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Naval Weapons Station Concord

The Naval Weapons Station in Concord, California was built in 1942 and played a big roll in the efforts of World War II. These facilities are largely used to test weapons that are used by the vessels that make up the American naval fleet.

Concord's Weapons Station is made up of two distinct parts. They are known as the Inland and Tidal areas, and together they cover more than 12,000 acres. The facility's primary function was to load ammunition on to large ships, and this site was known to dispense up to 4,500 tons on a daily basis. Although the station was established in the early 1940's, the Concord facility was originally built in the 1800's, making it one of the oldest naval bases on the West Coast.

As with so many other shipyard facilities, the station in Concord had a variety of items on the premises that were made out of asbestos. This naturally occurring mineral was used as a base for hundreds of products for decades, and it was especially common in the insulating materials that were utilized by every naval plant. Asbestos is strong, durable and fire resistant, which made it an ideal ingredient for insulation and other goods. It was discovered in the United States during the late 1800's, and was considered to be one of the most useful resources of the Industrial Revolution. However things would eventually change drastically when the material was proven to be toxic.

Exposure to asbestos can be deadly. People who work with products that contain the mineral can easily inhale small bits of it, and develop breathing disorders, asbestosis, mesothelioma and other cancerous diseases. These conditions are difficult to treat, and often prove to be fatal. Employees of the Concord Naval Weapons Station were subjected to massive amounts of the hazardous material, and many were made ill as a result.

A better understanding about the dangers of asbestos began to develop in the 1970's, and over time its use became regulated and many of the existing products that contained were destroyed. These products were removed from the Concord site, but sometimes areas that had asbestos on them for years became contaminated. An environmental study done in 1983 proved that the Concord site still had asbestos remnants, especially in the surface water.

Last modified: December 09 2009.