The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is located on a cluster of islands in the Piscataqua River in Maine, opposite Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It's the U.S. Navy's oldest continuously operating shipyard, established in 1800. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard constructed ships for the Civil War, and by the First World War, the number of employees had swelled to more than 5,700.

Building and Repairing Navy Ships

Portsmouth became a submarine-building yard, building some 60+ submarines for the U.S. Navy during World War II and constructing or repairing hundreds of other Navy vessels. During the peak demand years of WWII, more than 20,000 people worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Asbestos at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Asbestos, the fibrous mineral that has been used for insulation, fireproofing, and as a friction retardant was very widely used in the shipbuilding industry in the first three-quarters of the 20th century, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was no exception. Many people who worked at shipyards in the 1930s through the 1970s are now being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma that are directly traceable to their shipyard work.

When asbestos materials are disturbed ─ whether during installation, repair or replacement, or by deterioration ─ the tiny fibers that compose asbestos can be broken free and released into the air. The fibers are so small and essentially weightless that they hang suspended in the air for hours or even days.

Asbestos Diseases

The danger of working with asbestos is that the fibers can be easily inhaled. The fibers may become lodged inside the lungs and/or other body tissues and disrupt their normal functioning. This can result in a spectrum of diseases that includes lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium, the tissue that lines the chest cavity).

Learn more about asbestos diseases that are due to shipyard work ─ contact us today.