Treasure Island Naval Station and Asbestos

Treasure Island Naval Station was a vital military installation located in San Francisco Bay in California. From 1941 to 1997, the facility saw extensive construction, maintenance, and repair of both ships and buildings, and for most of its operational years, these actions made extensive use of asbestos. The widespread use of the toxic mineral resulted in thousands of servicemembers, civilian workers, and their families at risk for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases that can develop decades later.

History of Treasure Island Naval Station

World’s Fair Construction

Located in San Francisco Bay, Treasure Island is a 403-acre man-made island that was constructed in 1936 to serve as the site of the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, a world’s fair celebrating the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.[1]  Between February 1936 and January 1939, workers transported or dredged approximately 29 million cubic yards of sand and gravel from the Bay and Sacramento River delta. The island earned its name because the dirt that washed down from the Sierra Nevada mountains into the Bay, which was then dredged to create the island, contained flecks of gold.

The area where the island was built was north of Yerba Buena Island and was selected because it offered accessibility from all parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. California’s original plan called for the island to be converted into an international civilian airport following the two-year exposition.

Navy Acquisition and Early Operations

As America’s involvement in World War II became increasingly likely, the original intent and plans for Treasure Island took a significant turn. Military leaders recognized the strategic value of the 400-acre site, which benefited from its connection to a six-lane causeway to Yerba Buena Island (which had been a Naval Station since 1898). Treasure Island offered excellent anchorage in the Port of Tradewinds—the lagoon between the two islands.

In July 1940, Rear Admiral John W. Greenslade, Commandant of the Twelfth Naval District, wrote to the Secretary of the Navy, pointing to its permanent buildings, roadways, and ferry slips as well as its lagoon, which provided sheltered mooring for small craft. He noted that the hangars could serve as armories, and that the island offered unlimited facilities for storage, training activities, and a receiving station.

Though the Navy initially declined due to the cost of leasing the site, in the face of the growing national emergency, the Commandant requested that the City of San Francisco grant permission for the Navy to use the island. The city agreed, with the understanding that the island would be returned to its possession when the National Defense Emergency ceased and that its use would not impede the city’s planned airport development. In return, the Navy would assist in obtaining federal funds for airport development.[1]

By November 1940, the situation had changed dramatically. The Secretary of the Navy directed negotiations to “take over at the earliest possible moment and for the duration of the emergency as much or all of Treasure Island with suitable buildings as required for a Navy Section Base with barracks for four thousand and to serve as a combined Receiving Station, Distribution, and Training Center.”

On February 28, 1941, Treasure Island was officially leased from the City and County of San Francisco by the United States Government. On April 1, 1941, it became a military base known as Naval Station Treasure Island, which also included portions of Yerba Buena Island.

Early Development and Pearl Harbor

The early days of establishing the naval station saw construction begin on piers and slips for berthing district craft on the island’s east side. Exposition buildings and hangars originally constructed using asbestos immediately began being used as barracks, and the exposition’s modern Administration Building housed the Navy’s military organization. In the face of rumors about sinkings of U.S. vessels in the Atlantic and submarine activities along the Western coast, the island’s priority became coastal defense.[1]

As Navy personnel began reporting for duty and training in inshore and offshore patrol, coastal lookouts, mine forces, net defenses, and Section Base operations, Treasure Island was transformed from a deserted fairground to an industrious naval station. Barracks were built in what had been the Hall of Western States, a galley was created in the former Federal Building, fishing boats were converted to minesweepers, and yachts became patrol craft. A Local Defense School under Commander Northcroft began practical training for Naval Officers. On December 7, 1941, news of the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor led to Treasure Island’s role expanding even further.

World War II Operations

Treasure Island Naval Station became a crucial center for receiving, training, and dispatching service personnel for the Pacific theater. The facility could process up to 12,000 military personnel per day for service overseas and upon their return to the United States, and during the final year of the war, Treasure Island was handling three times its designated maximum capacity, supporting the Fleet’s advance in every phase, including hosting major War Bond drives and blood bank contributions. Over time, Treasure Island and a portion of Yerba Buena Island became the main West Coast naval training center through which personnel were processed for service in the Pacific Ocean. The installation became headquarters for the 12th Naval District.

Post-War Operations and Closure

After World War II ended, Treasure Island continued operating as a naval training and administrative center. Approximately 3,000 military personnel and 1,000 civilian personnel worked at the Naval Station during this period. Major functions included the Fleet Training Center, Commander Naval Base San Francisco, waterfront facilities, troop and family housing, personnel support, including processing of Pacific-bound and homecoming personnel, and even a museum featuring exposition, military, and aviation exhibits. Nuclear training programs were also conducted at the facility, which unfortunately left large amounts of toxins in the soil.[2]

The base remained active through the Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam War, and Persian Gulf War. Throughout these decades of operation, asbestos remained a constant presence in the facility’s buildings and ships.

In September 1993, the Department of Defense decided to close the Naval Station and return it to civilian use as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program. Naval Station Treasure Island officially closed on September 30, 1997, after more than five decades and five wars. 

Ships at Treasure Island Naval Station

Ships stationed at Treasure Island were used primarily for receiving and training purposes rather than combat operations. However, these vessels — which included the USS Haynsworth, USS Arlington, USS Boston, USS Pyro, SS Delta Queen, and USS Independence — typically contained asbestos materials in their construction, as did the minesweepers, patrol craft, and destroyers serviced at the base. All of these shipboard asbestos materials put workers, crew members, and base personnel at risk.

Asbestos Use at Treasure Island Naval Station

In addition to its presence on the ships berthed at the naval station, asbestos was a popular component used in many of the products used on the base, as well as the construction materials used. The mineral’s toxicity had not been publicized at the time, so the increased durability and heat resistance that it gave to building materials and equipment made it ideal for military and shipping purposes.

Treasure Island Naval Station operated from 1941 to 1997, and for most of that period, asbestos use was common, particularly in boilers, incinerators, insulating materials, and other ship components. This widespread presence means that people who worked there were almost definitely exposed to asbestos and are at high risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and asbestosis.

Who Was at Greatest Risk of Asbestos Exposure at Treasure Island Naval Station?

Both U.S. military personnel and civilian workers provided labor in shipyards and on ships at Treasure Island. People who constructed or maintained minesweepers, patrol crafts, destroyers, and other vessels were likely exposed to the toxic fibers, as they performed their duties in tight spaces and poorly ventilated areas that concentrated the asbestos fibers in their work areas. 

These dangerous exposure conditions were particularly true for those who worked in certain occupations, including steamfitters, whose work with pipes meant they often had to damage the asbestos-containing materials that insulated the pipes they were repairing. 

Other shipyard duties that exposed workers to asbestos included:

• Insulating ships
• Maintaining boilers
• Installing pipes
• Repairing machinery
• Constructing and renovating buildings
• Handling insulation materials

By the 1980s, most newly manufactured products no longer contained asbestos, but anyone working in the shipping industry or in those buildings was still at risk of exposure through legacy asbestos materials that were still in place in older ships and buildings.

Secondhand Exposure

Workers’ loved ones were also put at risk of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases as a result of secondary asbestos exposure. When workers returned home, it was often with asbestos fibers contaminating their clothing, hair, and skin. There have been a troubling number of family members sickened by having inhaled these dangerous fibers, leading to spouses, children, and other household members being diagnosed with disabling and deadly illnesses.

Documented Exposure Cases

The presence of asbestos-containing materials at Treasure Island is well documented. During a hearing on benefits and compensation for a Navy veteran diagnosed with both lung cancer and asbestos-related disease, reviewers noted that the Treasure Island Development Authority in San Francisco and a February 2011 asbestos reevaluation report had previously confirmed the presence of asbestos.[3]

Additionally, the “Final 2009 Asbestos Reevaluation Report for Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island” confirmed that Treasure Island had been an active naval facility from World War II through September 30, 1997, and that asbestos-containing materials had been found in some residential units at Treasure Island.[4]

Health Risks and Diseases

Asbestos exposure has been directly linked to several chronic and acute diseases, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. These two malignancies typically begin to manifest symptoms 20 to 50 years after the victim first inhaled the mineral’s carcinogenic fibers. This long latency period means that many of the veterans, civilian employees, and contractors who served or worked at the Treasure Island site are only now being diagnosed. 

Asbestos-Related Diseases

Many of the Navy and civilian personnel who were exposed to asbestos during their time at Treasure Island Naval Station have developed asbestos-related diseases, including:

• Mesothelioma (pleural and peritoneal)
• Asbestos lung cancer
• Asbestosis
• Pleural plaques
• Pleural thickening
• Emphysema

Because all of these illnesses are so dangerous, veterans and workers who spent time at Treasure Island are strongly advised to make their personal healthcare provider aware of their history of exposure. Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases are relatively rare, and their symptoms mimic many more common, benign illnesses. If your physician is aware of your increased risk, they may schedule special screenings and be better informed during your medical examinations. The faster a diagnosis of mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases is made, the more options you will have for treatment and the more effective they will be. 

Environmental Contamination

The toxic contamination problems at Treasure Island extend beyond asbestos. The Environmental Protection Agency identified many dangerous substances in the area as a result of past Navy operations. The use and storage of chemicals such as fuel oil, dry-cleaning chemicals, and firefighting agents, as well as asbestos-containing building and electrical equipment materials, and chemicals like lead-based paint, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) make it important for anybody who worked or served on the base to pay attention to their health and monitor for troubling symptoms.

Additional substances discovered at the site include:

• Heavy metals
• PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)
• Cesium-137
• Radioactive waste[5]

Nuclear training programs conducted at the facility caused large amounts of toxins to be left in the soil. Many residents of the island claim the toxins left behind have made them sick.

The levels of cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, were recently found to be three times higher than in 2013. Health effects of radiation exposure include loss of white blood cells, headaches, nausea and vomiting, damage to nerve cells, temporary hair loss, rapid heartbeat, loss of appetite and malaise.

Cleanup Efforts

The Environmental Protection Agency considered designating the shipyard as a Superfund site, though it was not ultimately added to the National Priorities List. Today, the island is dealing with radioactive cleanup while undergoing a $6 billion redevelopment plan.[2]

Despite ongoing cleanup efforts, Treasure Island is under redevelopment for 8,000 new homes, a hotel, a new ferry terminal, and retail establishments. This $6 billion project proceeds alongside the large-scale radiation and asbestos cleanup.[2]

Compensation for Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Victims

Anyone who spent time at Treasure Island Naval Station and developed an asbestos-related cancer or another asbestos-related disease may be able to pursue compensation from a variety of sources. Not only can veterans seek benefits and compensation from the Department of Veteran Affairs, but the companies that manufactured the products that exposed these individuals to asbestos can also be held responsible.

Some victims have filed successful lawsuits against these companies. People who have developed diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos lung cancer, pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, as well as their survivors, may be eligible for compensation.

Veterans Administration Benefits

Because the Department of Veterans Affairs has already acknowledged the presence of asbestos materials at the Treasure Island Naval Base location, veterans diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or other asbestos-related conditions may qualify for disability compensation, healthcare benefits, and specialized treatment at VA medical facilities. Mesothelioma has been categorized as a condition representing 100% disability, and this means that benefit applications are typically processed quickly, allowing for prompt access to medical care and financial support.

Asbestos Trust Funds

After facing thousands of asbestos lawsuits filed by victims of exposure to their asbestos-containing products, many companies filed for bankruptcy protection and were required to create trusts to compensate victims for the damages that they’d suffered. Individuals who worked at Treasure Island Naval Station and developed an asbestos-related disease may be able to file claims against these companies’ trusts.

The following companies are just some of those that provided asbestos products to Treasure Island Naval Station and have established trust funds:

• AC&S, Inc. 
• Owens Corning 
• Plant Insulation 
• Western MacArthur 

An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can provide both veterans and civilian workers who were present at Treasure Island Naval Station with information, guidance, and assistance in filing claims against these and other asbestos bankruptcy trusts.

Getting Help

The long latency period between asbestos exposure and the development of symptoms means many Treasure Island veterans and workers are only now beginning to face the serious health consequences associated with asbestos exposure that occurred decades ago. Given the extensive documentation of asbestos presence at the facility and the thousands of personnel who passed through during its 56 years of operation, the potential number of affected individuals is significant.

Veterans and civilian workers who spent time at Treasure Island Naval Station should monitor their health closely and seek medical evaluation if they experience any troubling symptoms. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, an experienced mesothelioma attorney can guide you through your options for compensation from the companies whose asbestos products caused their illness.