ↑ Mesothelioma Among Atomic Veterans, PMID: 30513236. Navy workers with asbestos exposure showed SMR of 6.47 for mesothelioma in high-risk rating analysis.
- ↑ Navy Veterans and Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Lawyers Near Me. Overview of shipyard asbestos exposure documentation and compensation pathways for Navy veterans and workers.
- ↑ Mesothelioma Trust Funds | Compensation for Asbestos Victims, Mesothelioma.net. Workers exposed to asbestos can file claims with every trust whose products they encountered; multiple simultaneous claims allowed.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Mesothelioma Statutes of Limitations by State, Danziger & De Llano. New York statute of limitations: 3 years from diagnosis for personal injury; 2 years from death for wrongful death claims.