Arguably the most famous U.S. shipyard, the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is notable for both its historic role in the country’s entry to World War II and as a source of asbestos exposure. Still a functional military facility today, the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is also a Superfund site where investigations and cleanup activities are ongoing.[1] Countless military personnel and civilians who served or worked at the site have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Asbestos
Before it was known to be carcinogenic, asbestos was a staple of shipbuilding. Products from pipe covering and cement to cloth and gaskets used the mineral to add strength, insulate against heat, and extend the life of various parts of integral equipment. The material was also used to insulate the ships being built and repaired at the site from the 1930s through the 1980s.
As a result, military personnel and civilian shipyard workers alike were put at risk of mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and other asbestos-related diseases. Many of these diseases did not manifest until decades after exposure, and experts anticipate that more will be diagnosed in the future because of the disease’s long latency periods.
The History of Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
Pearl Harbor will always be associated with the deadly December 7, 1941 attack that spurred America’s entry into World War II. Still, the shipyard’s role in America’s naval history dates back to 1814, when U.S. Navy ships first began visiting the port. Multiple countries competed for ownership of Hawaii, but in 1876 the United States and the Kingdom of Hawaii signed the “Treaty of Reciprocity” that allowed Hawaii to sell crops duty-free in the U.S. market in exchange for exclusive access to Pearl Harbor as the coaling station, repair base, and anchorage that would become Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard after Congress authorized the funds to dredge the harbor, straighten the channel, and complete the drydock in 1908.[2]
By 1909, President William Howard Taft had called Pearl Harbor “the key to the Pacific” giving the United States “domination of the Pacific Ocean,”[3] and by 1919 the drydock was complete. The naval station was fully operational, with housing, warehousing, and a maritime hospital added over the years, as well as an airfield at nearby Ford Island. The base was used during the 1920s and 1930s for exercises and wargame maneuvers until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, which led to the American entry into World War II.
Following the sinking of the USS Arizona and USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor, the Pearl Harbor shipyard recovered to play a critical role in repairing damaged U.S. Navy ships, including six of the eight that were targeted during the attacks.[4] Following World War II, the shipyard’s workers supported national defense throughout the Cold War, repairing ships used during the Korean conflict and Vietnam, and later supporting Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom.[1]
Today, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is still an active military facility that provides regional maintenance and technical support that keeps Navy ships and submarines “fit to fight” for the Asia-Pacific region. It is the largest ship repair facility between the West Coast and the Far East, and the only public facility on U.S. soil.[1]
How Was Asbestos Used at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard?
Using asbestos-contaminated products was the norm when Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard first became operational, and that practice continued through the latter part of the 20th century. Military personnel were exposed to asbestos used in countless applications, from mechanical and structural uses to electrical and nuclear. Though the asbestos companies knew that asbestos had been linked to cancers and other serious illnesses, they continued to use it as a component that offered a low-cost and effective way of protecting equipment and personnel from heat. Asbestos-infused wiring, pumps, valves, boilers, HVAC systems, and more put civilian personnel and servicemen at risk of asbestos-related diseases.
Asbestos use was ubiquitous, as the mineral was integral to:
Insulation
Boilers
Pipes
Cement
Ceiling panels
Firefighting gear
Gunner gear
Textiles
Ropes
Adhesives
Gaskets
Valves
It was only years later that the dangers of asbestos became known to the public and it was revealed that the defense companies that had included asbestos as components and key elements of their equipment, materials, and parts had been aware of its risks.
Study Points to Cancer Risks from Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
As the risks of asbestos exposure became known, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard became a laboratory for scientific studies. In 1985, researchers from the University of Hawaii’s Epidemiology Program and Cancer Research Center published a study titled “Cancer Occurrence in Shipyard Workers Exposed to Asbestos in Hawaii” that reviewed personnel rosters at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard to assess the long-term risks for cancer associated with asbestos exposure there. After analyzing outcomes from over 8,000 men who had served there over forty years, researchers concluded that shipyard workers have an increased risk for lung cancer, with exposures and risks varying among different trades within shipyards, and that the occurrence of mesotheliomas among shipyard workers was even higher, even among those with low or indirect exposure to asbestos.[5]
Injury Claims at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
In the years since asbestos was used at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, both military and civilian personnel have filed personal injury lawsuits against the manufacturers and suppliers that exposed them to the carcinogenic material. Many of the manufacturers agreed to settle these cases out of court, while other cases went to trial and resulted in significant jury awards against defense contractors and others who were aware of asbestos dangers but chose not to warn the Navy or the exposed personnel of the risk that they faced.
Among the lawsuits filed by Navy veterans and others present at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard was a successful mesothelioma claim filed against asbestos product manufacturers involved a shipwright who worked at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for many years and who was diagnosed with the rare, asbestos-related disease at the age of 83. The man and his wife filed claims against the companies whose asbestos-contaminated equipment and machinery he was exposed to through proximity to other shipyard workers tasked with removing and replacing those asbestos materials. The collective result of settlements agreed to with the named companies totaled $9.8 million.
Pearl Harbor Naval Yard Superfund Site
Pearl Harbor Naval Yard was listed as a Superfund cleanup site by the U.S, Environmental Protection Agency following the discovery of toxic materials, including asbestos. The carcinogenic material was found in multiple buildings in the shipyard, which means that personnel may have been exposed to the carcinogen years after its use in shipbuilding was curtailed. Asbestos abatement work is continuing today.[6]
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Today
While over two million people visit Pearl Harbor each year to pay their respects at the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Bowfin and the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum,[7] the naval shipyard continues to play an important strategic role in American fleet repair and maintenance. As one of the country’s four naval shipyards, it has four certified graving drydocks, with three dedicated to major submarine maintenance and one designated to accommodate mid-Pacific surface combatant maintenance requirements. There are plans to build a new dry dock involving billions in construction dollars, and as the largest industrial employer in Hawaii, the shipyard plays a critical role in the state’s economy.
If you or a loved one worked at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, it’s important that you consult with an attorney to discuss your rights.
