Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]DANFS, 'Assurance (MSO-521)' - official NHHC entry text, verbatim transcription via the hazegray DANFS mirror, retrieved through Wayback Machine capture 20220910054735; live history.navy.mil DANFS pages (assurance.html, assurance-i.html, content/history/nhhc/... legacy paths) all return 404 (standing NHHC link rot, same as BATCH-01/1298/1399); live hazegray.org fetch failed this session [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Wayback capture 20220910054735 of hazegray.org/danfs/mine/mso521.htm - full 'Assurance' entry, specifications block + service narrative (postwar MSO hulls file under mso*, not am*)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official DANFS record for this hull: Ability-class ocean minesweeper (spec block: dp. 960; l. 190'; b. 36'; dr. 12'; s. 15 k.; cpl. 83; a. 1 40mm.; cl. Ability). 'The first Assurance (MSO-521) was laid down on 28 January 1957 at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., by Peterson Builders, Inc.; launched on 31 August 1957, sponsored by Mrs. Vernon W. Thomson; and commissioned at Boston, Mass., on 21 November 1958, Lt Comdr. Frank L. Crump, Jr., in command.' Service per DANFS: 'new, nonmagnetic ocean minesweeper' assigned to Mine Force, Atlantic Fleet, MinDiv 45, homeport Charleston, S.C.; on 1 July 1959 transferred to MinDiv 81 with homeport change to Panama City, Fla., as a test platform for the Mine Defense Laboratory; Mediterranean cruise Feb-Aug 1962 (Sicily, Greece, Crete, Italy, Spain, France); Caribbean deployment late 1963 with amphibious exercises off Vieques, P.R.; May-June 1964 drydock repairs at Charleston; Oct 1964 Mediterranean tour with MinDiv 81 incl. Operation 'Steel Pike II,' Malaga, Naples, TF-61 ops at Aranci Bay Sardinia, Toulon, Santa Manza Corsica, San Remo; NATO exercises Jan-Feb 1965; overhaul at Charleston Naval Shipyard from July 1965; Port Arthur, Tex. Oct 1965; tender availability alongside Pandemus (ARL-18) early 1966; Mediterranean Jun-Sep 1966 (Valencia, La Spezia, Italian Navy exercise, 'Phiblex 1-66' off Porto Scudo Sardinia 8 Aug, special surveillance off Tunisia, Valletta, Piraeus, Naples, Rota); Charleston interim overhaul Jan-Mar 1967 and overhaul Jul-Dec 1967 (ended 15 Dec); restricted availability Pensacola Oct 1968; Mediterranean Jan-May 1969 (Bermuda, Azores, Gibraltar, Valletta, Athens, Nafplion amphibious exercise, surveillance south of Crete, La Spezia, NATO amphibious ops, Rota); overhaul at Charleston 13 Nov 1969 - early Apr 1970; inactivation prep at Charleston reversed after 10 weeks, homeport changed Panama City to Charleston mid-Dec 1970; reactivation 1971 (MinDiv 21, MinFlot 2, 1 Apr); major engine casualty 26 Apr 1971, three months repairs; MINEX 1-71 Oct 1971; interim drydocking Mayport; 1972 services to Fleet Mine Warfare Training Center Charleston and Apollo XVII launch support off Cape Kennedy; redesignated AG-521 on 1 March 1973, overhaul by Atlantic Drydock Corp. at Fort George Island, Fla. (minesweeping gear removed), restricted availability Charleston, refresher training Norfolk, tests off Port Everglades Nov 1973; Bahamas Jan 1974; restricted availability Charleston 25 Feb-5 May 1974; 6th Fleet Mediterranean Jul-Dec 1974 (Rota, Palma, Naples, Brindisi, Barcelona); Caribbean Jan-May 1975; overhaul at Detyen's Shipyard, Wando, S.C. 16 Jun-11 Nov 1975; Guantanamo refresher Dec 1975; Jacksonville-area ops Mar 1976; special operations western Atlantic Apr-Jun 1976; Halifax visit; Virginia Capes ops + engine repairs Little Creek Jul 1976; drydock Mayport 10 Jan-7 Mar 1977; Operation 'Cleansweep' Mar 1977; Caribbean/western Atlantic special ops Apr-Jun 1977; decommissioned at Charleston 30 September 1977 and stricken from the Navy list simultaneously; 'In December of 1979, the former minesweeper was sold to the Ampol Corp. for scrapping.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1957-1979
- Population
- Peterson Builders construction trades (Sturgeon Bay, 1957-58); commissioned-era crew (design complement 83) 1958-1977; overhaul yard workforces (Charleston NSY 1965, 1967, 1969-70; Atlantic Drydock Corp. 1973; Detyen's Shipyard 1975; Mayport drydock 1977)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents identity, builder, dates, designations, and the complete service narrative - not materials or asbestos content. Disposal tail conflicts with NavSource/NavalCoverMuseum ('December 1979 ... Ampol Corp.' vs 'sold 1 July 1978 ... Ampel Wrecking and Dismantling Corp.') - flagged in correction row ev-09. Spec block prints dp. 960 vs the 934 tons in NavSource/Wikipedia/Colton - flagged in ev-09. Live NHHC URL not located; the verbatim hazegray transcription via Wayback is the cited access path.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-01
-
[2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Assurance (AG 521) ex-MSO-521, file 11/02521 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/02521 - chronology block, specifications block, propulsion line, photo-caption credits (incl. NARA UA 50.01.01), CO roster
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource per-hull record: 'Ability Class Minesweeper: Laid down 28 January 1957 by Peterson Builders, Inc., Sturgeon Bay, WI; Launched 31 August 1957; Commissioned USS Assurance (MSO-521), 21 November 1958 at Boston Naval Shipyard, Charlestown, MA; Reclassified as a Miscellaneous Auxiliary, AG-521, 1 March 1973; Decommissioned 30 September 1977 and struck from the Navy Register; Sold for scrap 1 July 1978 by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service to Ampel Wrecking and Dismantling Corp.' Call sign November-Romeo-Alpha-Echo. Spec block: 934 t.; 190' length; 36' beam; 12' draft; 15 kts.; complement 83; armament 'Two .50 cal. machine guns'; propulsion 'Two 1,400hp General Motors 8V498 diesel engines, two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers.' Photo captions credit a National Archives image UA 50.01.01 and describe the ship c.1973 as AG-521 'a Sonar Research Ship.' Commanding-officer roster opens with LCDR Frank Lyons Crump, Jr. (21 Nov 1958 - 29 Jul 1960).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1957-1978
- Population
- Peterson Builders construction trades (1957-58); commissioned-era crew (complement 83); Boston Naval Shipyard commissioning workforce
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; consistent with DANFS on all construction dates and designations. Its '1 July 1978 ... Ampel Wrecking and Dismantling Corp.' disposal line conflicts with DANFS's 'December 1979 ... Ampol Corp.' - flagged in ev-09. Spec block omits the 40mm mount DANFS lists (armament variant flagged in ev-09). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-02
-
[3]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), 'Peterson Builders' yard table - Assurance (MSO 521) row; also mirrored at shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/large/peterson.htm [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory Peterson Builders yard table, MSO-519/520/521 rows
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard-table row for this hull: 'MSO-521 | Assurance | US Navy | Ocean Minesweeper | 934d | 192 | 21 Nov 1958 | scrapped 1978' - the delivery date matching the 21 November 1958 commissioning exactly. The same table lists the Ability-class sisters as consecutive Peterson builds: MSO-519 Ability (4 Aug 1958, scrapped 1972), MSO-520 Alacrity (1 Oct 1958, scrapped 1978), MSO-521 Assurance (21 Nov 1958, scrapped 1978).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1957-1958
- Population
- Peterson Builders construction workforce (Sturgeon Bay, WI, 1957-58)
- Limitations
- Compiler's yard table, secondary - consistent with DANFS and NavSource on builder and the 21-Nov-58 delivery/commissioning. 'Scrapped 1978' is shorthand consistent with NavSource's 1 Jul 1978 DRMS sale but conflicts with DANFS's 'December 1979' sale - flagged in ev-09. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-03
-
[4]NavalCoverMuseum, ASSURANCE AG 521 ship name/designation history; corroborated by the mdc.idv.tw MSO hull list ('AG-521 ex-MSO-521 ex-AM-521 Assurance ... 1955/2/7 changed to MSO ... 1973/3/1 changed to auxiliary AG-521') and Wikipedia's list of auxiliaries ('USS Assurance (AG-521), ex-AM-521, ex-MSO-521') [other_primary]
- Locator
- navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/ASSURANCE_AG_521 designation history; mdc.idv.tw/mdc/navy/usanavy/MSO422-list.htm MSO-521 row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Designation chain for this hull: contracted/classified AM-521; redesignated MSO-521 on 7 February 1955 in the Navy-wide AM-to-MSO reclassification (before the 28 January 1957 keel laying); commissioned as MSO-521; reclassified Miscellaneous Auxiliary AG-521 on 1 March 1973; decommissioned and stricken 30 September 1977; sold 1 July 1978 to Ampel Wrecking and Dismantling Corp. for scrap (NavalCoverMuseum agrees with NavSource on the sale date and buyer).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1955-1978
- Limitations
- Secondary compilations - the 7 Feb 1955 AM-to-MSO redesignation for this specific hull is documented via the mdc.idv.tw hull list and is consistent with the Navy-wide reclassification that date (sibling MSO DANFS entries print the same date), but the primary redesignation directive was not pulled this session. The AM-521 designation is also the file-slug convention; it was a pre-construction contract designation only - the ship never commissioned under 'AM-521.'
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-04
-
[5]National Archives and Records Administration / Digital Public Library of America - 'Assurance (MSO-521) - April 1962' deck log, National Archives Identifier 121593650, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel (RG 24), 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations' series (NAID 594258), National Archives at College Park [other_primary]
- Locator
- DPLA item 227bcd8223122eedda7e745af92e6c9b → catalog.archives.gov/id/121593650; series NAID 594258; archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- This hull's official deck logs exist in NARA custody: the cataloged April 1962 log for 'Assurance (MSO-521)' (NAID 121593650) confirms the hull's logs are held in the RG 24 series 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations, 1941-1978' at Archives II, College Park - the series covering the hull's full commissioned period (1958-1977). Deck logs record material conditions, yard availabilities, and casualty entries and are the primary archival surface for ship-specific documentation of the hull's 1965, 1967, and 1969-70 Charleston NSY overhauls and its 1973 conversion.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1962 (cataloged log); series coverage 1941-1978
- Limitations
- Record existence verified via the DPLA item record (catalog.archives.gov returns a JS SPA shell to automated fetch - standing condition). The logs' content was not surveyed; deck logs are operations records, not materials documentation - they may document where and when work occurred, not whether asbestos was aboard. No asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-05
-
[6]NIOSH, 'Walk-through survey report, Peterson Builders, Inc., Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin' (survey date 15 December 1978; SIC-3731 ship building and repairing), CDC Stacks; EPA Superfund site profile PETERSON BUILDERS INC, 107 East Walnut Street, Sturgeon Bay WI 54325, EPA ID WID096828975 (not on NPL; deferred to RCRA Subtitle C) [other_primary]
- Locator
- stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/233468 (NIOSH survey abstract); cumulis.epa.gov site profile WID096828975
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Federal occupational-health documentation exists for this hull's builder yard: NIOSH surveyed Peterson Builders, Inc. on 15 December 1978 for an epidemiological/industrial-hygiene study of painting-trade health hazards (~731 employees at the boat production yard; no industrial hygiene program; indoor spray room with poor ventilation, respirator use documented). The EPA Superfund program separately tracks the yard site (EPA ID WID096828975, deferred to RCRA Subtitle C). These establish that government occupational and environmental files exist for the yard that built this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1978
- Population
- Peterson Builders workforce, 1978 survey period (context)
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation that post-dates this hull's 1957 construction by 21 years - it describes the 1978 workforce environment (paint hazards, not asbestos) and does not name the hull. Value is archival: the existence of NIOSH survey files and an EPA site record marks the yard's records as a follow-up channel for construction-era materials/exposure documentation. No asbestos finding for the hull or the yard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-06
-
[7]GlobalSecurity.org MSO-519 Ability-class page ('built primarily of wood, with bronze and stainless (non-magnetic) steel fittings to minimize their magnetic signature ... fitted with the UQS-1 mine-locating sonar, later updated with SQQ-14') + NavSource 11/02519 class spec block for lead sister Ability (two 1,400hp GM 8-498 diesels, Falk 3:1 reduction gear, two shafts, two Farrel-Birmingham controllable-pitch propellers; three 100kW Delco ship-service generators on GM 6-71 diesels; 2,350kW Westinghouse magnetic-sweep generator on a GM 8-489; 250kW acoustic-sweep generator on a GM 8-268A; 2,000 gpd Badger distilling plant; 'Hotel steam provided by two 125psi CycloTherm firetube boilers') [other_primary]
- Locator
- globalsecurity.org MSO-519 class page; navsource.net/archives/11/02519.htm Ability class spec block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull is a 1957-58-built Ability-class ocean minesweeper - laminated-wood hull with bronze/stainless non-magnetic fittings and a diesel twin-screw plant (no main steam propulsion, no fireroom - materially lighter insulation load than steam vessels), plus auxiliary diesel-driven generator sets and two small 125-psi CycloTherm firetube boilers for hotel steam per the class spec. Construction fell inside the Navy's asbestos-use era (substitution did not begin until the early 1970s), so era-typical asbestos applications for a diesel MSO were: engine and exhaust-system lagging; pipe lagging; machinery gaskets and packing; electrical-cable insulation; joiner/accommodation insulation; deck coverings; winch and windlass brake linings; and lagging on the small auxiliary boilers. Exposure-relevant populations if any such material was present: Peterson yard construction trades (1957-58); the commissioned-era crew (design complement 83) across 1958-77 service; documented overhaul-yard workforces (Charleston Naval Shipyard 1965, 1967, 1969-70; Atlantic Drydock Corp. 1973 gear removal; Detyen's Shipyard Wando 1975; Mayport drydock 1977; Pensacola restricted availability 1968); and the Ampel Wrecking scrapping workforce (1978-79).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1957-1979
- Population
- Peterson yard trades (1957-58); crew 1958-77; overhaul-yard and scrapping workforces
- Limitations
- Inference from documented class design, machinery type, and construction era - NOT a hull materials record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming AM-521/MSO-521/AG-521 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The wooden hull and diesel plant make the inference weaker than for steel steam ships of the same era - but 'wooden hull' does not imply asbestos-free (fittings, machinery, wiring, joiner materials, and the two auxiliary boilers could still contain it). Class-spec details are from the lead sister's NavSource page (11/02519) - assumed identical for MSO-521, not hull-verified.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-07
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) - product-page description (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch - standing condition since Batch 01) [gao]
- Locator
- gao.gov/products/hrd-80-2 product page (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Program-level federal documentation: GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos extensively in ship construction and overhaul and that worker-protection practices at naval shipyards were deficient, with fieldwork at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards - the era backdrop for this 1957-58-built hull and its documented Charleston Naval Shipyard overhaul periods (1965, 1967, 1969-70). The report's 1979 publication is contemporaneous with this hull's own disposal (sold for scrapping 1978-79).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1979 (report); 1957-70 construction/overhaul era; 1978-79 disposal window
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program context)
- Limitations
- Program-level report; does not name this vessel or class and does not establish asbestos aboard this hull. gao.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch (standing since Batch 01) - product-page description relied on; full text remains an open lead. This hull's diesel plant removes the main-steam lagging pathway; residual era inference is limited to ancillary gaskets, packing, exhaust lagging, wiring, joiner materials, auxiliary-boiler lagging, brake linings, and deck coverings.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-08
-
[9]Source-discrepancy resolution - hazegray DANFS transcription (Wayback capture) vs NavSource 11/02521 vs NavalCoverMuseum vs Colton yard table vs Wikipedia infobox vs Combat Fleets of the World transcription (jwilliamcupp.name) vs mdc.idv.tw MSO list [other_primary]
- Locator
- Wayback capture of hazegray.org/danfs/mine/mso521.htm; navsource.net 11/02521; navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/ASSURANCE_AG_521; shipbuildinghistory Peterson table; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Assurance_(MSO-521) infobox; jwilliamcupp.name/Story/CombFlt.htm; mdc.idv.tw MSO list
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged, not silently merged: (a) Disposal - DANFS prints 'In December of 1979, the former minesweeper was sold to the Ampol Corp. for scrapping'; NavSource and NavalCoverMuseum print 'sold for scrap 1 July 1978 by DRMS to Ampel Wrecking and Dismantling Corp.'; Colton prints 'scrapped 1978'; Wikipedia's infobox prints 'Sold for scrapping, 1979.' All variants flagged; the likeliest reconciliation is contract award (Jul 1978, DRMS) vs completed transfer/disposal (Dec 1979), but no contract record resolved it - both dates carried. (b) Laid-down date - DANFS, NavSource, NCM, and Wikipedia all print 28 January 1957; a Combat Fleets transcription prints '28JUN57' - flagged as a probable OCR/transcription error (31 Aug 1957 launch would follow a June laying by ~2 months vs ~7 months for January); DANFS's January date carried. (c) Auxiliary designation - Combat Fleets prints 'AGS-521'; DANFS, NavSource, NCM, and the mdc list all print AG-521 (Miscellaneous Auxiliary) - AGS flagged as an error. (d) Wikipedia infobox prints 'Reclassified MSO-510 to AG-521' - a typo (MSO-510 is sister-class USS Advance's number); MSO-521 carried. (e) Displacement - DANFS spec block 960 vs NavSource/Wikipedia/Colton 934 t - both flagged. (f) Armament - DANFS 'a. 1 40mm.' vs NavSource 'Two .50 cal. machine guns' vs Wikipedia 'one 40 mm mount, two .50 cal machine guns' - flagged; DANFS's block is the most conservative official line. (g) Propulsion - NavSource prints 'Two 1,400hp General Motors 8V498' for this hull; the lead sister's class spec (11/02519) prints GM 8-498 engines with Falk 3:1 gear and Farrel-Birmingham CPPs; Combat Fleets prints 'General Motors, 2700 SHP' for the class - consistent, carried with source noted.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1957-1979
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies among the DANFS transcription and secondary compilations, adopting the better-supported values and flagging the rest. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-09
-
[10]Air & Liquid Systems Corp. v. DeVries, 586 U.S. 446 (2019), CourtListener 4601080 [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener opinion 4601080; Google-indexed sweeps for 'USS Assurance,' 'MSO-521,' 'AG-521,' 'AM-521' (search_ledger sl-07, sl-08)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No case located names this hull (see negative_finding row ev-11 and search_ledger). Doctrinal context only for the vessel's type: claims arising from Navy-vessel asbestos exposure ran under maritime law against equipment manufacturers, and the Supreme Court's DeVries decision settled the 'bare-metal defense' framework - manufacturers that supplied bare equipment had a duty to warn where their products required asbestos-containing parts. It illustrates the litigation posture a claim arising from service aboard a Cold War diesel minesweeper would have faced; no such claim naming Assurance was located. Name-collision check: 'Assurance' is dominated in litigation indexes by insurance-sector litigants (Assurance Company of America, Assurance Co. risks) and by the same-name USNS Assurance (T-AGOS-5, a different hull); the one substantive hit surfaced - a Simmons Firm marketing page asserting a $3.4M settlement for a Florida Navy veteran who served aboard USS St. Louis, USS Dash, and USS Assurance - is an uncitable law-firm claim with no located docket (excluded per source rules; logged in the ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 2019 decision; sweeps 2026-09-22
- Limitations
- Doctrinal context only - the cited case does not name or involve this hull, and DeVries addressed manufacturers' duty to warn for asbestos-containing components on Navy vessels generally. A complaint's vessel list would be a pleading allegation, not a finding; no pleading naming this hull was located. The law-firm settlement assertion is unverifiable marketing material - carried as a lead in gaps, not as evidence. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-10
-
[11]Batch-1405 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback hazegray capture (live NHHC 404s across all URL patterns); NavSource 11/02521; NavalCoverMuseum; Shipbuilding History Peterson yard table; GlobalSecurity MSO-519 class page; Combat Fleets transcription; mdc.idv.tw MSO list; NARA/DPLA deck-log item; CDC Stacks NIOSH survey; EPA Superfund profile; CourtListener API v4 (authenticated - throttled) + Google-indexed CourtListener/Justia/vLex content; VA BVA vetapp index via Google; Wikipedia (secondary lead) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-assurance-am521-01 through sl-uss-assurance-am521-15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for USS Assurance / AM-521 / MSO-521 / AG-521: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, NESHAP notification, court finding, docketed asbestos case, or VA Board of Veterans' Appeals decision naming this hull was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener coverage caveat: the authenticated API was rate-limited this session (shared key exhausted its 2,800/day cap; 'Expected available in 19553 seconds' - ~5.4h to reset), so the litigation sweep ran through Google-indexed CourtListener content; surfaced items were name collisions (insurance-sector 'Assurance' litigants; Salisbury v. Asbestos Corp., E.D. Pa. 2:12-60168-ER, an MDL-875 order naming USS Hornet and USS Coral Sea - not this hull) and generic Navy asbestos-specification material naming no hull. A fully authenticated re-sweep of opinions and RECAP dockets remains an open verification step. Marketing rosters name the ship generically - mesothelioma.com's minesweeper table lists 'USS Assurance | AM-521 | 11/21/1958 | Scrapped, 1979'; mesotheliomaveterans.org lists 'USS Assurance (AG-521)'; mesotheliomahelp.org's minesweeper roster names 'USS Assurance' - excluded per source rules; they carry no hull-specific evidence. The Simmons Firm '$3.4 million for a U.S. Navy veteran in Florida who served aboard the USS St. Louis, USS Dash, and USS Assurance' is a marketing settlement claim - no docket, plaintiff name, or case number located; excluded as evidence and logged as a lead in gaps.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 2026-09-22
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1957-58-built vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials even accounting for its wooden hull and lighter diesel (non-steam) insulation load, and the hull was scrapped in 1978-79 leaving no extant structure to survey. The CourtListener throttle makes the litigation negative provisional - logged honestly rather than claimed complete. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-11
-
[12]Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized; NARA catalog returns a JS SPA shell to automated fetch this session): NARA RG 24 deck logs 1958-1977 for Assurance (MSO-521/AG-521) - item NAID 121593650 (April 1962) verified in catalog, series NAID 594258; NARA still-picture item UA 50.01.01 credited on NavSource 11/02521; DRMS sales contract file for the 1978 sale to Ampel Wrecking and Dismantling Corp. - the resolution path for the disposal-date conflict and for whether asbestos disclosures accompanied the sale; Charleston Naval Shipyard overhaul work packages for 1965, 1967, and 1969-70 availabilities; Atlantic Drydock Corp. (Fort George Island) 1973 conversion records; Detyen's Shipyard (Wando) 1975 overhaul records; Mayport drydock 1977 records; Peterson Builders yard construction records and the NIOSH 1978 survey case file (stacks.cdc.gov 233468); EPA site file WID096828975 for the Sturgeon Bay yard; NHHC DANFS-II revised entry if one exists; Bruhn, 'Wooden Ships and Iron Men' (Heritage Books, ISBN 9780788443251) ship chapter [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/121593650 + series NAID 594258; NavSource 11/02521 photo-credit block; stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/233468; cumulis.epa.gov WID096828975; archives.gov RG 24 group guide
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads mapped for follow-up: (a) the DRMS sales contract file for this hull's 1978 sale is the most important unretrieved record - it would resolve the Ampel/Ampol and 1978/1979 disposal conflict and document whether asbestos-containing compartments were disclosed to the buyer; (b) Charleston Naval Shipyard work packages for the three documented overhauls - the likeliest place for asbestos-removal documentation aboard this hull; (c) NARA RG 24 deck logs (cataloged series, example item verified) - operations documentation, not materials records, but they fix yard-period dates precisely; (d) Peterson Builders construction records and the NIOSH 1978 survey case file - builder-side occupational documentation; (e) the EPA site file for the Sturgeon Bay yard; (f) the archived USS Assurance veterans' website credited on NavSource (Dick Lewis) - crew materials; (g) Bruhn's published MSO history for a citable class-construction passage.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1957-1979 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for AM-521/MSO-521/AG-521 is unknown until surveyed. Deck logs and photos are operations/imagery records, not materials documentation; the DRMS contract file and the Charleston NSY work packages are the leads most likely to resolve the hull-level asbestos question. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-assurance-am521-12