Charleston Navy Yard

The Charleston Navy Yard was established at the turn of the 20th century on the Cooper River in North Charleston, South Carolina. During and after World War II, this shipyard employed thousands of workers; building, repairing, decommissioning, and storing ships for the U.S. Navy were the main activities.

Part of the Naval Base, Charleston

Destroyers and other types of vessels were produced at the Charleston Navy Yard, and the Yard eventually became a component of the Naval Base, Charleston. In the late 1940s, the Yard was made a submarine repair and overhaul site for the Navy, and employees also spent time activating mothballed vessels for the Korean Conflict. In the early 1950s, there were more than 8,000 workers at the Charleston Navy Yard.

Down-sized and then closed in 1996, the Charleston Navy Yard's acreage has been largely replaced by a mixed-use urban development for North Charleston called "The Navy Yard," which began building in 2005.

Toxic Asbestos at the Charleston Navy Yard

The military personnel and civilians at the Charleston Navy Yard and in the surrounding area may have been exposed to toxic levels of asbestos , a fibrous mineral that was widely used in many shipbuilding applications. Asbestos was thought to be an excellent insulating and fireproofing material that would help prevent shipboard fires.

However, the tiny fibers of asbestos may be released into the air when an asbestos-containing product is manipulated during its installation or replacement. If these fibers are inhaled, the fibers can become lodged in the body, where they may cause diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

If You Worked at Charleston Navy Yard

Because the diseases that asbestos can cause often take years, even decades, to develop after the initial asbestos exposure, many shipyard workers who spent time around asbestos in the 1940s through 1970s are now being diagnosed with diseases that were caused by their asbestos exposure years ago. Contact us online if you would like to learn more about the epidemic of asbestos-related illnesses among shipyard workers.