Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard: 200,000 Workers Exposed to Asbestos Over 142 Years of Naval Operations
Executive Summary
Mare Island Naval Shipyard operated as America's first Pacific Coast naval installation from 1854 to 1996, building over 513 vessels while exposing approximately 200,000 workers to deadly asbestos-containing materials.[1] During World War II, the facility reached peak employment of 46,000 direct workers and supervised an additional 40,000 contractors at 28 private Bay Area facilities, producing 391 vessels including 17 submarines that achieved nine of the Navy's top 25 submarine scoring records. Workers handled over 300 different asbestos products daily in conditions that created fiber concentrations reaching 2-10 fibers per cubic centimeter in engine rooms—levels 20 to 100 times higher than current safety standards of 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter.
The shipyard's asbestos exposure legacy represents one of the most significant occupational health disasters in American history, with epidemiological studies documenting mesothelioma rates 500-700% higher than national averages among Mare Island workers. Approximately 3,000 mesothelioma cases have been documented from Mare Island exposures, with projections estimating 500-700 additional cases will develop through 2040 due to the disease's extended 20-50 year latency period.[2] Workers exposed during the 1970s nuclear submarine program are only now developing symptoms, creating an ongoing public health crisis that continues claiming lives decades after the facility's closure.
The facility's transition from conventional to nuclear submarine construction created uniquely hazardous conditions, as workers installed extensive asbestos insulation in confined submarine compartments where ventilation was severely limited. Mare Island launched the West Coast's first nuclear submarine, USS Sargo (SSN-583), in 1957 and ultimately constructed 17 nuclear submarines through 1970, including Lafayette-class ballistic missile submarines carrying Polaris nuclear weapons.[3] Despite advanced technology, these vessels contained the same hazardous asbestos materials used since the 1930s, with workers describing visibility reduced to mere feet from asbestos dust while crawling through narrow passages to install insulation around reactor compartments.
Mare Island veterans and civilian workers diagnosed with mesothelioma have access to multiple compensation pathways including VA disability benefits providing $3,831.30 monthly minimum for 100% ratings, claims against 60+ asbestos bankruptcy trusts holding over $30 billion, and civil litigation against solvent manufacturers that have produced verdicts exceeding $20 million.[4] California's one-year statute of limitations from diagnosis demands immediate action, but the extensive documentation of Mare Island's asbestos use—from procurement records to military specifications—provides strong evidence supporting claims for workers and their families seeking justice decades after exposure occurred.
Key Facts
| Key Facts: Mare Island Naval Shipyard Asbestos Exposure |
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What Made Mare Island Naval Shipyard Strategically Important?
Commander David Glasgow Farragut established Mare Island Naval Shipyard on September 16, 1854, creating the United States Navy's first Pacific installation following the strategic imperative created by the Mexican-American War and the California Gold Rush. The Navy purchased 956 acres for $83,491 on January 4, 1853, recognizing that American commercial and military interests required a West Coast facility capable of building and repairing vessels without the months-long journey around Cape Horn.[5] The shipyard launched its first warship, USS Saginaw, on March 3, 1859, demonstrating immediate capability for complex naval construction despite frontier conditions.
The facility's granite Dry Dock No. 1, completed in 1891 after 19 years of construction, represents one of the most remarkable examples of stone masonry construction in United States history. Workers carved the 508-foot structure from solid rock, lining it with granite blocks from California quarries. This engineering marvel provided repair capabilities that proved essential during both world wars, when rapid vessel turnaround determined Pacific theater success. Mare Island's strategic value increased dramatically following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, when the shipyard provided critical support for disaster relief while maintaining naval operations.
| ℹ️ Historic Significance: Mare Island built the only dreadnought battleship constructed on the West Coast—USS California (BB-44). When launched on November 21, 1919, the 32,300-ton vessel generated such force that restraining cables snapped, sending the battleship crashing into Vallejo's Georgia Street Pier. |
What World War Records Did Mare Island Set?
World War I transformed Mare Island into an industrial powerhouse achieving unprecedented construction speed that established records standing for over a century. The shipyard built USS Ward in just 17.5 days—from keel laying May 15, 1918, to launching June 1, 1918—establishing a destroyer construction record that remains unbroken.[6] This achievement required workforce expansion that introduced thousands of workers to asbestos hazards as the shipyard constructed nine destroyers between 1916 and 1919 while simultaneously building smaller vessels and performing repairs. Mare Island pioneered prefabrication techniques using modular sections that reduced construction time dramatically, innovations adopted by shipyards nationwide.
World War II marked Mare Island's production zenith and most severe asbestos exposure period. Employment exploded from several thousand to 46,000 direct workers, with the shipyard supervising an additional 40,000 contractors at 28 private Bay Area facilities including Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard across the bay. This massive workforce built 391 vessels including 17 submarines, four submarine tenders, 31 destroyer escorts, and over 300 landing craft. Production efficiency reached extraordinary levels with destroyer escorts launching every 10 days and landing craft completing daily.[7]
| "The patterns we observe in Mare Island cases reflect the relentless wartime production schedules that prioritized speed over safety. Workers were exposed to massive quantities of asbestos materials in conditions that would be unthinkable today—and companies knew about the dangers but chose not to warn workers." |
| — Paul Danziger, Founding Partner, Danziger & De Llano |
The wartime motto "Can They Do It? Yes They Can!" drove production schedules that required massive asbestos quantities—aircraft carriers needed up to 300 tons of thermal insulation while destroyers required approximately 22 tons each. The submarine construction program achieved remarkable success, with nine of the Navy's top 25 scoring submarines emerging from Mare Island's ways, including USS Tang and USS Wahoo. Workers installed Pittsburgh Corning's Unibestos containing 90% amosite asbestos throughout submarine compartments without respiratory protection, creating exposure conditions that would affect workers and their families for generations.
How Did Nuclear Submarine Construction Intensify Asbestos Exposure?
Mare Island entered the nuclear age launching USS Sargo (SSN-583) on October 10, 1957, as the West Coast's first nuclear submarine. The shipyard established a Nuclear Power School in 1959 and ultimately constructed 17 nuclear submarines through 1970, including Lafayette-class ballistic missile submarines carrying Polaris nuclear weapons.[8] Despite advanced technology, these submarines contained the same hazardous asbestos materials used since the 1930s. USS Drum (SSN-677), launched May 23, 1970, became Mare Island's 513th and final newly constructed vessel, marking the end of an era that had exposed generations of workers to deadly fibers.
The nuclear program required extensive asbestos use for insulating reactor compartments, steam systems, and auxiliary equipment. Workers faced dual hazards from radiation and asbestos exposure, creating complex health impacts that continue affecting Navy veterans today. The combination of confined submarine spaces and poor ventilation intensified fiber concentrations dramatically. Some compartments recorded exposure levels exceeding 10 fibers per cubic centimeter—100 times higher than current permissible limits of 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter.[9]
Workers described crawling through narrow passages while asbestos dust reduced visibility to inches. The specialized training required for nuclear submarine work meant that skilled Insulation Workers, Pipefitters, and Electricians spent extended periods in these confined spaces, accumulating exposure doses far exceeding those in conventional shipbuilding. The nuclear submarine program employed many of the same workers who had been exposed during World War II, compounding their lifetime exposure burden.
Which Work Areas Created the Highest Asbestos Exposure Risk?
Mare Island's asbestos contamination pervaded virtually every workspace, but certain areas created extreme exposure conditions that placed specific trades at dramatically elevated risk. Engine rooms and boiler spaces recorded the highest fiber concentrations, with temperatures exceeding 120°F forcing workers to remove protective equipment even when it was available.[10] Dry dock operations exposed workers to clouds of asbestos dust during ship overhauls, when removing old insulation released millions of accumulated fibers that had deteriorated over years of naval service. Machine shops generated airborne asbestos while cutting gaskets and grinding equipment coated with settled dust from decades of contamination.
Submarine construction created uniquely hazardous conditions due to confined spaces limiting ventilation. Workers installing insulation in submarine compartments described visibility reduced to mere feet from asbestos dust, with no means of escape from the contaminated air. Administrative buildings weren't immune—asbestos ceiling tiles, floor tiles, and pipe insulation exposed office workers to lower but chronic fiber levels that accumulated over years of employment. Even outdoor areas contained contamination from waste disposal and material transport, meaning no Mare Island worker could entirely escape exposure.
| ⚠ Statute of Limitations Warning: Filing deadlines vary by state from 1-6 years from diagnosis. Texas allows 2 years from diagnosis or discovery. Contact an attorney immediately to preserve your rights. |
How Does Mare Island Compare to Other Naval Shipyards?
Mare Island's asbestos exposure patterns mirror those at other West Coast naval facilities, providing comparative data strengthening compensation claims. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington showed similar mesothelioma rates among nuclear submarine workers, with 68% of long-term workers developing lung abnormalities. Long Beach Naval Shipyard's 1977 study of 6,640 workers found 38% of workers over age 65 had developed asbestos-related abnormalities, rates comparable to Mare Island's statistics.[11]
Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, operating simultaneously with Mare Island, showed identical exposure patterns with workers often transferring between facilities. Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard demonstrates how tropical climates accelerated asbestos deterioration, increasing airborne fiber levels. These parallel exposure patterns across West Coast shipyards establish industry-wide hazards, preventing defendants from arguing Mare Island represented an isolated problem.
East Coast shipyards provide additional comparative data validating Mare Island exposure patterns. Brooklyn Navy Yard employed 75,000 workers during World War II with exposure conditions matching Mare Island's intensity. Dr. Irving Selikoff's landmark study there found 11% of workers' wives showed radiographic evidence of asbestos disease from household exposure, rates identical to Mare Island family studies. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard specialized in submarine construction like Mare Island, with workers showing comparable disease rates decades later. Norfolk Naval Shipyard's finding that 79% of long-term workers showed lung abnormalities suggests Mare Island workers face similar undiagnosed disease burdens.
What Is Mare Island's Current Environmental Status?
Mare Island earned EPA Superfund designation in 1993 due to extensive contamination including asbestos, heavy metals, and chemical wastes across its 5,200 acres.[12] Environmental remediation required removing hundreds of thousands of tons of contaminated soil and demolishing asbestos-laden buildings. The cleanup, costing over $300 million, addressed 35 separate contamination sites while preserving historic structures. Dry Dock No. 1, now a National Historic Landmark, required careful asbestos abatement while maintaining its granite structure.
Ongoing monitoring continues detecting asbestos fibers in soil and groundwater, requiring permanent use restrictions on certain areas. The 2012 Secretary of Defense Environmental Award recognized Mare Island's successful remediation, though long-term surveillance continues. Former industrial areas where shipbuilding occurred show the highest residual contamination, with warning signs and fencing preventing public access. Environmental cleanup records provide valuable evidence for exposure claims, documenting specific contamination levels in work areas where veterans served.[13]
The Mare Island Museum preserves shipyard history including records valuable for documenting asbestos exposure. Archived procurement documents, ship construction records, and employment files help veterans establish exposure for compensation claims. Former workers regularly visit the museum sharing stories and identifying exposure locations, creating oral histories supplementing official records.[14]
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Related Wiki Articles
Shipyards and Naval Facilities:
- Norfolk Naval Shipyard – East Coast's largest naval shipyard with similar exposure patterns
- Brooklyn Navy Yard – 75,000 WWII workers exposed to asbestos
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard – Submarine construction specialist
- Puget Sound Naval Shipyard – West Coast nuclear submarine hub
- Long Beach Naval Shipyard – California naval repair facility
- Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard – Pacific Fleet maintenance center
- Charleston Naval Shipyard – Southeast submarine operations
High-Risk Occupations:
- Insulation Workers – Highest mesothelioma risk occupation
- Boilermakers – Confined space exposure patterns
- Pipefitters – Asbestos gasket and packing exposure
- Electricians – Wire insulation and component exposure
- Marine Engineering Workers – Comprehensive shipboard exposure
- Welders – Heat blanket and adjacent trade exposure
Compensation Resources:
- Asbestos Trust Funds – $30+ billion available from 60+ trusts
- Veterans Benefits – VA disability claims and healthcare
- Mesothelioma Claim Process – Step-by-step filing guide
- Mesothelioma Treatment Costs – Understanding financial impact
Treatment Resources:
- Clinical Trials – Current trial opportunities
- Mesothelioma Survival Statistics – Prognosis information
References
- ↑ VA Asbestos Exposure, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- ↑ Cancer Stat Facts: Mesothelioma, NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program
- ↑ Navy Yards and Naval Stations, Naval History and Heritage Command
- ↑ Mesothelioma Compensation, Danziger & De Llano
- ↑ Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command
- ↑ Asbestos, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- ↑ Asbestos Exposure in Navy Shipyards, Danziger & De Llano
- ↑ Learn About Asbestos, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- ↑ Asbestos, CDC/NIOSH
- ↑ Asbestos Toxicity: What Is Asbestos?, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
- ↑ How to File a VA Disability Claim, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- ↑ Mare Island Naval Shipyard, EPA Superfund Site Information
- ↑ Search Superfund Sites Where You Live, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- ↑ Get Your Military Service Records, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs