Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, located on Seavey Island in Kittery, Maine — across the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth, New Hampshire — is one of the oldest federal shipyards in the United States, established in 1800. The shipyard has specialized in submarine construction and overhaul for more than a century, building more than 130 submarines during its history and serving as the primary submarine maintenance facility in the northeastern United States throughout the Cold War. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard built the USS Squalus (SS-192), whose 1939 sinking and rescue became a landmark in submarine rescue history, and built and overhauled Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines during the Cold War. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Portsmouth Naval Shipyard with a named industrial hygienist investigation, formal asbestos determination records, documented asbestos product shipments to the yard, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s presence in the national asbestos litigation record.

Who Was Exposed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Workers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in the following capacities may have asbestos exposure claims:

  • Pipe Coverers and Insulation Workers — the primary high-exposure trade; installed and removed asbestos pipe and machinery insulation throughout submarine construction and overhaul
  • Boilermakers — worked with asbestos-insulated steam systems in submarine engineering spaces
  • Pipefitters — worked with asbestos-insulated steam and coolant systems throughout submarine construction and overhaul
  • Shipfitters and Structural Workers — worked in enclosed submarine hull sections during active asbestos insulation operations
  • All trades workers who spent extended time in the confined spaces of submarines under construction or overhaul at Portsmouth

VA Claims and Legal Options — Portsmouth Naval Shipyard ME Workers

Veterans who served as Supship or pre-commissioning crew at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and civilian workers who built or overhauled submarines at the Kittery yard, who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease may qualify for:

  • VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) for Navy Supship personnel stationed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
  • Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) for civilian Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers
  • Civil claims against manufacturers of asbestos-containing insulation products shipped to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and used in submarine construction and overhaul

Key documents for a Portsmouth Naval Shipyard claim:

  • Employment records — Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employment records documenting trade, department, and service period
  • DD-214 or orders — documenting Navy Supship or PCU assignment at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard or a submarine commissioned there
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including industrial hygienist investigation records at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, formal asbestos condition determinations, documented asbestos product shipping records to the Kittery yard, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s presence in the national asbestos mesothelioma litigation docket. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.