The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard has the distinction of having been the first United States Navy shipyard. Known as the birthplace of the U.S. Navy, it played an integral part in the nation’s defense for nearly two centuries. Unfortunately, a significant portion of its operations involved the use of asbestos, the deadly mineral that has been linked to malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, and other diseases.
Asbestos at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
As was true with many naval and private shipyards, the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard used asbestos in numerous applications of ship construction, as well as in repairs and maintenance.
In the years before World War II and all the way through to the 1980s, asbestos was readily accessible and inexpensive. As a naturally heat-resistant and insulating mineral, it was a top choice for the fabrication of ships and submarines built at the yard.
Asbestos was used to insulate the boilers, engine rooms, and piping found throughout the vessels, parts of many of the high-friction mechanical equipment found throughout the ship, and even the structures used for the naval shipyard’s operations and administration.
The History of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Fittingly for the town known as the birthplace of the nation, Philadelphia was also the location where the U.S. Navy got its start. The Continental Congress leased land along Philadelphia’s docks in 1776 to support naval defense, and in 1794, President George Washington signed the Naval Act, which included a purchase order for six frigates that were built in Philadelphia’s Southwark neighborhood.
In 1797, the Navy bought land along the Delaware River, converting the private shipyard that built those vessels into an official part of the U.S. Navy.[1]
Philadelphia’s Southwark Yard served the Navy’s needs for a production center through the War of 1812 and the Civil War. The very first warship produced at the Southwark location was a wooden-hulled vessel called the Franklin, but over the years, the process for shipbuilding changed.
The Philadelphia Navy Yard lacked a modern industrial plant, machine tools, and dry docks, all of which kept it from competing with newer facilities. The Navy site first invested in floating dry docks to extend the yard’s capabilities, and later purchased a 923-acre site called League Island from the City of Philadelphia for $1. The first modern buildings were built on the site in the 1870s, and by 1876, all operations from Southwark had been transferred to the site.
The League Island site was positioned at the south end of Philadelphia’s famed Broad Street. It operated there for more than a century. The facility was split into two separate sections, with the western side serving as its naval shipyard and the eastern side as a navy base with a receiving station, training center, and the Marine Corps Reservation.
Aviation facilities also opened on the site: In 1917, the navy built a new hangar and an aircraft factory named the Henry C Mustin Naval Air Facility, which focused on building seaplanes.[2]
The Great Depression brought new funding for improvements. Between 1934 and 1938, the Philadelphia Naval Yard built a dozen ships. When Germany began pursuing aggressive actions, even more money was invested in the Philadelphia site to upgrade it to a first-class shipbuilding facility.
During World War II, the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard employed more than 40,000 people and constructed 48 warships, including the battleship New Jersey. It also converted 41 ships, repaired and overhauled 574, completed and dry-docked 650, and outfitted 600. The Naval Aircraft Factory built 500 planes, and the Receiving Station processed 70,000 Navy recruits.[2]
The Philadelphia Navy Yard’s role in World War II cannot be understated. Experiments related to the construction of the atomic bomb were conducted there and resulted in explosions that killed some personnel. A laboratory at the yard was used to separate U-235 isotopes from uranium ore to produce nuclear fuel, and the fissile material that powered the bomb dropped on Hiroshima was probably produced in Philadelphia.[2]
After World War II, the Navy Yard was renamed the Philadelphia Navy Base and Naval Shipyard. It returned to its role as a port where ships were overhauled until the Korean War, when it returned to its previous busy state, reactivating reserve warships.
The same uptick in activity occurred during the Vietnam War when more warships were reactivated, and others were built. The last U.S. naval vessel built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard was the Blue Ridge, which launched in 1969.[2]
The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard continued upgrading older warships during the 1980s and 1990s, including an overhaul of the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy.
In 1991, the Department of the Navy initiated an environmental assessment of the site and began cleanup in 1991. An area that had been used for transfer, incineration, and landfilling of shipyard solid waste that was contaminated with asbestos required a landfill cap and long-term groundwater monitoring.
The yard closed in 1996, though it continued some operations. After the closure, $150 million was invested to convert the site into a popular office park. In recent years, shipbuilding has begun again at the former Navy yard. One example is the Empire State VII, a vessel built at the Navy Yard for the SUNY Maritime College and launched in 2022.[3]
How Was Asbestos Used at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard?
The Navy’s shipbuilding activities at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard made extensive use of asbestos. Asbestos was useful for its strength and ability to insulate against heat and fire. The Navy included asbestos in its specifications for the construction of all Navy vessels.
The Navy also used asbestos in many of the structures that sheltered, housed, and fed Navy personnel. Asbestos was used as insulation in walls, was included in ceiling and floor tiles and roofing shingles, and was integral to the operations and insulation of boilers, incinerators, and piping.
When asbestos was manipulated during installation, maintenance, and removal, it broke down into microscopic particles that were easily inhaled. This put Navy personnel and civilian workers at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases.
Asbestos was used in many products that were used, installed, repaired, or removed at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, including:
- Pipe insulation
- Spray-on insulation
- Other types of insulation
- Boilers
- Concrete
- Floor tiling
- Machinery casing
- Ceiling material
- Doors
- Wall panels
- Sealants
- Automobile brake linings
- Paints
- Adhesives
- Gaskets
- Pipes
- Safety equipment and protective clothing
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard?
The shipyard workers, maintenance personnel, and specialists who installed, maintained, or replaced asbestos-contaminated materials on the ships, submarines, and seaplanes built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard were at risk of asbestos exposure.
Anybody who visited the yard or who worked in administrative functions in the yard was also at risk for asbestos exposure.
There was also the risk of secondary asbestos exposure to any family members of workers who carried asbestos home on their work clothes, hair, or skin.
These risks carried through well past the shipyard’s busiest years, as ships that had used asbestos-contaminated parts were repaired and upgraded at the yard through the early 1990s. Additionally, asbestos was used so extensively at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard that its microscopic fibers continued to contaminate the site until the EPA pursued cleanup action.
The workers who were most at risk of asbestos exposure at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard included:
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Welders
- Shipyard Workers
- Construction Workers
- Carpenters
- Electricians
- Boiler Workers
- Pipefitters
- Machinists
The asbestos contamination at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard continues to impact Navy veterans and other personnel who worked at the site. Mesothelioma has a long latency period. Many people are diagnosed decades after they were exposed to asbestos.
Many have filed personal injury lawsuits against the asbestos whose asbestos-contaminated parts they were exposed to. Notable claims include:
- A Philadelphia jury ordered nine asbestos manufacturers to pay 62-year-old former shipfitter Edward Merwitz $7.25 million following his mesothelioma diagnosis and death. He had worked with their asbestos-contaminated products in the bilge area of warships being worked on at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in the late 1960s.[4]
- Three Navy veterans who developed fatal cases of mesothelioma were awarded $14 million in damages in three separate cases that were consolidated. One of the victims was awarded $6 million, and the other two were awarded $4 million. All three had been exposed to asbestos in pumps, valves, gaskets, packing, and other equipment components that they came into contact with while employed at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard between the 1960s and late 1980s.[5]
Resources for Philadelphia Naval Shipyard Asbestos Victims
People who have been sickened by asbestos face significant medical challenges, but they also have many different options available to them.
Asbestos bankruptcy trusts have been established by many of the companies whose asbestos-contaminated parts and materials exposed people to the risk of illness.
Veterans are entitled to disability compensation and other benefits from the U.S. Veterans Administration.
Additionally, victims and their survivors may be entitled to pursue legal action against the asbestos companies whose negligence caused their illness. An experienced asbestos attorney can help you navigate the many paths available to you.
