If you are a veteran who served in Washington, or who was stationed at a Washington base or shipyard, you may have been exposed to asbestos during your service. Washington has been a center of U.S. naval shipbuilding and ship repair on Puget Sound since the late 19th century. Asbestos was used extensively for insulation, fireproofing, and gaskets aboard the ships and in the facilities maintained there through the 1970s. Veterans who served in Washington, and family members who lived on Washington 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 Washington decades ago may receive a diagnosis only now. This page explains where Washington veterans were exposed and the compensation options available. There is no cost to speak with us about your service history.
Washington military installations with asbestos
Washington’s military-asbestos profile is dominated by the Navy, driven by the major naval shipyards and bases on Puget Sound, with secondary Army and Air Force exposure at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Fairchild Air Force Base. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naval Base Kitsap (Bremerton / Bangor) | Navy | Active | Among the largest U.S. Navy installations; supports surface ships and ballistic-missile submarines. |
| Naval Air Station Whidbey Island | Navy | Active | Commissioned 1942 near Oak Harbor; long-standing naval aviation hub on Puget Sound. |
| Naval Station Everett | Navy | Active | Established 1994 north of Seattle; surface-ship homeport. |
| Joint Base Lewis-McChord | Joint | Active | Fort Lewis (Army, 1917) and McChord Field (Air Force, 1947), merged 2010. |
| Fairchild Air Force Base | Air Force | Active | Opened near Spokane in 1942 as an Army air depot; later a Strategic Air Command base. |
| Naval Station Puget Sound (Sand Point), Seattle | Navy | Closed | Former naval air station and support facility; closed 1995. |
Washington naval shipyards
Shipyards carried some of the heaviest asbestos exposure of any setting. Washington shipyards documented as using asbestos materials include:
| Shipyard | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (Bremerton) | Active | Established 1891; the Pacific Northwest’s largest naval shore facility and a major WWII ship-repair yard. Now part of Naval Base Kitsap. |
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 Washington veterans were exposed
Washington 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 Washington. 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.
Washington factors that can affect a claim
Washington has its own rules and resources that can matter for a veteran’s claim. A few points Washington veterans often ask about:
- Filing deadlines. Washington 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 Washington. The VA operates medical centers across Washington. A diagnosis and treatment record supports both VA and trust claims.
- State residence is not required. Many veterans were stationed in Washington but live elsewhere now. A claim is based on service history and diagnosis, not current residence.
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton has operated continuously since 1891 and is the largest public shipyard in the United States by personnel, one of the most significant historical settings for shipyard asbestos exposure in the Pacific Northwest. Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington veterans
A Washington 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 Washington bases had asbestos?
Installations across Washington, including Naval Base Kitsap (Bremerton / Bangor), 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 Washington 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. Washington does set filing deadlines once a diagnosis is made, so it helps to confirm timing early.
Do I have to live in Washington to file based on Washington 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 Washington?
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/Puget_Sound_Naval_Shipyard
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Base_Kitsap
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/asbestos/