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Alabama Drydock

The Alabama Drydock was started in Mobile, AL in 1917. Originally the facility was primarily designated for the repair of large ships, and many vessels that were damaged during World War I were brought to this site for work. Over the years new ships were also built at this location, especially during World War II when the Maritime Commission asked ship builders to create as many vessels as possible. This demand was brought on largely due to the invention of the German U-Boat, which was a dangerous submarine that sunk and damaged thousands of ships from the United States naval fleet.

Production at the Alabama Dry Dock did not come close to meeting expectations. Although more than 18,000 workers were employed to help with the ship building efforts, the facility only managed to finish 20 vessels. An investigation was launched into why so few ships were being finished, and a lack of proper management was found to be to blame. For a while it seemed as though the Alabama shipyard would be shut down, but it was put back to full time use as a repair yard.

While ships were being built or repaired at the Alabama Dry Dock, the people doing these difficult and often dangerous jobs faced a then unknown threat. They worked with and around a variety of products that were made out of the naturally occurring mineral, asbestos. Back then people were not aware that this mineral is toxic, and exposure to it could lead to respiratory disorders, diseases and the cancer known as Mesothelioma. Many of the people who worked at this facility were subjected to breathing in microscopic particles of the hazardous substance, where it would then cling to their respiratory systems and start to damage the healthy tissue. People who spent a large amount of time at the facility often fell very ill, and many developed fatal health conditions after long term exposure.

It wasn't until the 1970's that most people were made aware of the dangers presented by asbestos. By then millions of Americans had been harmed by this poisonous material. Over the years thousands of people were employed at the Alabama Dry Dock, and that was just one of many facilities found all over the country which used good made from asbestos.

Eventually all of the asbestos based products were removed from the Mobile plant. It remained open as a repair yard, and was purchased by Atlantic Marine Holdings in 1989. The facility remains open and productive today.

Last modified: December 09 2009.