Rough & Ready Island Ship Repair
Beginning in 1944, the U.S. Navy began to acquire what would eventually total more than 1,400 acres of land on Rough & Ready Island, which is located three miles west of Stockton, Calif. The station was a multiple-use base that included a supply center, an ordnance depot and for a time during World War II, an emergency ship repair facility.
By 1965, most of the facility was transferred to the Naval Communications Station, Stockton, and to a handful of private owners. The few acres that remained after these transfers, along with the piers and waterfront facilities, were eventually transferred to the city of Stockton for redevelopment.
Officially known as Naval Supply Center, Oakland, Stockton Annex, the Rough & Ready Island Naval Ship Repair Facility engaged in the repair and maintenance of naval vessels during World War II. An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated Superfund cleanup site — largely due to the Navy's ordnance depot on 131 acres of the island — Rough & Ready Island's workers came into regular contact with toxic materials such as asbestos. Exposure to asbestos can ultimately lead to serious illness in humans.
Asbestos Exposure at Rough & Ready Island Naval Ship Repair Facility
During its use of the island, the Navy erected a number of buildings and structures, including warehouses where ship repair supplies were stored, repair shops, a fire station, an administration building, fueling stations and storage tanks, as well as piers and docking facilities on the Stockton Deep Water Channel.
As both a repair and warehousing facility, the Rough & Ready Island Naval Ship Repair Facility and Storage Center was an environment ripe for exposure to any number of hazardous or toxic substances, including asbestos. Warehouse workers handled parts and supplies that were used in the repair of ships, as well as the maintenance and construction of the facility's buildings and structures. Between 1944 and 1965, the public knew little about the danger that asbestos posed for humans. Warehouse workers handled asbestos-containing supplies and materials, such as gaskets, valves, sheet rock, flooring and ceiling tiles, joint compounds, mortar, paint and insulation, without wearing any safety equipment.
During the time the Navy structures were built on the island, asbestos was a ubiquitous component in building materials due to its fire resistant qualities and relative inexpensiveness. Many former Navy stations have required vast asbestos abatement efforts to render the structures safe. Office workers who sat at desks in areas where asbestos had been disturbed, such as crumbling drywall, were at risk for asbestos exposure.
The repair and fabrication shops and facilities on the island also posed risks for exposure. Items ranging from brake pads to grinding wheel discs and welding rods were all made with asbestos, which was released as such items were worn down or eroded. Protective gear such as welding masks and aprons were made from asbestos-containing materials, which if ripped or scratched could send fibers into the air.
At most risk were the shipboard workers and sailors stationed on ships under repair. Navy vessels were riddled with asbestos — the substance was present in most all parts of the ships from engine rooms to mess halls, galleys and crew quarters. Any repair work being done on a ship, including electrical, pipefitting, welding, insulating or sanding, was likely to disturb asbestos and release fibers into the enclosed spaces of the vessel.
This, in turn, endangered not only the worker, but anyone entering the area including other workers, supervisors and crew members. Asbestos fibers that had adhered to workers' clothing could be carried away from the work site, putting family members and barracks mates at risk, as well.
Resources for Shipyard Workers
Sailors and shipyard workers may have been exposed to asbestos while at the Rough & Ready Island Naval Ship Repair Facility. The nature of the work performed at the facility created an environment in which contact with asbestos was a daily occurrence for many employees. Such contact could have resulted in an exposure leading to future health problems.
Illnesses related to asbestos can manifest many years after an individual has stopped working with the substance. Anyone concerned that he or she was exposed to asbestos from the Rough & Ready Island Naval Ship Repair Facility should consider establishing a plan of regular monitoring for symptoms of asbestosis and cancers, such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. Potential asbestos victims should bring up their concerns to their doctors and chart a course of action. Those who have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition can fill out this form to receive additional information or call (800) 615-2270 to speak directly with a Patient and Family Advocate at the Mesothelioma Center.
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Last Modified Thursday, February 9th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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