The USS Oldendorf (DD-974) was a Spruance-class destroyer that served the U.S. Navy for over two decades. Though the Spruance class represented significant technological advancements over previous destroyers, the reliance on asbestos-based materials in the ships’ construction — including the Oldendorf’s — put service members who were stationed aboard them, as well as shipyard workers involved in
The USS O’Brien (DD-975) was a Spruance-class destroyer that served the United States Navy from 1977 to her decommissioning in 2004. The O’Brien was constructed just after asbestos was confirmed to be a carcinogen, and shipbuilders continued using insulation and other asbestos-contaminated components in their inventory. The extensive use of the toxic material throughout the vessel’s construction
The USS Kinkaid was a Spruance-class destroyer that served the United States Navy with honor from 1976 to 2003. Built just before the time that the military stopped using asbestos in naval construction, the ship and her crew were exposed to this hazardous material throughout her operational life. Today, many sailors and shipyard personnel who worked aboard
The USS James C. Owens (DD-776) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer that served with distinction from 1945 to 1971. The ship operated across multiple theaters, including World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, fulfilling vital missions while at the same time exposing the thousands of sailors who served during her useful life to extensive amounts of asbestos-containing
The USS Ingersoll (DD-990) was a Spruance-class destroyer that served the U.S. Navy for a short time, from 1980 to 1998. Though she was one of the most technologically advanced destroyers of her era, the ship was built during a transitional period when the Navy was phasing out asbestos, but still had legacy inventory containing the toxic material,
The USS Ingersoll (DD-652) was a Fletcher-class destroyer that served with distinction across multiple conflicts, from World War II through the Vietnam War. One of the finest examples of the U.S. Navy’s fleet operations, the Ingersoll’s long history was marred by the risk of health hazards caused by the asbestosused in her infrastructure, equipment, and supplies. As was
From 1944 to 1971, the USS Gainard (DD-706) represented American naval excellence. This Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer earned recognition for heroic World War II service, extensive Cold War operations, and crucial NATO missions, but her legacy was marred by the mesothelioma and other diseases that affected many of those who served or worked on her during her construction and
Mesothelioma advocates are expressing alarm after the Environmental Protection Agency filed a motion to delay a planned ban on the use of chrysotile asbestos and reconsider the rule that put it in place. The ban was adopted last year under the Biden administration. If the filing submitted by the Trump administration is approved, the reconsideration
The United States Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to a new pleural mesothelioma treatment called MVdeltaC. Orphan drug designation is a special category of approval for treatments targeting rare diseases. It both speeds up the development process and offers financial incentives to encourage researchers to continue their work on therapies that
The USS Du Pont (DD-941) was a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer that honorably served the United States Navy from 1957 through the early 1980s. Unfortunately, like all naval vessels constructed during this era, USS Du Pont contained substantial quantities of asbestos-containing materials throughout her structure, exposing thousands of sailors and shipyard workers to the hazardous substance and the risk of mesothelioma and other illnesses.