Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
-
[1]NHHC DANFS, Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640) entry - milestone stub only ('Updates pending for 1965 to 1993'); live history.navy.mil page unavailable in this environment, 2021-04-05 Wayback capture of the official NHHC page used [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640)' (Wayback capture 2021-04-05)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: launched 5 December 1964; commissioned 22 October 1965; decommissioned 23 November 1993 and struck from the Navy list the same date; disposed of by submarine recycling 21 August 1995. The NHHC entry is a stub carrying only milestones - no service narrative and no spec block.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1964-1995
- Population
- Blue and Gold crews (1965-1993)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific milestones only; no asbestos or material content, no service narrative, no complement. Live NHHC page unreachable here - official NHHC page used via Wayback capture; defect disclosed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benjamin-franklin-ssbn640-01
-
[2]Cooks v. General Electric Company, No. 3:07-cv-05451-EMC (N.D. Cal.), complaint Exhibit A work-history, ECF No. 1-2 (filed 2007-10-25); exhibit PDF text extracted from the RECAP mirror at archive.org (gov.uscourts.cand.199096) [court_record]
- Locator
- ECF No. 1-2, Exhibit A vessel roster, entry 'BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (SSBN-640)'
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Asbestos complaint exhibit (plaintiff's shipyard work-history/exposure roster) lists 'BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (SSBN-640)' by name and hull number among vessels in a Mare Island Naval Shipyard-area worker's alleged asbestos-exposure history.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 2007 (litigation)
- Population
- Alvin Cooks (shipyard worker; Mare Island Naval Shipyard exhibit context)
- Limitations
- Complaint-exhibit vessel list; unadjudicated pleading-stage allegation. The listed hulls are places the plaintiff claimed exposure occurred, not findings that asbestos was aboard any listed hull. Establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull. Verified by direct text extraction of the archived exhibit PDF.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benjamin-franklin-ssbn640-02
-
[3]Halseth v. General Electric Company, No. 3:07-cv-02543-EMC (N.D. Cal.), complaint Exhibit A work-history, ECF No. 1-2 (filed 2007-05-14); exhibit text extracted from the RECAP mirror at archive.org [court_record]
- Locator
- ECF No. 1-2, Exhibit A vessel roster, entry 'BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (SSBN-640) 1970-95'
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Asbestos complaint exhibit for a Mare Island Naval Shipyard electrician (1970-1976 alleged employment) lists 'BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (SSBN-640)' with an associated '1970-95' work window among vessels in the plaintiff's alleged asbestos-exposure work history.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1970-1995 (alleged work window); 2007 (litigation)
- Population
- Michael Halseth (Mare Island Naval Shipyard electrician, alleged 1970-1976)
- Limitations
- Complaint-exhibit vessel list; unadjudicated pleading-stage allegation. Establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull. The '1970-95' window is the plaintiff's claimed work period across listed hulls, not a documented aboard-dates record. Verified by direct text extraction of the archived exhibit.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benjamin-franklin-ssbn640-03
-
[4]Cronin v. Todd Shipyards Corporation, No. 3:08-cv-03274 (N.D. Cal.), complaint with inline Exhibit A vessel roster, ECF No. 1 (filed 2008-07-08); docket number verified against the downloaded docket sheet (earlier batch transcriptions of '02747' are incorrect) [court_record]
- Locator
- ECF No. 1, Exhibit A vessel roster, entry 'BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (SSBN-640)'
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Asbestos complaint exhibit - a Mare Island engineer's alleged vessel work history (the same exhibit family that lists NAUTILUS (SSN-571)) - contains 'BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (SSBN-640)' among vessels the plaintiff allegedly worked on.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 2008 (litigation)
- Population
- Mare Island Naval Shipyard engineer (alleged work history)
- Limitations
- Complaint-exhibit vessel list; unadjudicated pleading-stage allegation. A Mare Island work history lists vessels at the yard, not findings that asbestos was aboard them. Establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benjamin-franklin-ssbn640-04
-
[5]Naval Vessel Register detail page, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (SSBN 640), via Internet Archive Wayback capture (live nvr.navy.mil detail page not reachable in this environment) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR SHIPSDETAIL_SSBN_640.HTML, Vessel Status and Milestone Dates tables
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NVR record: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (SSBN 640), ballistic missile submarine (nuclear-powered), class SSBN 640; status 'Disposed of by submarine recycling', status changed 08/21/1995; builder General Dynamics Corp.; award 11/01/1962; keel 05/25/1963; launch 12/05/1964; commission 10/22/1965; decommission 11/23/1993; stricken 11/23/1993.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1962-1995
- Limitations
- Official register of status and milestone dates only; contains no asbestos or material information. Wayback capture of the official record; live NVR page unreachable here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benjamin-franklin-ssbn640-05
-
[6]Navysite.de, USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640) unofficial ship page - service compilation and disposition data (secondary compilation, corroboration only) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navysite.de/ssbn/ssbn640.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Secondary compilation corroborates the NVR milestones and documents service-era detail for this hull: Poseidon C-3 missile conversion during overhaul, later backfit for Trident I (C-4) missiles, Blue/Gold crew deterrent-patrol operations, and inactivation at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Characteristics as compiled: 425 ft length, 33 ft beam, one S5W reactor, two geared steam turbines, one propeller, 16 ballistic-missile tubes, four 21-inch torpedo tubes.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1965-1993
- Population
- Blue and Gold crews; overhaul shipyard trades
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation - used for corroboration and service-era context only; not a primary source and cannot independently establish any material fact. No asbestos or material content. Propulsion/weapons detail is class/era context, never a ship-specific asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benjamin-franklin-ssbn640-06
-
[7]Class/era background - Benjamin Franklin-class SSBN, one of the '41 for Freedom' fleet ballistic-missile submarines built 1961-1967 across Electric Boat, Newport News, Mare Island, and Portsmouth yards [other_primary]
- Locator
- Class-era inference (no per-hull source)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Era context: U.S. submarines of this construction era (keel 1963, commission 1965) were built to military specifications that era-standardly employed asbestos-containing thermal insulation, gasket, and packing materials on steam and auxiliary systems; shipyard overhaul and refit periods are documented peak-exposure settings in the asbestos-litigation record generally.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1963-1995
- Population
- EB construction trades (1963-65); yard availabilities; Blue and Gold crews (1965-1993)
- Limitations
- CLASS/ERA INFERENCE ONLY - never a ship-specific finding. No record located documents asbestos-containing material aboard this specific hull; nuclear propulsion, steam auxiliaries, and construction era cannot prove asbestos aboard this submarine.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benjamin-franklin-ssbn640-07
-
[8]Negative finding - ship-specific ACM documentation sweep (NHHC, NVR, web/govinfo, RECAP mirrors) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search ledger sl-uss-benjamin-franklin-ssbn640-05/06/07
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No hull-specific asbestos record located: no ACM survey, abatement contract, shipyard industrial-hygiene report, or Ship/Submarine Recycling Program hazardous-material disclosure naming USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640) was found in the sources searched.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- research window 2026-09
- Limitations
- Bounded negative: search coverage comprises NHHC/DANFS, NVR, navysite, NavSource-hosted compilations, govinfo USCOURTS, and RECAP-mirrored N.D. Cal. complaint exhibits; CourtListener API/feed search was throttled and blocked during research (documented in search ledger), so litigation coverage is incomplete. Absence of a located record is not proof none exists.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benjamin-franklin-ssbn640-08