Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Exposure

What to Know About Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Exposure

New York’s Brooklyn Navy Yard served as one of the military’s leading shipyards for 165 years, from 1801 until its closure in 1966. Hundreds of ships were built for conflicts ranging from the War of 1812, the Civil War, and World War II.

However, virtually every ship built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard from the 1930s on contained a toxic substance known as asbestos. Asbestos was helpful in fireproofing and insulating these ships. Shipyard workers didn’t know that exposure could lead to serious illnesses like mesothelioma later in life.

At its peak during World War II, the Yard employed as many as 70,000 workers, many of whom were exposed to asbestos on a daily basis during this time.

Brooklyn Navy Yard and Mesothelioma Quick Facts

Also known as: New York Naval Shipyard
Ships serviced: Battleships, aircraft carriers, tank landing ships, amphibious transport docks
Health risks: Mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related diseases
Time period of asbestos use: 1930s to 1966
Who is at risk: Navy veterans, shipyard workers, civilians, and loved ones

If you or someone you love worked at Brooklyn Navy Yard decades ago and was diagnosed with mesothelioma, help is available. The Mesothelioma Veterans Center can work to connect you with military benefits, treatment options, and financial compensation.

Get a Free Veterans Packet now to explore how we can assist you and your loved ones.

How Did I Experience Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Exposure?

If you or someone you love worked at Brooklyn Navy Yard, you may have been exposed to asbestos from a wide range of products. The U.S. Navy mandated the use of asbestos aboard all of its ships for decades to help keep them fireproof, insulated, and durable.

Shipyard workers risked exposure to asbestos from:

Boilers
Electrical systems
Engines
Gaskets
Insulation
Steam pipes
Valves

Shipyard workers like you may have known that these products contained asbestos. However, you likely didn't know asbestos was dangerous. The manufacturers of asbestos products hid the health risks to make huge profits — and put you and millions of other people at risk just to make money.

List of Ships Built or Repaired at Brooklyn Navy Yard

Brooklyn Navy Yard was responsible for building over 160 ships and repairing hundreds more, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command. However, from World War II onward, virtually all U.S. Navy ships built or serviced at the yard relied on asbestos.

Examples of ships built or repaired at Brooklyn Navy Yard include:

Aircraft carriers: The USS Constellation (CV-64), USS Franklin (CV-13), USS Hornet (CV-12), USS Saratoga (CV-60), USS Independence (CVA-62), and many more were serviced by Brooklyn Navy Yard workers.
Amphibious transport docks: These included the USS Raleigh (LPD-1), USS Vancouver (LPD-2), and USS Duluth (LPD-6).
Battleships: The USS Arizona (BB-39), USS Missouri (BB-63), USS New York (BB-34), USS New Mexico (BB-40), and USS Tennessee (BB-20) were just a few vessels that contained asbestos.
Coast Guard cutters: The USCGC Alexander Hamilton (WPG-34) and USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) were two of many cutters constructed and repaired at this shipyard.
Destroyers: The USS Dale (DD-353), USS Hull (DD-350), and many more were built or serviced at Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Because so many ships relied on asbestos-containing materials, you were at a very high risk of exposure while working at Brooklyn Navy Shipyard. As a result, you could be in danger of asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma today.

Call (877) 450-8973 for help accessing benefits, treatments, and more if you were diagnosed with mesothelioma and worked at Brooklyn Navy Shipyard decades ago.

Jobs at Risk of Asbestos Exposure at Brooklyn Navy Shipyard

Anyone involved with building, handling, or repairing ship components could have been exposed to asbestos at the yard between the 1930s and 1966, when it closed. Around 70,000 people worked at Brooklyn Navy Yard at the height of ship production during World War II alone, and all of these shipyard workers risked exposure.

Brooklyn Navy Shipyard roles in danger of asbestos exposure included:

Boiler tenders
Crane operators
Electricians
Engine room workers
Insulators
Pipefitters
Sheet metal workers
Welders

The risks of asbestos weren’t fully understood by the public until the early 1980s, over a decade after Brooklyn Navy Shipyard stopped production. As a result, the tens of thousands of people who worked there had been exposed without being able to protect themselves and could go on to develop mesothelioma 10-50 years later.

Families of those who worked at Brooklyn Navy Yard were also risk of secondhand asbestos exposure. This occurred when workers returned home with fibers on their clothing, hair, and skin, exposing loved ones.

Benefits and Compensation for Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Victims

If you or someone you love developed mesothelioma after working in shipbuilding decades ago, you may qualify for compensation to cover medical expenses and other costs. You can receive mesothelioma compensation through VA benefits, lawsuits, and asbestos trust fund claims.

VA Benefits for Mesothelioma

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a wide range of benefits to veterans suffering from mesothelioma. Affected veterans typically receive a 100% disability rating, meaning they get the highest payouts.

Mesothelioma VA benefits include:

Disability payouts worth $4,158.17 a month for 2026
Free or low-cost VA health care for mesothelioma
Other resources, including survivor benefits and more

Get help accessing all the mesothelioma VA benefits that you or a loved one may deserve with our team’s help.

Brooklyn Navy Shipyard Asbestos Lawsuits

You or someone you love may qualify to file a mesothelioma lawsuit and pursue compensation from manufacturers who sold asbestos products to Brooklyn Navy Yard. These lawsuits award $1 million or more on average and don’t involve suing the military or government.

In one notable case, a former Brooklyn Navy Shipyard electrician with mesothelioma was awarded over $2 million in a trial verdict. The jury found that the electrician’s cancer was directly caused by his exposure to asbestos at the yard in the 1950s.

Our legal partners have also recovered millions of dollars for veterans and civilians in New York diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Notable New York mesothelioma payouts include:

$7.7 million for a U.S. Army veteran
$1.7 million for a U.S. Navy veteran and factory worker
$2.5 million for a U.S. Navy veteran

Get a free case review now to learn if you can file an asbestos lawsuit with our team’s help. If eligible, our mesothelioma attorneys handle all of the legal legwork for you, making it much easier.

Asbestos Trust Funds

Outside of lawsuits, you may be able to get more money by filing asbestos trust fund claims. Over $30 billion has been set aside in asbestos trust funds for those who have developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.

Our legal partners can determine if you qualify for these trusts, and file claims on your behalf to pursue the highest payouts available in your case. You may start to get the first payouts within 90 days.

Find Legal Help for Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Exposure

You didn't deserve to develop mesothelioma from simply doing your job. Yet many of those who worked at Brooklyn Navy Yard are now facing this cancer or other serious illnesses today.

A mesothelioma diagnosis is overwhelming, but we’re ready to walk with you through it and provide the help you deserve.

The Mesothelioma Veterans Center can connect you with:

Benefits offered by the VA
The best doctors and treatments near you
Other compensation options and support resources

Call (877) 450-8973 now or get a Free Veterans Packet to explore how we can assist you or someone you love facing mesothelioma.

Brooklyn Navy Yard & Asbestos Exposure FAQs

Is Navy Yard safe in Brooklyn?

Brooklyn Naval Yard was once unsafe for shipyard workers, Navy veterans, and their family members due to asbestos. Asbestos-containing materials were used throughout the shipyard from the 1930s to 1966, when the yard closed.

It’s believed that tens of thousands of shipyard workers risked exposure to asbestos during this time, which can cause mesothelioma later in life.

Are Navy veterans exposed to asbestos?

Yes, U.S. Navy veterans were exposed to asbestos on ships and in shipyards. For example, a wide range of Navy ships built or repaired at Brooklyn Navy Yard contained asbestos, such as battleships, destroyers, Coast Guard cutters, and more.

Navy service members who served aboard these ships or helped to construct or service them risked exposure, which could cause them to develop mesothelioma 10-50 years later.

What happened to Brooklyn Navy Yard?

Brooklyn Naval Yard closed in 1966 and has since been repurposed into a mixed-use civilian space with dozens of businesses. Tens of thousands of people worked at this shipyard before it was shut down by the military, and most are now retired.

However, these older shipyard workers should be aware that they may be at risk of mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer. This is because Brooklyn Navy Yard relied on asbestos-containing materials for decades, and exposure could cause mesothelioma decades after the fact.

When did the Navy stop using asbestos?

The U.S. Navy stopped using asbestos in the early 1980s after the risks became public knowledge. Prior to this time, manufacturers of asbestos-containing products concealed the dangers to make money.

Navy service members and shipyard workers were among those at the highest risk of exposure, since all Navy ships were required to use asbestos components before the dangers were fully known.

Tens of thousands working at Brooklyn Navy Yard were among those exposed on an everyday basis, so many older veterans and shipyard workers who served there have gone on to develop mesothelioma years later.