The Vallejo Shipyard, also known as The Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California, is about 25 miles northeast of San Francisco. It was the first U.S. Navy shipyard on the Pacific Coast, established in 1854 by the first admiral of the U.S. Navy, Commander David Farragut. At its peak, the Vallejo Shipyard covered 5,200 acres.
Submarines, Cruisers, Destroyers and More
The shipyard at Vallejo became the premier submarine port on the West Coast while also making significant contributions to the shipbuilding efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area during World War II. Workers at this shipyard built, repaired, maintained and overhauled hundreds of vessels for the Navy, including submarines and surface ships.
Nuclear Submarine Construction
After WWII, the Vallejo shipyard continued to be a primary site for the maintenance and construction of the Pacific fleet of submarines, including nuclear subs, the first of which was built there in 1955.
Asbestos at the Shipyard
During the decades when asbestos was most widely used in ships ─ from the 1930s through the 1970s ─ workers at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard at Vallejo may have been exposed to toxic levels of this carcinogenic mineral. Although asbestos seemed like an ideal fireproofing material that was easy to work with, it actually posed a severe health hazard.
Asbestos is a fibrous material. When the tiny fibers break loose due to deterioration or manipulation, they float in the air. They may hang suspended in the air for hours or even days, and they may be inhaled by people in the area. When the fibers become lodged in the lungs or other internal organs, they may eventually cause illnesses like asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma.
After Working at the Vallejo Shipyard
If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness after shipyard work, contact us for information about your options and rights.
