Asbestos Exposure on Navy Ships

List of U.S. Navy Ships With Asbestos

The U.S. Navy used asbestos on every class of ship built between the 1930s and early 1980s. The 30 vessels in the following chart are notable examples drawn from court records, VA databases and Naval History and Heritage Command archives, representing the highest-provenance ships across all 14 affected classes.

This is a starting point, not an exhaustive inventory of all Navy ships with asbestos. Over 1,000 U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships built before 1983 contained asbestos. See the per-class sections for additional examples and contact our Veterans Department if your ship is not listed.

Not seeing your ship? Over 1,000 U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels built before 1983 contained asbestos. The per-class sections below name additional ships, and veterans who served on any pre-1983 U.S. Navy or Coast Guard vessel may qualify for compensation regardless of whether their specific vessel appears here.

Veterans whose exposure occurred during shipyard service rather than at sea should also review our guide to naval shipyards where asbestos exposure occurred.

Navy Occupations With High Asbestos Exposure

Navy occupations with the highest asbestos exposure risk included boiler technicians, machinist’s mates, pipefitters, hull maintenance technicians, electrician’s mates and damage controlmen. Personnel in these engineering ratings worked in confined spaces with heavy asbestos insulation on boilers, steam lines, turbines and pumps.

Higher Risk Navy Jobs

• Boatswain’s mate
• Damage controlman
• Electrician’s mate
• Fire control technician
• Gunner’s mate
• Hull maintenance technician
• Machinery repairman
• Machinist’s mate
• Metalsmith
• Pipefitter
• Water tender
• Welder

Maintaining or repairing this equipment released asbestos dust that crew members easily inhaled. Other military jobs linked to asbestos outside of engineering rates also carried exposure risk, and similar patterns existed across the other military branches during the same era.

A 2019 International Journal of Radiation Biology study of more than 114,000 U.S. Navy veterans found significantly elevated mesothelioma mortality rates among engineering and machinery rates. Machinist’s mates, boiler technicians, pipefitters, fire control technicians and water tenders had the highest mesothelioma death rates in the study, confirming that the heaviest exposure occurred in engineering spaces below deck.

Navy veterans are at a high risk of developing mesothelioma because of the amount of asbestos the United States military used. Veterans were exposed to asbestos during the course of doing their jobs aboard ship in the Navy or Coast Guard.

Aaron Munz , former U.S. Army Capt. and director of the Veterans Department at The Mesothelioma Center

Equipment on Navy Ships Containing Asbestos

Equipment on Navy ships contained asbestos, either packed inside, sprayed on or incorporated into the materials. The primary sources of exposure were boilers, pipes and pumps in engineering spaces, though asbestos was used throughout the entire ship.

Boilers were coated with external insulation containing roughly 15% asbestos, contained loose asbestos packing and had asbestos gaskets. A sprawling network of steam and water pipes was insulated with felt lagging containing 5% to 50% asbestos. When this lagging was damaged in service, repair crews mixed dry asbestos powder with water to make new insulation coating, often without respiratory protection.

Most naval personnel were not required to wear protective air masks or wet down asbestos-containing materials before removal. A lack of enforcement of safety measures contributed significantly to the risk of asbestos exposure for everyone serving on board.

Where Asbestos Was Found on Navy Ships

Asbestos was installed in nearly every functional space on a pre-1983 Navy ship, not just in engineering compartments.

Locations on Navy Ships With Heavy Concentrations

• Boiler rooms: Pipe lagging, boiler external insulation, gaskets and packing. Boiler technicians and machinist’s mates had constant exposure.
• Engine rooms: Turbine insulation, steam-line lagging, valve packing and gaskets. Engineering watch standers worked in these spaces continuously.
• Pump rooms: Insulation around pumps and pump packing material. Machinist’s mates serviced these spaces regularly.
• Fire rooms: High-temperature insulation on boilers, fireboxes and steam manifolds. Heaviest exposure is rated alongside boiler rooms.
• Sleeping quarters and mess halls: Deck tile, overhead insulation and bulkhead fireproofing. All crew members slept and ate in these spaces.
• Ammunition magazines: Bulkhead fireproofing and overhead insulation. Gunner’s mates and ammunition handlers worked here.
• Repair shops: Cement boards, gaskets stockpiled for maintenance, brake linings. Hull maintenance technicians and machinery repairmen handled raw asbestos materials.
• Decks and bulkheads: Floor tile, joint compound, paint and bulkhead lagging.
• Electrical panels and cable runs: Asbestos cloth wire insulation, panel backing and arc-flash shielding. Electrician’s mates worked with these materials.
• Ductwork and ventilation: Insulation lagging on ducts, gasketed flange joints and damper components.
• Fire-suppression systems: Asbestos blankets, fire-stop materials and fireproof clothing in damage-control lockers. Damage controlmen wore and handled these.
• Catapult and arresting-gear systems (aircraft carriers only): High-temperature insulation around steam catapults and brake assemblies.

Common Asbestos Products on Navy Ships

The Navy used more than 300 distinct asbestos-containing products on its ships. These asbestos products on ships ranged from pipe and boiler insulation to deck tiles and paint.

Most Installed Asbestos Products on Ships

• Pipe lagging insulation: Felt or block insulation wrapped around steam, water and fuel-oil lines.
• Boiler insulation: External cement and block insulation jacketing the boiler itself.
• Gaskets: Compressed asbestos sheet cut to fit pipe flanges, valves and pump housings.
• Valve packing: Braided asbestos rope packed into valve stems and pump shafts to prevent leaks.
• Cement board: Sheet material used for fireproofing bulkheads, overheads and partitions.
• Deck tile: Vinyl-asbestos tile in sleeping quarters, passageways and mess decks.
• Joint compound: Used to seal seams between cement boards and around penetrations.
• Asbestos cloth and tape: Insulation for high-temperature steam lines and exhaust manifolds.
• Brake pads and clutch facings: Used in catapults, elevators, anchor windlasses and steering gear.
• Adhesives and bedding compounds: Used to bond insulation, tile and other components.
• Fire-resistant fabrics: Damage-control suits, welding blankets and protective curtains.
• Gauge backing and instrument panels: Asbestos millboard backing for engine-room gauges and switchboards.
• Paint: Some Navy paint formulations contained asbestos for fire resistance. Paint scraping during refits was a major source of exposure.

Other Navy equipment with asbestos included adhesives, aggregate mixtures, bedding compounds, block insulation, boilers, cables, capacitors, deck-covering materials, gaskets, grinders, hydraulic assemblies, insulating materials, paneling, pipe insulation, pumps, packing materials, thermal materials, tubes and valves.

Machinist’s mates risked asbestos exposure when replacing worn asbestos gaskets inside mechanical pumps that powered heating, cooling and bilge systems. They used scrapers and wire brushes to remove stubborn gaskets, releasing toxic asbestos fibers. Pipefitters, boiler operators and other Navy crew members were also exposed doing their jobs. Working with ship valves that contained asbestos gaskets, had asbestos insulation coatings and were filled with asbestos packing put the crew at risk.

“I was assigned first to the paint crew, where we spray painted the small rooms that were above the flight deck,” said Jerry C., a Navy veteran diagnosed with asbestosis. “After that, for about a month, I was transferred down to the deck crew. And that’s where I started the process of grinding the nonskid paint off of the deck.”

Asbestos Risk by Ship Type

Exposure risk varied significantly by ship class and was driven by 3 factors: confined-space ventilation quality, the concentration of engineering-rated sailors on board and the volume of asbestos-containing equipment installed.

Submarines carry the highest rating because confined-space ventilation cannot dilute asbestos fibers released during routine maintenance, and submariners worked and slept near insulated piping. Surface combatants with steam propulsion rate “high” because engineering watch standers spent most of their service hours in heavily insulated spaces. Modern post-1985 vessels generally rate “low,” but legacy materials may remain.

Asbestos Exposure Risks by Ship Type

Asbestos exposure on Navy ships was not limited to one class of vessel. Every type of ship built before 1983, from destroyers to aircraft carriers to small patrol craft, contained asbestos materials. The fire-resistant and insulating properties of asbestos made it a prized material before its health risks were widely recognized.

Exposure occurred on deck when service members maintained or repaired asbestos-containing products such as deck matting and tiles. The most concentrated exposure happened below deck in engine and boiler rooms, where heavy insulation and limited ventilation combined to keep airborne fiber levels high.

Asbestos on Aircraft Carriers

Aircraft carriers are the largest Navy ships, functioning as floating airbases with crews of 5,000 or more. Aircraft carriers contained asbestos in boiler rooms, engine rooms, catapult systems, sleeping quarters and mess areas, exposing thousands of sailors during decades of service. Steam catapult systems used high-temperature asbestos insulation around the catapult tracks and brake assemblies and arresting-gear systems contained asbestos brake pads.

The engineering rates with the heaviest exposure on aircraft carriers were boiler technicians, machinist’s mates, pipefitters and electrician’s mates. Hull maintenance technicians handling deck tile and bulkhead insulation faced additional exposure during refits. Sailors repairing these ships, often during yard periods at the Bremerton Naval Shipyard or other facilities, worked without respiratory protection during the bulk of the asbestos era.

List of Aircraft Carriers With Asbestos Exposure

• Pre-WWII / WWII fleet carriers: USS Enterprise (CV-6), USS Lexington (CV-2), USS Saratoga (CV-3), USS Wasp (CV-7), USS Hornet (CV-8), USS Yorktown (CV-5)
• Essex-class: USS Essex (CV-9), USS Yorktown (CV-10), USS Intrepid (CV-11), USS Hornet (CV-12), USS Lexington (CV-16), USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), USS Wasp (CV-18), USS Boxer (CV-21), USS Oriskany (CV-34)
• Midway-class: USS Midway (CV-41), USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42), USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
• Forrestal-class: USS Forrestal (CV-59), USS Saratoga (CV-60), USS Ranger (CV-61), USS Independence (CV-62)
• Kitty Hawk-class: USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), USS Constellation (CV-64), USS America (CV-66), USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67)
• Nuclear carriers: USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS Nimitz (CVN-68), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)

Asbestos on Battleships

Battleships were the heaviest surface combatants in the Navy, with crews ranging from 1,800 to 2,700 sailors and main-battery turrets requiring extensive asbestos-insulated machinery. The Iowa-class quartet saw the longest service of any battleship class, with all four returning to active duty as recently as the late 1980s and early 1990s. All four contained substantial original asbestos installations from their 1943–1944 commissioning.

Highest-risk occupations on battleships included boiler technicians, machinist’s mates, gunner’s mates working in turret machinery spaces and fire controlmen working in below-deck plotting rooms. Battleships built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the New York Naval Shipyard and other East Coast facilities saw extensive asbestos use during initial construction.

Battleships With Asbestos Exposure

• Iowa-class (longest service): USS Iowa (BB-61), USS New Jersey (BB-62), USS Missouri (BB-63), USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
• Pennsylvania-class: USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), USS Arizona (BB-39)
• Nevada-class: USS Nevada (BB-36), USS Oklahoma (BB-37)
• Tennessee-class: USS Tennessee (BB-43), USS California (BB-44)
• Colorado-class: USS Colorado (BB-45), USS Maryland (BB-46), USS West Virginia (BB-48)
• North Carolina-class: USS North Carolina (BB-55), USS Washington (BB-56)
• South Dakota-class: USS South Dakota (BB-57), USS Indiana (BB-58), USS Massachusetts (BB-59), USS Alabama (BB-60)

Asbestos on Cruisers

Cruisers were adaptable warships used in offensive strike groups and defensive screening missions, with crews of 1,000 to 1,800 sailors. These ships used asbestos to shield machinery spaces, weapon storage areas and living quarters. Engine rooms, boiler rooms, bulkheads around magazines and gun mounts all received heavy asbestos insulation to limit fire risk.

Heat from steam propulsion systems caused asbestos insulation to deteriorate over time, releasing fibers into the engineering spaces where machinist’s mates, boiler technicians and electrician’s mates worked their watches. Regular maintenance, including replacing pipe lagging and gasket packing, added exposure on top of the baseline. Many cruiser veterans later developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

Cruisers With Asbestos Exposure

• Baltimore-class: USS Boston (CA-69 / CAG-1)
• Des Moines-class heavy cruisers: USS Des Moines (CA-134), USS Salem (CA-139), USS Newport News (CA-148)
• Albany-class guided-missile cruisers: USS Albany (CG-10), USS Chicago (CG-11)
• Leahy-class and Belknap-class: USS Leahy (CG-16), USS Belknap (CG-26)
• Nuclear-powered cruisers: USS Long Beach (CGN-9), USS Bainbridge (CGN-25), USS Truxtun (CGN-35)

The Long Beach Naval Shipyard overhauled many of these vessels during the asbestos era.

Asbestos on Destroyers

Destroyers were built for speed and agility, escorting larger ships and engaging directly in surface and antisubmarine combat. With crews of 200 to 350 sailors and steam propulsion driving the vessel at speeds above 30 knots, destroyers concentrated their engineering rates in tight, heavily insulated machinery spaces. Asbestos lagged the boilers, turbines, steam lines and pump packing throughout the engineering plant.

Constant movement at sea, vibration and combat damage caused asbestos lagging to crack and crumble over time, releasing fibers that ventilation could not clear from confined fire rooms and engine rooms. Crew members standing engineering watches inhaled these fibers throughout each four- or six-hour rotation, and additional exposure occurred during gasket and packing replacement.

Destroyer Classes With Asbestos Exposure

• Fletcher-class (WWII): USS Fletcher (DD-445), USS The Sullivans (DD-537), USS Kidd (DD-661), USS Cassin Young (DD-793)
• Gearing-class: USS Frank Knox (DD-742), USS Power (DD-839)
• Forrest Sherman-class: USS Forrest Sherman (DD-931), USS Hull (DD-945)
• Charles F. Adams-class guided-missile destroyers: USS Charles F. Adams (DDG-2), USS Decatur (DDG-31)
• Farragut-class: USS Mahan (DDG-42)
• Spruance-class: USS Spruance (DD-963)

Many destroyers were built at or refit through the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Asbestos on Destroyer Escorts

Destroyer escorts (DE) were the predecessor class to modern frigates, built primarily during World War II to provide convoy protection against German U-boats. With crews of 180 to 220 sailors and steam propulsion plants smaller than full-size destroyers, destroyer escorts concentrated engineering rates in cramped boiler and engine rooms heavily insulated with asbestos.

Destroyer Escorts With Asbestos Exposure

• Edsall-class: USS Edsall (DE-129)
• Buckley-class: USS Buckley (DE-51), USS England (DE-635)
• Cannon-class: USS Bostwick (DE-103), USS Slater (DE-766, now preserved as a museum ship)
• Evarts-class and other early WWII designs

Most destroyer escorts were decommissioned by the late 1960s, though several remained in service through the 1970s and 1980s in NATO and allied navies after transfer.

Asbestos on Frigates

Frigates (FF/FFG) replaced destroyer escorts as the Navy’s primary convoy and antisubmarine escort beginning in the 1960s. Crews of 200 to 250 sailors operated steam-propulsion frigates through the late 1970s, with gas-turbine propulsion (USS Oliver Hazard Perry FFG-7 onward) taking over from 1977. Earlier steam-driven frigates contained substantial asbestos insulation throughout their engineering plants.

Frigate Classes With Asbestos Exposure

• Brooke-class: USS Brooke (FFG-1)
• Garcia-class: USS Garcia (FF-1040)
• Knox-class: USS Knox (FF-1052) and 45 sister ships in the class
• Oliver Hazard Perry-class (early hulls): USS Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7)

Frigate engineering rates with the heaviest exposure mirrored those on destroyers: boiler technicians, machinist’s mates and pipefitters.

Asbestos on Submarines

Submarines posed the highest asbestos exposure risk of any Navy vessel class because of confined spaces and limited ventilation, with engineering rates such as machinist’s mate and electrician’s mate facing the heaviest exposure. A submarine’s pressure hull traps air inside the vessel for the duration of every dive, so any asbestos fibers released into the boat’s atmosphere remained in circulation until the boat surfaced and ventilated.

Asbestos was installed throughout submarines for insulation around steam piping (in the early diesel-electric and nuclear era), soundproofing in the engine room and machinery spaces, and fireproofing around electrical panels, battery wells and torpedo storage areas. Submariners worked and slept near these materials, often for 60 to 90 days at a stretch during patrol.

Routine maintenance such as replacing valve packing or gasket sealing in the engine room kicked asbestos dust into the recirculating air supply. Even diesel-electric submarines had asbestos in their auxiliary steam systems and battery compartments, and the earliest nuclear submarines from the 1950s and 1960s used asbestos extensively in their primary and secondary plants.

Submarine Classes With Asbestos Exposure

• WWII diesel-electric (Gato-class, Balao-class): USS Cobia (SS-245), USS Barbero (SS-317)
• Postwar diesel (Tang-class) and research: USS Tang (SS-563), USS Albacore (AGSS-569)
• First nuclear-powered submarines: USS Nautilus (SSN-571), USS Seawolf (SSN-575), USS Skate (SSN-578)
• Skipjack-class: USS Skipjack (SSN-585)
• Special-purpose nuclear: USS Triton (SSRN-586), USS Halibut (SSGN-587)
• George Washington-class SSBNs (first ballistic-missile submarines): USS George Washington (SSBN-598), USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599), USS Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601)
• Permit-class: USS Thresher (SSN-593), USS Permit (SSN-594), USS Plunger (SSN-595)
• Sturgeon-class: USS Sturgeon (SSN-637) and 36 sister boats
• Los Angeles-class: USS Los Angeles (SSN-688) and early hulls in the class
• Ohio-class SSBNs (earliest hulls): USS Ohio (SSBN-726)

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was the primary submarine builder and overhaul facility throughout this era.

Asbestos on Minesweepers

Minesweepers cleared mines from waterways and harbors, with crews of 70 to 100 sailors operating in close quarters. The Aggressive-class (MSO) and Acme-class minesweepers had wooden hulls to avoid triggering magnetic mines, but their engine rooms, mine-handling spaces and electrical systems used substantial asbestos for fireproofing and high-temperature insulation.

Minesweepers With Asbestos Exposure

• Aggressive-class (MSO): USS Aggressive (MSO-422), USS Avenge (MSO-423), USS Conquest (MSO-488)
• Acme-class: USS Acme (MSO-508), USS Adroit (MSO-509), USS Affray (MSO-511)

Sailors on minesweepers faced exposure during their daily watches in the engine compartment and during routine maintenance on insulation, gaskets and packing. Over time, vibration and heat broke down the asbestos, and repairs often required cutting or sanding the deteriorated material. Crew members typically worked without respiratory protection.

Asbestos on Patrol Boats

Patrol boats covered a wide range of small craft, from World War II-era Patrol Torpedo (PT) boats to Cold War-era patrol gunboats (PG) and modern hydrofoils. Crews were small, typically 10 to 30 sailors, but engine compartments on these vessels were tightly enclosed and concentrated heat-resistant insulation and gaskets around their diesel or gas-turbine engines.

The Elco 80-foot PT boats of WWII had wooden hulls but extensive asbestos in their engine spaces. Cold War-era patrol craft and modern hydrofoils used asbestos insulation in engine compartments and exhaust systems.

Patrol Craft With Asbestos Exposure

• WWII PT boats: PT-109 (Elco 80-foot, commanded by Lt. John F. Kennedy)
• Asheville-class patrol gunboats: USS Asheville (PG-84), USS Beacon (PG-99)
• Pegasus-class hydrofoils: USS Pegasus (PHM-1)

Engineering jobs on patrol boats had the heaviest exposure, but even the small crew sizes meant most personnel onboard worked or slept near asbestos materials during deployments.

Asbestos on Escort Carriers

Escort carriers (CVE) were smaller, lighter aircraft carriers built primarily during World War II to provide convoy air cover and amphibious-assault aviation support. Crews of 800 to 1,200 sailors operated steam-propulsion CVEs that used asbestos throughout their boiler rooms, engine rooms and aircraft handling spaces. Many escort carriers were built on converted merchant hulls, which often added additional asbestos from prior civilian installation.

Escort Carrier Classes With Asbestos Exposure

• Long Island-class (Navy’s first CVE): USS Long Island (CVE-1)
• Bogue-class: USS Bogue (CVE-9)
• Sangamon-class: USS Sangamon (CVE-26)
• Casablanca-class: USS Casablanca (CVE-55), USS St. Lo (CVE-63), USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73)
• Commencement Bay-class: USS Commencement Bay (CVE-105)

Several Commencement Bay-class escort carriers remained in reserve commission through the late 1960s.

Asbestos on Amphibious Warships

Amphibious warships delivered Marines and equipment to hostile shores and supported amphibious operations. The class includes Landing Ship Tanks (LST), Landing Ship Docks (LSD), Landing Platform Docks (LPD), Landing Platform Helicopters (LPH) and Landing Helicopter Assault ships (LHA). Crews varied from 200 on LSTs to 1,000 on LHAs, with engine rooms and cargo holds containing extensive asbestos insulation, gaskets and fireproofing.

The Thomaston-class LSDs include USS Hermitage (LSD-34), the ship where Navy veteran Bob Niemiec scraped asbestos paint off the hull beginning in 1965.

Amphibious Vessels With Asbestos Exposure

• LST-1-class (WWII): USS LST-325 (preserved as a museum ship)
• DeSoto County-class LSTs: USS Suffolk County (LST-1173)
• Newport-class LSTs: USS Newport (LST-1179)
• Thomaston-class LSDs: USS Hermitage (LSD-34)
• Iwo Jima-class LPHs: USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2)
• Austin-class LPDs: USS Nashville (LPD-13)
• Tarawa-class LHAs: USS Tarawa (LHA-1), USS Saipan (LHA-2), USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3)

Asbestos on Auxiliary Ships

Auxiliary ships kept the fleet operating: oilers and replenishment ships (AO, AOE, AOR, AE) carried fuel and ammunition, hospital ships (AH) provided medical care, submarine tenders (AS) supported submarine operations, destroyer tenders (AD) supported destroyers, repair ships (AR) provided machine-shop services and cargo ships moved supplies. Crew sizes varied widely. Engineering spaces and cargo holds on these ships contained extensive asbestos insulation, gaskets, packing and deck coverings.

Unlike combat vessels, auxiliary ships often had mixed crews including both Navy sailors and civilian Military Sealift Command personnel. All personnel onboard were at risk of asbestos exposure, but maintenance crews and shipyard workers performing repairs handled raw asbestos directly during refits and overhauls. Hospital ships operating in the asbestos era exposed both Navy medical staff and patients embarked aboard. Repair ships like USS Vulcan (AR-5) served for fifty years, the entire span of the asbestos era.

Auxiliary Ships With Asbestos Exposure

• Oilers (AO): USS Cimarron (AO-22), USS Hassayampa (AO-145)
• Fast combat support ships (AOE): USS Sacramento (AOE-1)
• Ammunition ships (AE): USS Mauna Kea (AE-22)
• Repair ships (AR): USS Vulcan (AR-5)
• Submarine tenders (AS): USS Holland (AS-32), USS Simon Lake (AS-33)
• Haven-class hospital ships (AH): USS Repose (AH-16), USS Sanctuary (AH-17)

Asbestos on Coast Guard Cutters

Coast Guard veterans are covered by VA presumptive conditions for asbestos exposure in the same way as Navy veterans, and Coast Guard cutters (USCGC prefix) built before 1983 contained asbestos in their engine rooms, gaskets and packing. Cutter crews ranged from 50 on smaller patrol cutters to 200 on high-endurance cutters.

Coast Guard Cutters With Asbestos Exposure

• Training and special-purpose: USCGC Eagle (WIX-327, the training barque acquired from Germany in 1946), USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83, icebreaker)
• Mid-century cutters: USCGC Storis (WMEC-38)
• Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters: USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715), USCGC Mellon (WHEC-717), USCGC Sherman (WHEC-720) and sister cutters
• Reliance-class medium-endurance cutters: USCGC Reliance (WMEC-615) and sister cutters

Coast Guard veterans seeking VA disability compensation for asbestos exposure should file under the same provisions available to Navy veterans.

Asbestos on Merchant Marine Ships

Civilian merchant mariners working under contract to the Navy or to the wartime War Shipping Administration also faced significant asbestos exposure aboard troop transports, cargo vessels, tankers and Liberty/Victory ships. Merchant mariners who served in active U.S. military operations between December 1941 and August 1945 are recognized as veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs and may qualify for asbestos-related compensation through the VA.

Asbestos on Navy Ships Today

Ships with keels laid after 1983 generally contain no installed asbestos, but vessels built before 1983 may still have asbestos materials in service today. The Navy permits asbestos use only when no suitable substitute exists but does not publicly disclose when those exceptions are approved.

4 Core Requirements of Modern Navy Asbestos Management

• Labeling: All known asbestos-containing materials must be clearly labeled.
• Training: Personnel who handle asbestos must complete certified training.
• Engineering controls: Repair or removal work uses encapsulation, wet methods and HEPA-filtered local exhaust.
• Personal protective equipment: Respirators and protective clothing are required for handling.

The Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program (AMSP) is the medical component of the Navy Asbestos Program. AMSP enrolls all Navy asbestos workers, both active duty and civilian, making it the largest program of its kind in the world.

Legacy asbestos remains on many older vessels still in service. As of March 28, 2025, the National Defense Reserve Fleet reports 100 “military-useful former commercial ships” plus 48 vessels in the Ready Reserve Force. The active Navy currently operates approximately 296 deployable vessels.

When Was Asbestos Banned on Ships?

Asbestos was never fully banned from Navy ships or from U.S. industry overall, but several regulatory milestones progressively restricted its use.

• 2024: The EPA finalized a rule prohibiting chrysotile asbestos in most remaining applications.
• 1989: The EPA issued a broad asbestos ban that was later partially overturned in 1991, allowing limited continued use.
• 1983: The Navy established the keel-laying cutoff date after which new ship construction would not install asbestos.
• 1978: The EPA banned spray-on asbestos insulation and fireproofing.
• 1971: OSHA established the first federal workplace exposure limit for asbestos.

Despite the 2024 rule, some asbestos-containing materials remain legal under U.S. law for specialized industrial applications, and legacy asbestos remains in older Navy vessels that the EPA rule does not retroactively require removal.

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Navy Veterans and Mesothelioma

Approximately one-third of all legal mesothelioma cases in the U.S. are linked to military service involve U.S. Navy veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs Asbestos recognizes exposure during Navy service a service-connected disability. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer all classify asbestos as a known human carcinogen.

In its 2024 chrysotile asbestos ban, the EPA stated that “exposure to asbestos is known to cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer and laryngeal cancer, and it is linked to more than 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.”

Mesothelioma typically develops 20 to 60 years after asbestos exposure, meaning Navy veterans who served between the 1940s and 1980s may still be diagnosed today. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they lodge in the tissue around the lungs and other organs. Over decades, the fibers cause inflammation and cellular damage that can develop into malignant mesothelioma.

Bob Niemiec

Verified Asbestos.com Survivor

Mesothelioma Survivor, a Navy Veteran, Defies the Odds

Navy veteran Bob Niemiec entered the Navy in 1965 at the age of 20. His first assignment out of boot camp was to scrape paint off of the landing ship U.S.S. Hermitage. It turns out the paint he was scraping contained asbestos. Niemiec said he didn’t feel the effects of the asbestos exposure until many years later, about 30 years after his stint in the Navy.

Bob Niemiec

Verified Asbestos.com Survivor

Read Bob’s Story

Compensation for Navy Veterans Exposed to Asbestos

Navy veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma from asbestos exposure can access these primary compensation options: VA disability benefits, asbestos trust fund claims, mesothelioma lawsuits against asbestos product manufacturers and additional VA programs such as Special Monthly Compensation, Aid and Attendance, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for surviving spouses.

Veterans don’t sue the Navy. Instead, they file lawsuits against companies that made asbestos products used on Navy ships. Many of these lawsuits typically settle, potentially leading to payments that cover medical bills, travel costs for treatment and lost wages.

Mesothelioma Compensation Options for Navy Veterans

• Asbestos trust funds: Bankrupt asbestos product manufacturers established these funds to compensate people who develop mesothelioma from their products. Trust fund claims are processed administratively rather than through traditional court proceedings.
• Personal injury claims: Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma pursue lawsuits against asbestos product manufacturers to seek compensation. Veterans do not sue the Navy or the federal government for service-related injuries.
• Wrongful death claims: The estate of a deceased Navy veteran may file this type of lawsuit to seek compensation on behalf of surviving family members.
• VA disability claims: Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases caused by service may qualify for VA disability compensation. The 2022 PACT Act expanded and reaffirmed VA presumptive conditions for several toxic exposures faced by veterans, including asbestos.

Navy veterans may be eligible for multiple types of mesothelioma claims. VA-accredited Patient Advocates can help veterans file VA claims and connect them with mesothelioma lawyers who have experience representing Navy veterans.

“The professionalism and expert advice The Mesothelioma Center extended to us was truly a blessing as we dealt with my father’s mesothelioma,” Steve Reeck, son of a military veteran tells us. “The advocacy group’s expert guidance and advice dealing with the Veterans Administration was a miracle for my family. Thank you for everything.” 

Common Questions About Asbestos on Navy Ships

What are the health risks associated with asbestos exposure on navy ships?

Asbestos exposure can cause restrictive and interstitial lung diseases, asbestosis, pleural plaques and mesothelioma cancer of the pleura and peritoneum. It can also cause cancers of the lung, bronchus, gastrointestinal tract, larynx, pharynx and urogenital system (except the prostate).

Are navy ship workers still at risk of asbestos exposure today?

Some older ships with keels laid before 1983 may still have some asbestos materials and equipment. Current regulations are stricter about its use and presence today. Asbestos must be clearly labeled now. Personnel who are required to work with asbestos equipment should receive training and personal protective equipment.

Did the Navy take any precautions to protect sailors from asbestos exposure?

Beginning in the late 1970s the Navy began replacing asbestos materials on ships where a suitable alternative existed. In the 1980s ships went through yard periods to remove and replace asbestos. Today, regulations require labeling and safe handling for any remaining asbestos in use.

Which U.S. Navy ships had asbestos?

Every U.S. Navy ship built between the 1930s and early 1980s contained asbestos. More than 300 asbestos-containing products were installed throughout vessels of every class, including aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers, submarines, cruisers and auxiliary ships.

What was the most common Navy job with asbestos exposure?

Navy occupations with the highest asbestos exposure included boiler technicians, machinist’s mates, pipefitters, hull maintenance technicians, electrician’s mates and damage controlmen. These engineering jobs were performed in confined spaces with heavy asbestos insulation on boilers, steam lines and turbines.

Can Navy veterans sue the Navy for asbestos exposure?

Navy veterans generally cannot sue the federal government for service-related injuries under the Feres doctrine. However, veterans can file claims against the asbestos-product manufacturers whose products were installed on Navy ships, and they can pursue claims against asbestos trust funds established by those manufacturers in bankruptcy. Veterans can also pursue VA disability benefits independently of any lawsuit.

What is the average mesothelioma latency for Navy veterans?

Mesothelioma typically develops 20 to 60 years after the first asbestos exposure. Navy veterans who served between the 1940s and 1980s may still be diagnosed today, as latency periods extending beyond 60 years are not uncommon. The long latency means that many veterans receive their diagnosis decades after their service, often when they no longer associate their symptoms with their time aboard ships.

When did the Navy stop using asbestos on ships?

The U.S. Navy stopped installing asbestos on newly laid ship keels in 1983. Ships built before that date may still contain asbestos materials, and the Navy continues to manage legacy asbestos on older vessels under strict handling and labeling protocols.

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