The USS Dace (SSN-607) was a nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Thresher class (later renamed Permit class). One of the Navy’s revolutionary deep-diving submarines, the Dace played a crucial role in developing submarine tactics and maintaining America’s naval superiority. Unfortunately, the ship was constructed using numerous asbestos-containing materials and components, resulting in harmful exposure for her crew
Kraft Foods never manufactured products that contained asbestos, but the company made extensive use of the toxic material in its factories to insulate high-heat operations and in other applications. When the asbestos-containing materials became worn or damaged, they released deadly carcinogenic fibers into the air, exposing workers to the risk of mesothelioma and other serious illnesses. Many of
The USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640) was the first of the Benjamin Franklin-class ballistic missile submarine that served the United States Navy from 1965 to 1993. Like other submarines constructed during the Cold War era, the Benjamin Franklin’s structure and interior made extensive use of asbestos-containing materials. This was a significant health hazard for the hundreds of
Kewaunee Scientific Corporation is an American laboratory furniture manufacturer with origins that date back to 1903. Throughout much of the 20th century, the company included asbestos in its laboratory equipment, and particularly its fume hoods. These items were distributed to educational institutions, government facilities, and industrial laboratories across the nation, putting countless lab employees, students, researchers, and
The USS Batfish (SSN-681) was a nuclear-powered attack submarine that served the United States Navy from 1972 to 1999. Built in the years before asbestos was identified as carcinogenic, serving on the ship meant being exposed to the mineral’s dangerous fibers. As a result, Navy veterans who served on the Batfish face elevated risks of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis,
The USS Robert A. Owens (DD-827) was a Carpenter-class destroyer that served the U.S. Navy for over three decades. Though the vessel achieved numerous operational successes and received many commendations, many sailors who served on the ship have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other severe illnesses due to exposure to the asbestos that was incorporated throughout the ship’s
The USS Barracuda III (SSK-1) was one of a group of experimental attack submarines developed by the U.S. Navy during the early Cold War period. The first of her class, the Barracuda played a crucial role in developing submarine-versus-submarine warfare tactics and training the next generation of naval officers. Unfortunately, the ship was also built using asbestos-containing parts and
Established in 1947, George V. Hamilton Inc. was a leading insulation contractor and distributor in the industrial sector. The company’s decades of distribution and installation of asbestos-containing materials led to it being named in thousands of personal injury lawsuits, and in 2015, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As part of its reorganization agreement, the
The USS Albacore (AGSS-569) was an experimental submarine that the United States Navy operated from 1953 to 1972. This unique research vessel, designed to test introductory hull configurations and submarine technologies, was built using asbestos-containing materials throughout her structure, leaving the dozens of sailors, engineers, and technicians who worked on her and served aboard her exposed to
The USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602) was a George Washington-class ballistic missile submarine that served the United States Navy from 1961 to 1981. The already dangerous environments of submarines built during that era were made even more hazardous by the asbestos-containing materials they contained. The carcinogenic mineral was integrated into every aspect of the Abraham Lincoln’s construction, exposing the hundreds