Located in Newport, Rhode Island, Naval Station Newport holds a place of distinction in U.S. Navy history. The base has operated since 1881 and is one of the service’s oldest and most vital training centers. Over the years, as it evolved from a small training facility into what the Navy now calls its “Center of Learning Excellence,”[1] it went through many physical changes, with construction, renovations, and reconstruction frequently involving the use of asbestos. As a result, Navy personnel, midshipman candidates from the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Army Reserve, and civilians were exposed to the toxic material and put at risk for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
The History of Naval Station Newport
Early Years
Rhode Island’s link to the Navy dates back to the Revolutionary War, when Esek Hopkins, a Rhode Island native serving as the Continental Navy’s first Commander-in-Chief, used Narragansett Bay as a protected anchorage for his fleet. After America gained independence, warships regularly used the bay.[2]
Though the need for the Navy diminished in the early 19th century, the Civil War renewed Newport’s high level of naval activity. The federal government temporarily relocated the U.S. Naval Academy from Annapolis to Newport in order to safeguard it from Confederate threats. This placement lasted for approximately four years, and occurred at the same time that many improvements were put in place for the naval service.
In 1869, the Secretary of the Navy authorized the establishment of an experimental torpedo station at Goat Island. This facility pioneered the development of torpedoes and experiments with naval ordnance, which continued for eight decades. This effort led to the continuous employment of over 13,000 workers and produced 80 percent of the country’s wartime torpedoes, making it the largest industrial operation in the history of the state of Rhode Island. The station closed in 1951, with Goat Island later transferred to the city of Newport for commercial development.[2]
The late 19th century saw naval training undergo a fundamental transformation. Rather than exclusively focusing on shipboard instruction, the service’s education shifted to include structured shore-based education. After acquiring Coasters Harbor Island in 1881, the Navy opened its first recruit training station in June 1883 and opened The Naval War College the following year. Under its second president, the college gained international recognition through the publication of “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History,” which established the institution as a premier center for strategic maritime teaching.
The 20th Century
The shift to steam-powered vessels introduced another ship in naval operations, as the boats required new support infrastructure. Around the beginning of the 20th century, the Navy developed one of the nation’s leading coaling stations at Melville, which brought both battleships and cruisers to East Passage anchorages for refueling.
By 1913, the Navy expanded its presence to include a location called Government Landing in downtown Newport. It also built the Naval Hospital on Aquidneck Island, which adjoined Coasters Harbor Island. World War I dramatically accelerated this growth, and the Navy acquired Coddington Point to handle the overflow of thousands of arriving recruits in need of training.
World War II again triggered an expansion of the Navy’s holdings in Newport, leading to the 1940 development if recruit housing at Coddington Point. Coddington Cove became a Supply Station, and Melville received new fuel facilities along with a PT-Boat Training Center and Net Depot. In November 1942, future President John F. Kennedy completed PT-Boat training at Melville. Additional wartime acquisitions included Anchorage housing, Sachuest Point, Jamestown Island facilities, and Quonset Point Naval Air Station. The 1942 establishment of Davisville Advanced Base Depot (later the construction battalion center) completed this transformation, making Narragansett Bay one of the Navy’s largest installations within three years. All of this construction involved the use of asbestos, a material that was relied upon to add strength and fireproofing to structures and equipment of all kinds.
When World War II ended, all naval operations in the bay area were unified under the heading of the U.S. Naval Base, Newport. The installation’s mission turned to research, development, and training, though recruit training briefly surged during the Korean War.
In 1951, Torpedo Station transferred its torpedo manufacturing to private industry, and the Naval Underwater Ordnance Station took over research and development functions. A 1966 merger with the Naval Underwater Weapons Systems Engineering Center enhanced the program, and the 1970 merger with a New London, Connecticut facility created the current Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC).[2]
Recruit training transferred from Newport to Bainbridge, Maryland, in 1952, though the Fleet Training Center and Naval School Command continued providing specialized instruction. The Officer Candidate School, established in 1951, became the primary source for Naval Reserve junior officers.
Infrastructure improvements during the 1950s included Piers 1 and 2 (completed 1955 and 1958) to accommodate Cruiser-Destroyer Force and Service Force vessels. Support facilities expanded, and Headquarters, Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Force, Atlantic established operations at Newport in 1962 before moving to Norfolk, Virginia in July 1973. Also in 1973, a Shore Establishment Realignment study led to significant changes, including closing Quonset Point Naval Air Station, reducing Davisville operations, removing active fleet units from Newport, and cutting personnel. This reorganization consolidated five independent commands into the Naval Education and Training Center (NETC).
In October 1998, Naval Station Newport assumed primary host command status, taking base operating support responsibilities from NETC. The Commanding Officer now reports directly to Commander, Mid-Atlantic Region. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission study brought additional units and personnel. The July 2008 Naval Station Newport Vision 2035 Master Plan established long-term organizational and infrastructure development objectives.[1]
Asbestos Use Throughout Naval Station Newport’s History
For most of the twentieth century, the U.S. Navy relied heavily on asbestos in both its shore installations and aboard its vessels. The mineral’s exceptional fire resistance, thermal insulation capabilities, and structural durability made it a standard component in military construction and ship design, especially because it was inexpensive and readily accessible. Naval Station Newport’s extensive operational history meant that asbestos was incorporated into countless buildings, vessels, and equipment systems, including:
- Boiler and Steam Line Insulation
- HVAC and Ventilation Systems
- Electrical Equipment and Components
- Pipe and Cable Penetration Packing
- Exhaust Duct Insulation
- Cement Products, Adhesives, and Fill Materials
- Floor Tile Systems
- Sprayed coatings
- Wall and Ceiling Paneling
- Seals, Gaskets, and Fastening Materials
- Fire-Resistant Coatings (Paints)
Military personnel who trained at the installation, maintenance workers who serviced the facilities, shipyard employees who repaired docked vessels, and construction crews who built or renovated structures all encountered potential asbestos exposure.
Health Risks Associated with Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos is a mineral found in nature. When it is left undisturbed, it poses little risk to human health, but it becomes dangerous when disturbed through cutting, drilling, demolition, or natural deterioration. When any of these activities occur, the mineral releases microscopic fibers that are invisible to the eye into the surrounding air. When inhaled, these particles can lodge in the lungs and other tissues, where they can remain for decades, eventually leading to serious illness.
Medical research has established clear connections between asbestos exposure and several life-threatening diseases. Mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer affecting the protective lining surrounding the lungs, abdomen, or heart, develops almost exclusively from asbestos exposure. Lung cancer and asbestosis—a progressive scarring of lung tissue that impairs breathing—also result from inhaling asbestos fibers. These diseases typically develop 20 to 50 years after initial exposure, meaning veterans and workers from earlier decades continue being diagnosed today.
Ongoing Asbestos Concerns at Naval Station Newport
Despite increased awareness of asbestos hazards, exposure risks persisted at Naval Station Newport well into the twenty-first century. In January 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency announced penalties against three entities for violations during a February 2009 demolition project at the installation.[3]
Federal regulations under the Clean Air Act require owners and operators conducting demolition or renovation to inspect facilities before starting work. Projects involving regulated amounts of asbestos-containing materials must comply with specific notification procedures, work practice standards, and waste disposal protocols. Demolition projects require prior written notification regardless of suspected asbestos presence.
These regulations aim to protect workers and nearby communities from airborne asbestos fiber exposure. Violations create significant health risks for both workers and surrounding populations,
The EPA complaint identified violations of the Clean Air Act and the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Asbestos (Asbestos NESHAP) by United States Naval Station – Newport, Goel Services, Inc., and A. A. Asbestos Abatement Co., Inc. The violations involved failure to properly seal asbestos-containing materials in leak-tight containers while wet during demolition operations.
The EPA had previously issued non-penalty administrative orders to both Naval Station Newport and A.A. Asbestos Abatement for separate violations involving inadequate written notification to the EPA before commencing work. Though the EPA reported no known harm or exposure from this particular incident, under the settlement agreement, the three parties paid a $14,238 penalty and were required to certify current compliance with all Asbestos NESHAP requirements.[3]
Compensation Options for Affected Veterans and Workers
Veterans who served at Naval Station Newport and subsequently developed asbestos-related diseases may qualify for benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Claims for VA benefits can lead to medical treatment, disability compensation, and other forms of support designed to assist veterans coping with service-related illnesses.
Civilian employees, contractors, and family members who experienced occupational asbestos exposure may also have legal options. Many companies that manufactured or used asbestos-containing products have established trust funds to compensate individuals harmed by their products. Additionally, affected parties may pursue legal claims against responsible entities.
Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis following exposure at Naval Station Newport should consider consulting with an attorney who specializes in asbestos litigation. These legal professionals can evaluate individual circumstances, explain available compensation options, and help pursue claims for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages resulting from asbestos exposure at this historic naval installation.
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