Long Beach Naval Shipyard

The Long Beach Naval Shipyard was located on Terminal Island between San Pedro and Long Beach, CA, until it closed in 1997. The shipyard was developed to refit and remodel nuclear vessels and by the beginning of World War II in the 1940’s, the shipyard had employed over 16,000 technical and non-technical personnel.

When World War II came to an end, Long Beach Naval Shipyard was inactive for a short period of time until 1951 when the Korean War began. The shipyard remained open until finally closing in 1997.

Asbestos at Long Beach Naval Shipyard

During World War II, asbestos was used a great deal on naval vessels in the insulation of pipes and boilers. Asbestos fibers that became airborne and were inhaled by workers on the ships had a significant impact on their internal organs and lungs. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until the 1970s that those working at the shipyard became aware of the dangers of asbestos.

Those employed at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard during its time of operation had a wide range of skills including the ability to work with boilers, welding, and sheet metal. Welders and pipe fitters may have had the highest exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma in Shipyard Workers

Since its closing, the Long Beach Naval Shipyard has been documented as an asbestos exposure site and recent studies have proved that many shipyard workers were exposed and now suffer from mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a unique form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos and studies show that 30 percent of malignant mesothelioma cases affect veterans who were working at shipyards and other asbestos hotspots before asbestos exposure was recognized as harmful.

If you worked at a shipyard and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, please contact us so we can better inform you about the resources available to you.