Asbestos Exposure Staten Island
At one time, all of New York’s five boroughs were quite industrial and Staten Island was no exception. Many of the people who lived there, and those who traveled from other parts of the city, toiled in factories, power plants, shipyards, and other industries located in Staten Island. The least populated of all the boroughs, Staten Island didn’t grow residentially until after the Verrazano- Narrows Bridge was built in 1964, making it ideal for industry prior to that time.
Arthur Kill Powerhouse
The Arthur Kill Powerhouse in Staten Island was among the largest of all the Consolidated Edison-owned powerhouses. It was sold in 1999, but before that, the plant was responsible – along with the Astoria Powerhouse in Queens – for supplying power, steam, and natural gas to the millions who live in the Greater New York Metropolitan area.
In powerhouses like Arthur Kill, pipes, heaters, pumps, generators, turbines, and boilers were all lined with asbestos or asbestos-containing products and employees were constantly exposed to the material. In addition, workers here often wore protective clothing made of asbestos, including gloves, aprons, pants, and even masks, increasing their exposure even more. The result has been numerous power plant workers diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.
Bethlehem Shipbuilding
Staten Island was also home to a Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation. Opened in 1930, the yard was staffed by Bethlehem Steel workers who were moved to Staten Island with the express purpose of building ships.
This location was quite a prolific shipyard. During World War II, it operated 24 hours a day, employed tens of thousands of workers, and produced a number of war ships of different varieties, including the USS Beale, a naval Fletcher Class destroyer, and the first Merrell Class ferry.
Asbestos was used throughout most ships, especially during the World War II era. Not only did it line pipes, boilers, generators, and other machinery and equipment, but it could also be found in sleeping quarters, galleys, and mess halls. Therefore, almost anyone who worked as a shipbuilder at Bethlehem Shipbuilding in Staten Island, as well as those who sailed on those ships, may have been at heightened risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.