Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

History of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Asbestos

Asbestos was widely used at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, from the 1930s through the 1970s. Sailors and workers faced regular exposure to asbestos insulation in submarine pipes, boilers and engine rooms. This increased their risk of diseases like mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer. 

Established in 1800, Portsmouth is one of the oldest active naval shipyards in the U.S. It became a leader in submarine construction during World War II, building more than 75 submarines, many of which contained asbestos products. After launching its last new submarine in 1969, the yard shifted to overhauling and refueling submarines. 

While asbestos use was phased out at the shipyard in the mid-1970s, legacy asbestos products in older vessels and facilities continued to pose an exposure risk. And because of the long latency period for diseases like mesothelioma, which is 20 to 60 years, many former workers may develop this aggressive cancer from prior exposure. Because of the Navy’s widespread use of the toxic mineral, sailors and shipyard workers have higher rates of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

Asbestos Exposure at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Workers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard were exposed to asbestos in shipbuilding and maintenance. Asbestos coated boilers and water pipes. It served as insulation throughout ships and submarines and was used in hundreds of shipyard buildings. It was used in protective gear like aprons, gloves and thermal blankets.

Extensive use of asbestos products and poor safety controls worsened exposure risk. Until the mid-1970s, the shipyard had little effective ventilation, allowing asbestos fibers to linger in the air. This put thousands of workers and military personnel at risk of serious health problems linked to asbestos exposure.

A cohort study in 1978 showed the shipyard had high cancer death rates. As a result, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health began investigating in 1983. NIOSH conducted a number of studies over the next couple of decades. Its 2005 study included 2,558 compiled asbestos samples from the 1940s to 1990s. Among 4,388 workers studied, nearly 64% were exposed to higher-than-normal asbestos levels. 

Pipefitters, welders, electricians and sheet metal mechanics were identified as having the highest exposure rates. A dozen years after the 1978 study first led to the NIOSH investigation, asbestos was found in the 1990s during the excavation of Building 310 and near temporary housing. 

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Asbestos Lawsuits

While the Navy is protected from liability under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, former Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers have sought compensation from asbestos manufacturers. Lawsuits claim these companies failed to warn about the dangers of their products. 

In the All Maine Asbestos Litigation, dozens of workers from Portsmouth and Bath Iron Works sued 26 manufacturers, claiming negligence caused occupational diseases and wrongful deaths. In one case, the daughter of a former Portsmouth pipe insulator died of mesothelioma after secondary exposure to asbestos fibers brought home on her father’s work clothes. That lawsuit was settled for $512,000 against 4 asbestos manufacturers. 

Mesothelioma lawsuits over asbestos exposure at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and other locations in Maine remain active in 2025. People continue to file new claims, ending in settlements and trials.

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s Superfund Status

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund list in 1994. It underwent nearly 30 years of cleanup. The EPA removed the shipyard from the list in February 2024. The remediation addressed contamination from decades of shipbuilding, submarine repair, landfill operations and industrial spills.

Cleanup involved removing contaminated soil, sediment and hazardous materials including asbestos across the 278-acre site. Although the EPA declared the cleanup complete, long-term monitoring, land use controls and 5-year reviews will continue to protect human health and the environment. The Navy remains responsible for maintaining these safeguards.

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