PHILLYSHIP
Virginia is home to a handful of shipyards that are designed to build and repair large sea going vessels. The Phillyship yard was one such facility that was established within the large city of Portsmouth. Like the other maritime based yards within the state, this location contained a plethora of hazardous materials that were made with the toxic mineral, asbestos.
Asbestos was not widely known to be poisonous until the 1970's. Researchers discovered its toxic properties and began to notify manufacturing companies, but most of them chose to keep that information secret from the general public. They did not want to have to give up using the mineral, which was often referred to as a "miracle material", because it is strong, abundant, inexpensive to mine and it can withstand excessive temperatures and even help to control small fires. These qualities made it ideal as a base for hundreds of different products, especially insulation which helped regulate the heat produced by large equipment, such as the machinery that is used within Phillyship and any other shipyard.
The insulation and other goods that contained asbestos were durable and long lasting products, but small fibers from the mineral could easily break off these items and become airborne. These floating particles were commonly inhaled by workers at the Phillyship yard without them even realizing it. Most people who were exposed to asbestos were not aware they had taken in a hazardous material for many years, because the effects of the poison usually take a very long time to develop. Over a period of years or even decades the asbestos that had been taken internally could cause large amounts of tissue scarring, create painful breathing disorders and result in the onset of various types of cancer, such as the sometimes lethal mesothelioma.
Thousands of people who spent time at the Portsmouth based shipyard were subjected to exposure to asbestos. Many were made very ill because of it, and some lost their lives. Products containing asbestos were in use at most every shipyard in the United States. Anyone who worked at a site where goods containing the mineral were in use has been put at risk, and should notify their doctor about the possible danger immediately.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
