Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]Rushworth, Denis H., 'The Navy and Asbestos Thermal Insulation,' Naval Engineers Journal 117(2):35-48 (2005) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract, Naval Engineers Journal 117(2):35-48, Wiley; citation metadata verified via CrossRef
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed engineering-historical study documents that asbestos was used in U.S. Navy shipboard pipe and machinery thermal insulation and many other shipboard products, and that WWII-era and post-WWII Navy construction created the exposures underlying later litigation - the era and construction program under which this 1944-built Navy auxiliary was completed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- WWII/post-WWII era documented; article 2005
- Population
- U.S. Navy ship crews and shipyard workers, WWII and post-WWII (class context)
- Limitations
- Navy program/era-level scholarship on asbestos in shipboard insulation; does not name this hull and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard AF-31, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arequipa-af31-01
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[2]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the period and program under which this Maritime Commission-contracted hull was built at a private yard (Pennsylvania Shipyards, Beaumont) under wartime emergency construction.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arequipa-af31-02
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[3]U.S.S. Arequipa (AF-31), 'History of the U.S.S. Arequipa (AF-31),' ship's war history dated 1 November 1945, signed R.E. Deckwa, Lt. Comdr., USN (NavSource retyped scan, 7 pp.) [other_primary]
- Locator
- PDF pp. 1-6 (narrative + voyage table)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The ship's own war history, signed by commanding officer Lt. Comdr. R.E. Deckwa (1 November 1945): built for the U.S. Maritime Commission at Pennsylvania Shipyards, Beaumont; keel laid 1944-01-17; launched 1944-05-04; MC turned the vessel over to the Navy 1944-12-19; ferried Beaumont to Galveston 1944-12-20; finishing work at Todd's Shipyards, Galveston; placed in full commission 1945-01-15 by Commander C. Bell acting for the Commandant, Eighth Naval District, with Lt. R.E. Deckwa assuming command; complement then 9 officers + 70 men, later increased to 9 officers + 76 men. After Gulf shakedown (1945-01-20 to 01-25) and post-shakedown availability at Todd's, the ship departed Galveston 1945-01-31, loaded at Mobile, and departed the continental United States 1945-02-07 - the only departure from CONUS in her career to that point. Provisioning operations ran Manus (Admiralty Is.), Biak, Morotai, Mindoro, Subic Bay, Lingayen Gulf, San Pedro Bay (Leyte), Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga, Basilan, Puerto Princesa, Iloilo, Cebu, Batangas, Manila, and Brisbane; as of late October 1945 she had serviced 878 ships and 40 shore activities over 33,661 miles, underway ~50% of the time, with no cargo lost and no machinery derangements. Commander TG 72.2 rated her supply work in the Brunei Bay and Balikpapan operations 'of the highest order'; Transport Squadron 16 commander cited 'excellent cooperation'; officers and men entitled to the Philippine Liberation Ribbon.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-01-17 to 1945-11-01
- Population
- Ship's wartime crew (9 officers + 70-76 enlisted per this record)
- Limitations
- Primary record authored aboard the vessel; establishes construction, commissioning (stated as 1945-01-15 - one day later than DANFS's 14 January, see gaps), complement, and wartime operations. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material information whatsoever; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arequipa-af31-03
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[4]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Arequipa (AF-31),' NHHC (live URL returned 404 on 2026-09-20; text verified via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20230608062734) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry text and statistics line; NHHC photo caption NH 96629
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry: Arequipa (AF-31) was laid down 1944-01-17 under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2195) by Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., Beaumont, Tex.; launched 1944-05-04, sponsored by Mrs. L. Osius; transferred to the Navy 1944-12-19; towed to Todd Shipyards, Galveston for conversion; commissioned 1945-01-14, Lt. Ralph E. Deckwa in command. After Gulf shakedown and availability she departed Galveston 1945-01-31, loaded at Mobile, and departed the U.S. 1945-02-07 as part of Service Squadron 9, shuttling provisions through the Pacific - primarily Philippine Islands, Admiralty Islands, and Netherlands East Indies. By end of October 1945 she had serviced 905 ships and 41 shore activities over 35,000+ miles; drydocked at Manicani Island, Leyte Gulf, 1945-12-19. Postwar she carried provisions from San Francisco to Pacific Islands, Japan, and China, serving almost without interruption May 1946 - November 1954 except repair and overhaul. Pre-inactivation overhaul at Pearl Harbor November 1954 - June 1955, then San Diego and the Pacific Reserve Fleet; decommissioned 1955-08-25; struck from the Navy list 1961-09-01; sold December 1972 to Star-Kist Foods, Inc., Terminal Island, Calif., for non-transportation use. DANFS statistics line: dp. 7,435; l. 338'6"; b. 50'; dr. 21'1"; s. 11.5 k.; cpl. 98; a. 1 3"; cl. Adria; T. R1-M-AV3. Namesake: minor planet discovered 1912-12-07 by J.H. Metcalf, named for the Peruvian city hosting a Harvard Observatory station.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1972
- Population
- Ship's complement (cpl. 98 per DANFS statistics)
- Limitations
- Authoritative for identity and service chronology. Commissioning stated as 1945-01-14 while the ship's own war history says 1945-01-15 - unresolved, logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material information; supports no asbestos claim. Canonical NHHC URL currently 404s - citation is the Wayback capture.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arequipa-af31-04
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[5]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - AREQUIPA (AF-31), Ship History Detail 301, with digitized status cards (forms MA-383, MA-20, MA-199) and AREQUIPA.pdf status-card scan [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- Detail 301 milestone table; cards at /cards/301_569AF.jpg, /cards/301_AF.jpg, /cards/36072bc9-47ed-439b-a827-4bc2692e378f.png; document /documents/37ed0a46-4427-4c6e-ba1f-bd4af7241875.pdf
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory record (Detail 301) and digitized status cards document the disposal chain: Navy Dept. delivered the hull to Reserve Fleet custody at Suisun Bay 1960-12-01, 11:45 a.m. PST (MA-383 'Reserve Fleet - Ship Particulars'); MA Fleet Custody transferred permanently to the Maritime Administration 1962-09-01, 12:01 a.m. PDST (MA-199). The MA-20 'Record of Ship Sales' shows the hull advertised under sale PD-X-951 dated 1972-11-08, bids opened 1972-12-07, under two conditions (1) non-transportation use (NTU) and (2) scrap hull U.S.; awarded under condition (1) NTU to Star-Kist Foods, Inc. for $39,626.00, award card dated 1972-12-18, contract MA-6852. The MA-199 operating-history rows record delivery to Star-Kist Foods, Inc. for nontransportation use 1972-12-11 and physical delivery/withdrawal from Suisun Bay 1973-02-15, 9:45 a.m. PST. Cards also record: type 'Nordberg - Diesel' R1-M-AV3, category 'Mil. Store ship'; builder 'Penn. Shipyard,' year built 1944 (MA-20 states 1945); LOA 338'6", beam 50', light-load displacement 3,139 / full-load 7,435 tons, draft 21', gross 3,803 tons, DWT 4,704; complement 'Off. 10, Enl. 88'; builder's hull no. 318; vessel no. 0167074; delivered from shipyard to 'U.S.M.C. (Loaned to U.S. Navy)'; original basis to WSA-MA 'Navy Dept.,' agreement 'Permanent,' dated 1946-01-16; arrival draft 1960-12-01 fwd 7'06" aft 12'06"; 'Marad preservation - See Marad letter April 15, 1960 (FY 61), Navy reply April 22, 1960'; title entries 'Temp. Custody Navy' corrected to 'Reimbursable' and 'Marad Title Sept. 1, 1962.' Detail-page milestones: Entry 1960-12-01; Acquisition 1960-12-01 'TEMPORARY CUSTODY'; Acquisition 1962-09-01 'MARAD'; Disposition 1973-02-15; Withdrawal 1973-02-15; fate 'Sold -NTU.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Limitations
- Authoritative for government custody and disposal milestones. Minor internal date variance: MA-199 delivery-to-Star-Kist row reads 1972-12-11 while the MA-20 award card is dated 1972-12-18 (NavSource reads 'sold 11 December 1972'); physical withdrawal 1973-02-15 is consistent across records - sale is best stated as December 1972. Cards contain no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arequipa-af31-05
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[6]Naval History and Heritage Command, photo NH 96629 caption (reproduced on the DANFS Arequipa page and NavSource AF-31 page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NH 96629 caption on the NHHC/DANFS page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC photo caption (NH 96629): Arequipa (AF-31), under tow of the fleet tug USS Molala (ATF-106), reached San Francisco 1951-05-31 after her main engine failed some 850 miles from her destination; she had used two sails for emergency 'power' for several days before Molala arrived to assist.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1951-05
- Population
- Ship's crew (1951)
- Limitations
- Official caption documents the May 1951 diesel-engine casualty, improvised sail propulsion, and tow to San Francisco - a ship-specific operational event involving the Nordberg diesel plant. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim. Caption spells the name 'Arequippa' - variant logged in aliases.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arequipa-af31-06
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[7]NavSource Online, USS Arequipa (AF-31) service-ship page, awards/campaign box (volunteer archive mirroring official award tables), corroborated by U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual 1953, Part IV sec. 18 ship table (HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource awards box and Korean War campaign table; Awards Manual table at https://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/Awards/Awards-IV-17.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Awards and campaign record: one battle star for Korean War service - listed engagement 'UN Summer-Fall Offensive,' 22-23 July 1951; ribbon array includes China Service Medal (extended), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp), National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal (1), Philippines Liberation Medal, United Nations Service Medal, and Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive). The official 1953 Navy Awards Manual table (Part IV, sec. 18) independently corroborates her Occupation Service (Asia clasp) periods (27-28 Nov 47; 5-6 Feb 48; 17-24 Mar 49) and China Service (extended) periods (14 Dec 48 - 16 Mar 49; 27 Mar - 12 Apr 49; 1-10 Dec 47; 18 Jan - 3 Feb 48; 27 Apr - 3 May 50; 29 May - 8 Jun 50; 20-24 Oct 51; 12-16 Nov 51; 10-14 Dec 51) plus dual-eligibility entries (19 Jun - 3 Aug 46; 6 Nov - 10 Dec 46; 12 Feb - 17 Mar 47).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1946-1953
- Population
- Ship's crew (1946-1951)
- Limitations
- Occupation/China service periods verified against the official 1953 Awards Manual ship table (which carries one China Service row, 27 Apr - 3 May 50, that NavSource's transcription omits, and reads '12 Feb - 17 Mar 47' where NavSource reads '13 February to 17 March 1947' - boundary-day transcription variance). The Korean War engagement dates ('UN Summer-Fall Offensive,' 22-23 Jul 1951) rest on NavSource's transcription of official engagement-credit tables - not located in the official sources consulted (the 1953 manual contains no ship-level Korean engagement list); engagement dates therefore classified partial. The engagement window falls inside the official UN Summer-Fall Offensive period (9 Jul - 27 Nov 1951). No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arequipa-af31-07
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[8]CourtListener API v4 opinion search: "Arequipa" (12 hits, all name collisions) and "AF-31" (2 hits, exhibit-number collisions) [court_record]
- Locator
- Search-result sets reviewed hit-by-hit via highlighted snippets
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener full-text opinion search returned no qualifying case naming this hull: 12 'Arequipa' hits are all name collisions - Peruvian geography/institutions (Arequipa, Peru in asylum opinions Gutierrez-Olivares v. Mukasey, Torres-Tejada v. Ashcroft, De Brenner v. Ashcroft; Arequipa Compania Naviera S.A., a party shipping company, in Schilling v. D/S Dannebrog, 320 F.2d 628 (2d Cir. 1963); Arequipa Foundation in Grassetti v. Weinberger; Arequipa Park, Charlotte, N.C., in Benham v. City of Charlotte; addresses/events in Arequipa, Peru in Dustin v. Beckstrand, Fidelity & Casualty v. Industrial Accident Commission, In re North Atlantic and Gulf Steamship Co.) - and 2 'AF-31' hits are exhibit-numbering collisions ('AF 31' as exhibit references in FTC v. Surescripts and New England Petroleum v. O.T. Sonja). No docketed opinion names USS Arequipa (AF-31), and no asbestos case was located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of an indexed opinion naming the hull does not prove no claim was ever brought - CourtListener coverage is not exhaustive (older state-court and unreported matters are underrepresented), and Navy-era asbestos claims typically ran against manufacturers, the government, or yards rather than hull names. Classifies every located hit so a future pass does not re-attach collisions.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arequipa-af31-08
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[9]Batch-529 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS (via Wayback), ship's war history PDF, MARAD ShipHistory 301 + status cards, NVR, CourtListener, targeted asbestos web search, official 1953 Awards Manual [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-arequipa-af31-01 through sl-uss-arequipa-af31-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming the Arequipa (AF-31) hull was found in the public sources searched - the DANFS entry, the ship's own 1945 war history, and the MARAD status cards contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944-built WWII auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the hull was disposed (sunk/sold NTU 1972-73) before modern survey regimes. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arequipa-af31-09
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[10]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel - deck logs), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 38 (CNO) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Record-group guide entries; NARA catalog API not reachable this session (see search_ledger sl-12)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival lead (not retrieved - requires research-room work or reproduction order; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel) holds WWII-and-later deck logs - AF-31's 1945-1955 logs would carry machinery-casualty, availability, and overhaul entries relevant to insulation disturbance; Bureau of Ships contract and conversion records for MC hull 2195 (Pennsylvania Shipyards build; Todd Galveston conversion) sit with Navy bureau records (RG 19) and U.S. Maritime Commission records (RG 178), which may include outfitting/insulation specifications; her WWII-era war diaries and action reports are in RG 38 (Office of the Chief of Naval Operations).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1973 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MC hull 2195 / AF-31 is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arequipa-af31-10