Hunters Point Naval Shipyard (San Francisco Naval Shipyard)

Hunters Point Naval Shipyard (San Francisco Naval Shipyard) used asbestos for many years in the construction and repair of ships. Workers exposed to the asbestos, which has been found on the site, risked developing mesothelioma and other illnesses.[1]

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About Hunters Point Naval Shipyard

Situated in San Francisco, Hunters Point Naval Shipyard sat on 638 acres along the Hunters Point waterfront. It was initially created as a commercial shipyard in 1869 but the U.S. Navy bought it in 1939. The following year it became known as the San Francisco Naval Shipyard.[2]

When World War II began, the Navy knew it would need extra shipyards helping with the repair and construction of vessels. Along with building ships, the shipyard also modified and maintained submarines. It was also the site where components of the first atomic bomb were loaded onto the USS Indianapolis.

The largest gantry crane in the world at the time was also built and erected at the shipyard, known as the Hunters Point crane. The crane was used to capture dummy missiles in its cables, which were then lowered to the ground so experts could test them. Work continued at the shipyard until 1974.[2]

Asbestos and Contamination Issues

In 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated Hunters Point Naval Shipyard a Superfund site.[1] The shipyard was so contaminated with asbestos and other harmful things, such as radiation, that it was named for a large-scale cleanup. Any site listed as a Superfund site is placed on the National Priorities List (NPL).

In 1990 alone, over 220,000 square feet of asbestos-containing building materials were removed from the shipyard; however, the cleanup was far from over.

In 2018, local news outlet Curbed San Francisco reported that the Navy was “understating the severity of the ongoing environmental scandal at its former shipyard in San Francisco’s Hunters Point neighborhood.” The accusation originated from a letter from EPA’s local Superfund Division Manager John Chestnutt.[3]

Chestnutt alleged that the Navy had been neglectful in targeting all areas that were contaminated and may have falsified data.

“The data analyzed demonstrates a widespread pattern of practices that appear to show deliberate falsification, failure to perform the work in a manner required to ensure [cleanup] requirements were met, or both,” Chestnutt wrote.

Cleanup efforts on the site continue.[1]

Asbestos Lawsuits

Ulysses Collins was a welder at Hunters Point Shipyard from 1960 to 1973. He also worked as a boilermaker and structural welder at additional shipyards and later worked for a company that was shipped asbestos products from the Plant Insulation Company. One thing these companies and shipyards had in common is that they exposed Collins to asbestos.[4]

Collins’ lawsuit listed numerous manufacturers that shipped asbestos products to Hunters Point Shipyard, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, and Standard Oil. The lawsuit also named Plant Insulation as a defendant since it shipped asbestos to the last company he worked for.[4]

Plant Insulation Company, in particular, exposed Collins to an excessive amount of asbestos, as his job consisted of handling asbestos-containing products daily. While the other defendants settled their cases with Collins, Plant Insulation company continued to fight, arguing that the Navy should be listed as a defendant and take the blame.[4]

The Navy, however, which belongs to the U.S. government, was immune. The Federal Employee’s Compensation Act (FECA) protects the Navy from lawsuits brought about due to asbestos exposure.

Collins eventually developed mesothelioma, a type of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. In 2005, he passed away due to complications from the illness. Collins’ family continued with the mesothelioma lawsuit on his behalf.[4]

On November 6, 2008, a California jury returned a verdict in favor of the Collins family, who were awarded $10,038,000, which included about $1 million in economic damages.

Collins is among one of the many former workers who filed lawsuits against manufacturers who shipped asbestos products to shipyards. Although commercial shipyards are sometimes named in lawsuits, generally the asbestos manufacturers are named as the responsible parties.

This doesn’t mean the Navy didn’t know about asbestos issues. Reports indicate that Navy shipyards were given a memo during the 1940s that explained the dangers of asbestos and how the toxic set of minerals affected workers. The memo was largely ignored.

Up until the 1970s, when the EPA enforced strict regulations on asbestos use, the Navy allowed the use of over 300 asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) for vessel construction.

Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Today

As mentioned earlier, cleanup is still ongoing today at the site. In the summer of 2019, cleanup efforts began focusing on groundwater treatment, according to the Navy Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC).

“Eco-friendly technologies are used to treat groundwater through injections of environmentally-friendly materials, including natural bacteria, lactate, zero-valent iron (ZVI), and/or molasses.” BRAC wrote in its HPNS quarterly newsletter update. “The type of material injected is determined by the contaminants of concern previously identified in the groundwater.”

There is no exact date yet as to when the cleanup efforts will be complete.

Page Edited by Patient Advocate Dave Foster

Dave has been a mesothelioma Patient Advocate for over 10 years. He consistently attends all major national and international mesothelioma meetings. In doing so, he is able to stay on top of the latest treatments, clinical trials, and research results. He also personally meets with mesothelioma patients and their families and connects them with the best medical specialists and legal representatives available.

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