Asbestos Exposure at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility

Originally established in 1891 as a naval station, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard was officially designated as a Navy Yard in 1901 at a cost to the federal government of less than $10,000. The U.S. government had been studying the establishment of a naval shipyard in the Pacific Northwest, as there were no repair facilities any further north than San Francisco that could accommodate larger vessels. These ships had to either go to San Francisco or to the British Columbia dockyard to be repaired and maintained, and Canada was still under British rule at the time. Rather than flowing U.S. government funds to Britain, the concept was to establish a base that could service these ships within the U.S.A.

History of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

The location chosen for the shipyard was a 145½-acre site near Bremerton, Washington, with 5 more acres purchased in 1982 and 40 acres added within a short period of time. Drydock Number 1 was completed in 1896, and the first vessel serviced was the USS Monterey. The much larger Drydock Number 2 began construction in 1909 and was completed in 1913. It was the Navy’s largest dry dock and the only facility capable of working on the largest vessels on the West Coast.

At the inception of the Spanish American War, the Battleship Oregon sailed from the facility, travelling 17,000 miles to engage in the conflict in Santiago, Cuba.

During the WWI years, the shipyard was involved in building up the U.S. fleet and constructed 25 sub-chasers, seven submarines, two minesweepers, seven tugs, two ammunition ships, and 1,700 smaller watercraft. The shipyard was primarily engaged in repairing battle damage to the ships of the U.S. fleet as well as those of the Allied forces.

Up until WWII, the Navy shipyard was the only battleship repair shipyard on the West Coast.

After WWII, the shipyard was designated the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and its primary tasks involved modernizing aircraft carriers and converting conventional flight decks to the more modern angled decks.

In the 1950s, the shipyard began building guided missile frigates and working on nuclear-powered submarines including the USS Sculpin. Since that time, the shipyard has been heavily involved in deactivating nuclear-powered submarines, including reactor disposal and the recycling of other ship material. This facility is the world’s only shipyard that designs, builds, and recycles nuclear-powered vessels.

In 1998, the facility had grown into two operations, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Naval Station Bremerton. In 2003, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Naval Intermediate Maintenance Facility were consolidated under one command.

The facility now maintains, modernizes, and repairs literally every class of Navy vessel. It is the primary maintenance facility for the West Coast Trident fleet. The shipyard has a workforce of both civilian and military professional personnel working in repair shops, dry docks, and aircraft carriers, as well as experts in hull, electrical electronics, and weapons systems on a range of Navy vessels.

The shipyard, now spanning 179 acres, is the largest command on Naval Base Kitsap and employs about 10,000 civilian and military personnel.

Asbestos Exposure at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Asbestos was used on ships built and repaired at the yard. When ships were being constructed and overhauled in Bremerton, asbestos-containing equipment such as boilers, turbines, pumps, and valves was installed and repaired. The yard also had numerous shops where asbestos-containing equipment was used and worked on.

Thousands of civilian employees and Navy veterans were exposed to asbestos at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Many occupations were at risk for exposure, but several types of workers in particular faced greater risk:

• Electricians
• Pipefitters
• Boilermakers
• Equipment mechanics
• Pipe coverers and insulators
• Plumbers
• Welders

Asbestos diseases can take decades to develop, so veterans and yard workers who were exposed many years ago may only now be diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis.

Belluck & Fox Fights for the Rights of Shipyard Workers

If you or a loved one worked at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard or served in the United States Navy, and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact the nationally recognized asbestos attorneys at Belluck & Fox today. Our dedicated team has helped many veterans, civilian yard workers, and their families recover significant compensation for asbestos diseases.

Learn what types of compensation you may be entitled to by scheduling a free case review.
Sources:

• My Base Guide: Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
• History Link: Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

List of Ships