Pascagoula Naval Station – Mississippi
In 1988, Pascagoula Naval Station was established as a U.S. Navy base. The Pascagoula Naval Station, which is located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, operated as a full service naval facility with access to the Gulf of Mexico. In 1992, the Pascagoula Naval Station became a homeport for Perry-class guided missile frigates. In addition, the Pascagoula Naval Station provided support to its home ported ships, station personnel, and helped pre-commission crews of U.S. Navy vessels constructed at Ingalls Shipbuilding.
The Pascagoula Naval Station sat on 187 acres on Singing River Island in the Mississippi Sound and included an impressive 680 foot, 2-level pier. The Pascagoula Naval Station site provided a number of services to its employees and their families, including housing, the Navy Fleet and Family Support Center, and the Moral Welfare and Recreation Department. In 2006, after operating for just 14 years, the Pascagoula Naval Station closed. When it closed, the Pascagoula Naval Station employed around 2,000 active military personnel and 200 civilians.
Asbestos & the Pascagoula Naval Station
Many former Pascagoula Naval Station employees have been exposed to asbestos. Although the Pascagoula Naval Station was established after the dangers of asbestos exposure were discovered, shipyard workers at the Pascagoula Naval Station may have been exposed to asbestos when working on older U.S. Navy ships built with asbestos containing materials. Prior to the 1980s, asbestos was used regularly in Pascagoula Naval Station shipyard operations as a safety measure against fire and extreme temperatures. Consequently, Pascagoula Naval Station employees could have worked around asbestos containing materials without taking precautions to prevent exposure.
People who have worked at the Pascagoula Naval Station are at a great risk for developing serious health complications from asbestos exposure. When asbestos materials are manipulated, a fibrous dust can be released into the air. When this dust is inhaled or ingested, it lodges in the body and can cause serious diseases, such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. Some of these diseases can take years to become symptomatic.
In addition, Pascagoula Naval Station workers may have brought asbestos dust home to their families. Asbestos dust can adhere to hair, clothing, and shoes. As a result, the spouses and children of Pascagoula Naval Station workers may have been indirectly exposed to asbestos.
Years later, the health complications caused by asbestos exposure are being diagnosed in Pascagoula Naval Station workers and their family members. Lawsuits brought by workers who were injured by asbestos have been successfully litigated around the country, awarding asbestos victims with compensation for their injuries.
Asbestos Injuries at the Pascagoula Naval Station – Mississippi
If you or a loved one were exposed to asbestos at the Pascagoula Naval Station, contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about your legal rights.