Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]research packet bh-packet.md (5 sources cited) [museum_official]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-bellerophon-arl31-pkt-bh-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Bellerophon I (ARL-31) (Raymond A. Mann) - live NHHC page returns 404; verbatim text accessed via Wayback capture 20250123054227 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry body text (specifications block + full narrative)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS establishes the hull's identity and service: laid down 1944-12-12 at Seneca, Ill., by Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.; launched 1945-03-07 (sponsor Mrs. Hazel Nitherspoon); commissioned 1945-03-19 (Lt. Perry P. Wynn); sailed 1945-03-21 for Mobile, Ala., out of commission 1945-03-31 for conversion to a landing craft repair ship by Alabama Drydock & Shipbuilding Co.; conversion completed and recommissioned 1945-07-21 at Mobile (Lt. Samuel H. Alexander, USNR). Shakedown to Galveston 1945-07-31, returned Mobile 1945-08-14; departed 1945-09-01 for the Pacific via Panama Canal and San Diego, arriving Treasure Island 1945-10-03 as repair ship for a newly formed boat pool. During the late-October 1945 civilian-yard strike she made voyage repairs to 'Magic Carpet' ships and did conversion work enabling attack cargo ships to serve as passenger carriers, lasting until spring 1946. Departed San Francisco 1946-03-26 for Pearl Harbor duty under Commander, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, repairing amphibious ships; concluded 1946-07-16 and resumed repair work at San Diego until placed out of commission there September 1947. Reserve at San Diego then Bremerton for three decades; struck from the Naval Vessel Register October 1977; sold 1980-06-20 to Levin Metals Corp., Richmond, Calif., for scrapping.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-12-12 to 1980-06-20
- Population
- Crew (1945-1947); construction workers (Seneca 1944-45); conversion-yard workers (Mobile 1945)
- Limitations
- Official ship-history narrative; contains no asbestos, insulation, or material information. The 'placed out of commission ... September 1947' date conflicts with NavSource's 1947-11-26 and with the 1959 DANFS edition's out-of-commission-in-reserve date of 1948-03-26 - logged in gaps. Does not establish exposure, quantities, or eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bellerophon-arl31-01
-
[3]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Bellerophon (ARL-31) (specifications block, timeline, commanding-officer roster, photo captions) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource ARL-31 page, specs block + event timeline + CO roster
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource records: authorized as LST-1132; redesignated a landing craft repair ship prior to construction; laid down 1944-12-12 as ARL-31 at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL; launched 1945-03-07; reduced commission 1945-03-19 (Lt. Perry P. Wynn) for transit to the Mobile conversion yard; decommissioned 1945-03-31 at Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co.; recommissioned USS Bellerophon (ARL-31) 1945-07-21 (Lt. Samuel H. Alexander, USNR); decommissioned at San Diego 1947-11-26; Pacific Reserve Fleet San Diego then Bremerton groups; struck 1977-10-01; sold 1980-06-20 to Levin Metals Corp., Richmond, CA, for scrapping. Specifications: 2,220 t light / 4,100 t full; 328 ft x 50 ft; 11.6 kt; complement 21 officers / 232 enlisted; two General Motors 12-567A diesel engines, single Falk main reduction gear, two propellers 1,800 shp, twin rudders; diesel-driven ship's service generators; armament 1x3"/50, 2x quad 40mm, 6x twin 20mm.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1980
- Population
- Crew (1945-1947)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of official data (canonical per-hull reference, not itself a primary document); no asbestos or material content. Its 1947-11-26 decommissioning date matches the NARA deck-log range end but conflicts with DANFS's 'September 1947' and the 1959 DANFS's 1948-03-26 - logged in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bellerophon-arl31-02
-
[4]MARAD Vessel History Database, BELLEROPHON (ARL-31), Detail 5700 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov Detail/5700 fields, milestones, status-card tab
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD's vessel-history record for BELLEROPHON (ARL-31): year built 1945; shipyard listed as Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company (the conversion yard); specific type 'LST Tank Landing Ship'; length 328 ft, beam 50 ft; displacement 4,100 t summer / 2,220 t lightweight; fate 'Sold - Scrap' with disposition and withdrawal milestones dated 1980-05-29 - documenting the Navy disposal chain for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945; 1980
- Population
- Disposal-phase custodians/scrappers (1980)
- Limitations
- Documented record defect: the historical-document scans attached to this MARAD record are WWII Coast Guard port-security/armed-merchant inspection papers for a British SS Bellerophon (radio call GPZJ, inspected at New York 1942-43 and San Juan, V.I.) - a same-name merchant vessel, not USS ARL-31; the scans are a name collision inside the authoritative record and are not relied on. MARAD's 'shipyard' field records the conversion yard, not builder Chicago Bridge & Iron. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bellerophon-arl31-03
-
[5]NARA Catalog, 'Bellerophon (ARL-31), 7/21/45-11/26/47' (naId 125636723), Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations, RG 24 [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov naId 125636723 (physical: NARA II College Park, microfilm roll 695)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The ship's deck logs survive: NARA file unit 'Bellerophon (ARL-31), 7/21/45-11/26/47' in the Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations (RG 24), unrestricted, microfilm Roll 695 at National Archives at College Park; digitized in the Ancestry/NARA partnership (Ancestry Institution db 1143). The log range ending 1947-11-26 corroborates the NavSource inactivation date.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1947
- Population
- Crew (1945-07-21 to 1947-11-26)
- Limitations
- Contents not reviewed - digitized pages sit behind the Ancestry paywall and the microfilm was not pulled; deck logs are daily event records, not material inventories, so whether they contain anything bearing on asbestos or insulation is unknown. An archival lead only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bellerophon-arl31-04
-
[6]NARA Catalog, 'USS BELLEROPHON - War History' (naId 77619216), micro serial 156185 [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov naId 77619216 (physical: NARA II College Park, microfilm roll A2029)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The ship's wartime administrative history survives: NARA record 'USS BELLEROPHON - War History' (micro serial 156185), unrestricted, microfilm Roll A2029 at National Archives at College Park; digitized on Fold3 (image 302020929).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Crew (wartime)
- Limitations
- Contents not reviewed (Fold3 access required; microfilm not pulled). War histories are operational narratives - material or insulation content is possible but unlikely; an archival lead only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bellerophon-arl31-05
-
[7]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (Jan 1945), LST design table (shipscribe.com scan); consolidated class/era inference per the LST-1-class profile (worktree class-f, ev-lst-1-class-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST design table; class-f lst-1-class.class.json ev-lst-1-class-03
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for diesel-powered LST-hull vessels: no boilers - asbestos-relevant applications are GM diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings; ARL repair-ship conversions added interior insulation scope in the tank-deck shops. The hull is the LST-542-group design per the BuShips 1945 design grouping carried in the LST-1-class profile.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1980
- Population
- Construction trades (Seneca 1944-45); conversion-yard workers (Mobile 1945); crew
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no ship-level asbestos record exists for this hull; the BuShips data table establishes machinery and design, not materials. Establishes no quantities, no present-day content, and no exposure for any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bellerophon-arl31-06
-
[8]NavSource Achelous-class landing craft repair ship index + class specifications (ARL-1 Achelous page); DANFS-derived class conversion description [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource ARL index and Achelous (ARL-1) specs page; conversion narrative consistent across DANFS-derived class descriptions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Achelous-class ARLs were built on the LST hull: the conversion turned the large interior tank deck into shops and storerooms - machinery/engine repair, carpentry, electronics repair, and hull repair divisions - added two cargo booms forward and a 60-ton A-frame amidships, expanded the wheelhouse/chart-room deck, and roughly doubled complement to about 250 with the added repair department. Bellerophon is one of 39 such conversions; this hull was converted by Alabama Drydock & Shipbuilding Co., Mobile, March-July 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Conversion-yard workers (Mobile 1945); ship repair department crew
- Limitations
- Documents the class's work-space configuration and this hull's conversion event - not materials. Any asbestos content of conversion-era shop insulation, fireproofing, or equipment aboard this hull is inference, not documented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bellerophon-arl31-07
-
[9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: a 1975 policy removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - so original-era insulation typically remained aboard fleet vessels for decades unless a yard period disturbed it.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program scope)
- Limitations
- Program-level context, not hull-specific; both policies postdate this hull's 1947 inactivation, and no post-1975 yard availability is documented for Bellerophon - the row frames long reserve-fleet retention (1947-1980) and 1980 scrapping, not any Navy removal event. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bellerophon-arl31-08
-
[10]U.S. EPA Superfund site profile, LEVIN RICHMOND/UNITED HECKATHORN (EPA ID CAD980673560), Richmond, CA [other_primary]
- Locator
- EPA Superfund profile csitinfo id=0901940; United Heckathorn site profile id=0902440
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- The 1980 scrapping site is a documented industrial contaminated-site environment: EPA tracks the Levin Richmond/United Heckathorn parcel (402 Wright Ave, Richmond - the Levin-Richmond Terminal complex, EPA ID CAD980673560) with NFRAP status for the Levin parcel, and the adjacent United Heckathorn Superfund action addressed DDT/dieldrin pesticide contamination of the upland and Lauritzen Channel sediments.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1980 (scrapping); site assessments ongoing
- Population
- Scrapping-yard workers; terminal workers
- Limitations
- Site-level environmental context only - the documented contamination is pesticide-driven (United Heckathorn operations 1947-1966), not asbestos, and no document ties this hull's 1980 dismantling to any specific release or abatement practice. Scrapped-hull material pathways are not documented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bellerophon-arl31-09
-
[11]CourtListener API v4 sweeps, 2026-09-26: "Bellerophon" (opinions + dockets), "ARL-31" (opinions + dockets), "LST-1132" (opinions + dockets) - via authenticated fleet helper cl-auth-search.py [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener v4 search results, queries as stated; classified per batch litigation-stage discipline
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull. "Bellerophon" opinions: 8 hits, all name collisions - HMS Bellerophon historical references (Austin v. Coggeshall 1879; United States v. Zubaydah, 2022 SCOTUS), an 1886 admiralty case, and corporate parties. "Bellerophon" dockets: 22 hits, all name collisions - Bellerophon Therapeutics-adjacent securities/patent suits, copyright, bankruptcy, and corporate defendants (e.g., Natl Boilermaker Ind v. Bellerophon Corp., N.D. Ill. 1996 - a company, not the vessel). "ARL-31": 0 opinions; 9 dockets, all incidental string matches inside scanned documents. "LST-1132": 0 opinions, 0 dockets.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Name-match sweeps cannot exclude unindexed or un-digitized filings; RECAP full-text coverage is partial by nature. One planned refinement query ('Bellerophon asbestos', docket type) was deferred by the fleet-wide pacing budget at session end - logged in search_ledger; coverage stands on the completed name and hull-designator sweeps. The hull was scrapped in 1980, before the maritime-asbestos litigation wave.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bellerophon-arl31-10
-
[12]Batch-2623 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (Wayback), NavSource, MARAD vessel-history database, NARA catalog, EPA CUMULIS, CourtListener API v4 [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-bellerophon-arl31-01 through -09
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum record, or docketed asbestos case naming ARL-31 or LST-1132 was found in the sources searched (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945 LST-hull hull with ARL shop conversion, in reserve 1947-1980 and scrapped 1980, is consistent with retained era materials, and 1980 scrapping predates modern hazmat-disposal documentation. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bellerophon-arl31-11