Long Beach Naval Shipyard

The Long Beach Naval Shipyard (LBNS) was established just prior to World War II, when it was recognized that a major anchorage and operations area was needed in Southern California.  The location was chosen due to its protected basin on the Port of Long Beach and the fact that it was just miles from the open sea. 

During the shipyard’s early years during the Second World War, it was responsible for routine and battle damage repairs of a number of different kinds of ships including tankers, destroyers, and cruisers.  LBNS employees were capable of performing tasks related to structural, sheet metal, boiler, rigging, electronics, electrical, insulating, ordnance, sandblasting, welding, machining, woodworking, painting, pipe fitting, and other work necessary for the overhaul and repair of the ships that made their way to Long Beach. By the end of the war, 16,000 civilian employees worked to accomplish all these tasks.

Closing after the war, the shipyard was reactivated during the Korean Conflict and, until its final closure in 1997, it remained responsible for the repair and overhaul of the Navy’s non-nuclear surface ships. 

During such repair and overhaul procedures, both civilian and military employees often worked amidst a continuous cloud of white dust, caused by damaged asbestos materials that were removed from ships without regard for the health of shipyard employees.  Asbestos could be found in pipe insulation, gaskets, boilers, floor covering, cement, and many other materials used in the shipbuilding process.

If you worked at Long Beach Naval Shipyard and have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, it’s important to take time to learn more about the disease and your legal rights as a cancer sufferer.  Our free Mesothelioma Information Kit can help.