If you are a veteran who served in Maryland, or who was stationed at a Maryland base or shipyard, you may have been exposed to asbestos during your service. Maryland’s concentration of naval activity along the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River, from the Naval Academy at Annapolis to ordnance and aviation test centers, placed many personnel around shipboard, aircraft, and industrial environments where asbestos was historically used. Older base buildings from the asbestos era remain across the state. Veterans who served in Maryland, and family members who lived on Maryland installations, can still be affected by that exposure today.
Asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis often take 10 to 50 years to appear. A veteran who served in Maryland decades ago may receive a diagnosis only now. This page explains where Maryland veterans were exposed and the compensation options available. There is no cost to speak with us about your service history.
Maryland military installations with asbestos
Maryland is a Navy-heavy state anchored by the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River, with major Army and Air Force installations and the Coast Guard’s only shipyard. The installations below appear in public records as having used asbestos-containing materials during the asbestos era. A dedicated page for each, with its history and the trust funds most relevant to it, is published as the directory expands.
| Installation | Branch | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Naval Academy / NSA Annapolis | Navy | Active | On the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay; the Navy’s officer commissioning academy. |
| Naval Air Station Patuxent River | Navy | Active | Commissioned 1943; home of Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. |
| Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head | Navy | Active | Established 1890; the Navy’s oldest continuously operating ordnance facility. |
| Aberdeen Proving Ground | Army | Active | Established 1917 on the Chesapeake Bay; the Army’s oldest active proving ground. |
| Fort George G. Meade | Army | Active | Active since 1917; host to the National Security Agency. |
| Joint Base Andrews | Joint | Active | Air Force base (1943) merged with Naval Air Facility Washington in 2009. |
Maryland naval shipyards
Shipyards carried some of the heaviest asbestos exposure of any setting. Maryland shipyards documented as using asbestos materials include:
| Shipyard | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Coast Guard Yard, Curtis Bay (Baltimore) | Active | Founded 1899; the Coast Guard’s only shipbuilding and major repair facility. |
Inclusion reflects documented use of asbestos materials at an installation. It does not establish that any individual was exposed. Exposure depends on a veteran’s job, location, and years of service.
Where Maryland veterans were exposed
Maryland veterans encountered asbestos in many of the same places as veterans elsewhere. Common exposure sources included:
- Boiler rooms and engine rooms aboard ships and at steam and heating plants
- Pipe insulation, gaskets, and valve packing on steam systems
- Shipyard and depot repair and overhaul work
- Aircraft maintenance at naval and air stations
- Building materials such as floor tile, fireproofing, and cement panels in older structures
- Vehicle brakes, clutches, and gaskets in motor pools
For more on shipboard exposure, see asbestos on Navy ships. For exposure across the services, see the military bases directory and Navy veteran asbestos exposure.
Who was exposed
Veterans in several roles faced higher asbestos exposure in Maryland. These include machinist’s mates, boiler technicians, hull maintenance technicians, and enginemen who worked in ship engineering spaces; shipyard and depot workers; pipefitters and steamfitters; aircraft maintenance technicians; and construction and utility personnel who worked on base buildings. Family members who lived in base housing built during the asbestos era could also have had lower-level contact with aging materials.
Maryland factors that can affect a claim
Maryland has its own rules and resources that can matter for a veteran’s claim. A few points Maryland veterans often ask about:
- Filing deadlines. Maryland sets time limits for filing personal injury and wrongful death claims related to asbestos, and the timing can differ for a living claimant and for a family filing after a death. Because the rules are specific, it is worth confirming your situation early.
- VA medical care in Maryland. The VA operates medical centers across Maryland. A diagnosis and treatment record supports both VA and trust claims.
- State residence is not required. Many veterans were stationed in Maryland but live elsewhere now. A claim is based on service history and diagnosis, not current residence.
The U.S. Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, founded in 1899, is the only shipbuilding and major repair shipyard operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Maryland filing rules are summarized here for general information and are confirmed for your specific situation during a case review.
Health conditions linked to asbestos exposure
Inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen; lung cancer; asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs; and pleural plaques or thickening. These conditions commonly appear 10 to 50 years after first exposure, which is why veterans are still being diagnosed today.
Trust funds covering Maryland veteran exposure
Many companies that supplied asbestos products to military installations and shipyards later filed for bankruptcy and set up trust funds. These trusts are separate from the VA, and a veteran can often pursue both a VA claim and one or more trust claims. The right trusts depend on which manufacturers’ products a veteran was around.
Manufacturers with strong ties to military and shipyard exposure include Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering for boilers, Owens Corning Fibreboard for Kaylo pipe and block insulation, Pittsburgh Corning for Unibestos pipe insulation, and Johns-Manville for cement panels, wallboard, and sprayed fireproofing used in base buildings.
Each trust publishes scheduled values that change over time, along with the percentage it currently pays. We confirm current figures against each trust’s published documents before they appear in your case review. For the full list, see the asbestos trust funds directory.
Compensation options for Maryland veterans
A Maryland veteran diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness may have more than one option. VA disability compensation is available when exposure is linked to qualifying service, and active cancers such as mesothelioma usually receive a high disability rating. A surviving spouse or dependent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Asbestos trust claims can often proceed alongside a VA claim. See VA benefits for mesothelioma, how to file a VA claim, asbestos trust funds for veterans, and filing a VA claim and a trust claim together.
Get help with your claim
We help veterans and their families understand their compensation options. There is no cost to speak with us about your case.
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Frequently asked questions
Which Maryland bases had asbestos?
Installations across Maryland, including U.S. Naval Academy / NSA Annapolis, are documented as having used asbestos-containing materials during the asbestos era. The list above is being expanded with a dedicated page for each.
I served in Maryland decades ago. Can I still file a claim?
Yes. Asbestos diseases commonly appear 10 to 50 years after exposure, so a diagnosis long after service is common. Maryland does set filing deadlines once a diagnosis is made, so it helps to confirm timing early.
Do I have to live in Maryland to file based on Maryland service?
No. A claim is based on your service history and diagnosis, not your current state of residence.
Can I receive VA benefits and an asbestos trust payment?
In many cases, yes. Trust funds are paid by the manufacturers’ trusts, not the VA, so the two are usually separate paths. A case review can confirm which options apply.
What if my family member died from mesothelioma after serving in Maryland?
A surviving spouse or dependent may qualify for DIC and may be able to file trust claims. There is no cost to speak with us about whether these options apply.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard_Yard
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Station_Patuxent_River
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/asbestos/