Portsmouth Naval Shipyard — Kittery, Maine

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that workers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, York County, Maine, sustained occupational asbestos exposure during submarine construction and overhaul operations.

Facility Background

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, located on Seavey Island in the Piscataqua River between Kittery, Maine and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has operated since 1800 and is one of the oldest naval shipyards in the United States. The yard specialized in submarine construction and overhaul, building diesel-electric submarines during World War II and transitioning to nuclear submarine overhaul in the postwar era.

Plaintiffs alleged that submarine construction and overhaul operations at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard involved extensive asbestos insulation work in the confined spaces of submarine hulls, creating conditions for significant occupational asbestos exposure among workers in multiple trades.

Alleged Asbestos Pathways

Plaintiffs alleged in litigation that asbestos exposure occurred through multiple pathways:

  • Submarine machinery space insulation: Plaintiffs alleged that insulators and asbestos workers applied asbestos pipe covering, block, and blankets in engine rooms, reactor compartments, and machinery spaces of submarines under construction and overhaul, creating intense fiber concentrations in confined spaces.
  • Nuclear submarine steam systems: Plaintiffs alleged that the steam propulsion systems of nuclear submarines required extensive asbestos insulation on steam generators, turbines, condensers, and piping within machinery spaces.
  • Pipe fitting and gaskets: Plaintiffs alleged that pipefitters installing and maintaining the hundreds of systems within submarine hulls encountered asbestos gaskets, packing, and pipe covering throughout construction and overhaul.
  • Bystander exposure: Plaintiffs alleged that shipfitters, welders, electricians, machinists, and quality control inspectors working alongside insulators in confined submarine spaces received bystander asbestos exposure.

Maine has a six-year statute of limitations under 14 M.R.S. § 752, running from the date of mesothelioma diagnosis. Wrongful death claims carry a two-year limit under 18-C M.R.S.A. § 2-807.

Workers who were employed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and who have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos-related disease may have legal remedies available. Contact O’Brien Law Firm at (314) 237-3332 to discuss your work history and legal options at no cost.