San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard (Mare Island and Hunter’s Point) Long Beach was one of the subjects of an October 1979 Government Accountability Office report that stated, “Dust samples taken by the industrial hygienist aboard two ships contained asbestos dust, indicating that required cleanup had not been done properly.” Given the large amount of asbestos used in naval ships during the shipyard’s operational period, many individuals were exposed while working on the vessels docked there. Having opened in 1940, the Long Beach Naval Shipyard on Terminal Island, near Los Angeles, remained in operation for 57 years. Long Beach Naval Shipyard (Terminal Island) Navy, and it is still in operation today. The naval base eventually grew to become one of the largest bases operated by the U.S. Given the large size of the military vessels cared for at the facility, in addition to the many aircraft housed on them, workers at the naval shipyard in San Diego were exposed to asbestos for decades. Navy during World War I, eventually going on to become the main port for aircraft carriers in the Pacific Fleet. Initially established in 1910, this shipyard came under the control of the U.S. Naval Base San Diego (North Island Shipyard) Due to the high number of ships built and repaired at the facility, many workers over the years were exposed to asbestos. Between the two World Wars, the yard became a major warship construction site on the West Coast, eventually shifting to ship repair after World War II. One of the oldest shipyards in the state, the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard was founded in 1849 as the Union Brass and Iron Works. Most of these California shipyards are situated near the populated areas of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego. Public, private, and military shipyards have populated the long shores of California since it first became a state. Superfund Sites California Shipyards and Superfund Sites In addition, asbestos has been found in other California mines for natural resources like coal, talc, and even precious metals such as gold and copper.Ġ3. Hoff Mine and the Atlas Asbestos Company, were in operation for decades. A large number of these, like the John D. More than 240 asbestos deposits have been identified in California, including some of the largest known asbestos sites in the world. Power plants like the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station have traditionally used blue crocidolite asbestos to insulate from heat and electricity created by the power generation process. Given the size of the state, California has a large number of power plants, most fueled by gas – but there are also several coal, hydroelectric, and nuclear plants, as well as power generation facilities with newer technologies such as wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. Many of these oil industry jobsites have been in operation since the 1950s or earlier, with asbestos used heavily throughout the oil drilling and delivery process. Oil Industry:Īccording to California Energy Commission, there are 30 offshore oil platforms, 21 oil refineries, and nearly 50 refined oil product terminals within the state, though some of these may longer be operational. One of these is the Naval Base San Diego, which is the primary port for the entire Pacific Fleet of the U.S. Shipyards:Īs the state with the third longest coastline in the country, California has 20 major shipyards, where asbestos was used as insulation in ship construction and repair. In addition to all of the naturally occurring asbestos in California, the deadly material has been used in jobsites all over the state. Asbestos in Workplaces Asbestos Use in California Work Environments
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |