USS Florida (SSGN-728)

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]DANFS 'Florida VI (SSBN-728)' entry (Mark L. Evans, 24 June 2015); live NHHC URLs returned 404 - Internet Archive Wayback capture (2016-03-26) of the official history.navy.mil DANFS page used [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS Florida VI (SSBN-728) characteristics block and narrative

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull (DANFS 'Florida VI (SSBN-728)', Mark L. Evans, 24 June 2015): sixth U.S. Navy ship named Florida; laid down 4 July 1976 at Groton, Conn., by Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corp.; launched 14 November 1981, sponsored by Mrs. Marcia M. Carlucci (wife of Deputy Secretary of Defense Frank C. Carlucci III); during fitting out in early July 1982 anti-nuclear demonstrators paddled a canoe alongside, poured animal blood topside, and pounded on missile Tube No. 13 - a security incident prompting a Navy review of building-yard security; commissioned 18 June 1983, Capt. William L. Powell (Blue Crew) and Capt. George R. Sterner (Gold Crew); post-shakedown availability at Electric Boat 31 October-20 December 1983 (marred by a series of small fires set by an unstable crewman, arrested by NIS); shifted Atlantic to Pacific February 1984 (Panama Canal 18 Feb, equator 20 Feb, arrived Bangor, Wash., 25 March); first strategic deterrent patrol 10 May-25 July 1984; redesignated SSGN-728 on 25 October 2002 (NVR status-change gives 10/01/2002 - disclosed); first TLAM launches as a planned guided-missile submarine 14 and 16 January 2003; Giant Shadow experiment 20-28 January 2003; conversion 2 June 2003-April 2006 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va.; return-to-service ceremony Naval Station Mayport, Fla., 25 May 2006; homeport shift to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga.; maiden SSGN deployment 26 April 2008; Operation Odyssey Dawn March 2011 - 93 TLAMs fired, first combat Tomahawk launches by an Ohio-class SSGN; returned to Kings Bay 29 April 2011. Spec block: displacement 16,821; 560' x 42' x 38'; 20+ knots; complement 153; 24 UGM-133 Trident I C4 and four Mk 48 torpedo tubes; Ohio class.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   1975-2015

   Population

   crew of USS Florida (two alternating Blue/Gold crews; DANFS complement 153); Electric Boat construction/fitting-out and post-shakedown-availability trades

   Limitations

   Service-history source only; contains no asbestos, materials, or exposure information. Entry footer notes 'Detailed history under construction.' Cited URL is a 2016-03-26 Wayback capture of the official DANFS page; live NHHC URLs (florida-vi variants) returned 404 this session.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-01

2. [2]Naval Vessel Register, SHIPSDETAIL_SSGN_728 (retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 2024-06-07) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR SHIPSDETAIL milestone, status, characteristics, and comments fields

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Official NVR record: USS FLORIDA (SSGN 728), ex-SSBN 728, class SSGN 726 (Ohio), UIC 21038; award 02/28/1975; keel date 01/19/1981 (conflicts with DANFS/COMSUBLANT 4 July 1976 - see correction row ev-10); launch 11/14/1981; delivery 05/17/1983; commission 06/18/1983; status active, in commission (status-change date 10/01/2002); U.S. Atlantic Fleet; homeport Kings Bay, GA; Battle Force; builder and planning yard (hull and nuclear) General Dynamics Electric Boat; steel hull; one propeller; propulsion steam turbine (nuclear); accommodations 13 officers + 140 enlisted; program manager PMS 392; comments field: 'SSGN 728 WAS DELIVERED FROM CONVERSION ON 08 APR 06 FROM NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD, VA.'; record last updated 10/14/2021.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   register snapshot, last updated 10/14/2021

   Limitations

   Milestone/status register only; NVR carries no asbestos or materials data. NVR keel date (01/19/1981) conflicts with DANFS and COMSUBLANT (07/04/1976) and equals the vessel's naming date - see correction row. Archived snapshot may not reflect post-2021 amendments.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-02

3. [3]Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet - USS Florida (SSGN 728) official page (retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 2021-03-21) [other_primary]

   Locator

   COMSUBLANT SSGN-728 History narrative and Facts and Figures block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official COMSUBLANT page for this hull: USS Florida (SSBN-728/SSGN-728), Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, sixth U.S. Navy ship named for the 27th state; commissioned as SSBN-728, re-designated SSGN-728 on conversion to cruise-missile submarine. Contract awarded to Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, 28 February 1975; keel laid 4 July 1976 (bicentennial ceremony; boat unnamed); precommissioning unit formed 8 July 1980; first shipboard watches stationed 14 February 1981; Secretary of the Navy named her 19 January 1981; launched 14 November 1981, sponsor Mrs. Marcia M. Carlucci (page renders 'Jarcia' - orthography variant disclosed); reactor initial criticality 13 November 1982; in service / crew aboard 21 January 1983; builders' sea trials 21 February 1983; delivered 17 May 1983, 43 days ahead of schedule; commissioned 18 June 1983, Capt. William L. Powell (Blue) and Capt. G.R. Sterner (Gold). Both crews completed demonstration and shakedown operations culminating in Trident C-4 launches; Panama Canal transit February 1984; arrived Bangor, Wash., 25 March 1984; first deterrent patrol completed 25 July 1984; 61 deterrent patrols as of November 2002; Battle E 1989, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2002; Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award 1991; entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard July 2003 for refueling and SSBN-to-SSGN conversion; conversion completed April 2006; homeported Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga.; return-to-service ceremony 25 May 2006 at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. Facts & Figures block: one nuclear reactor, one shaft; 560 ft; 42 ft beam; ~18,750 t; 20+ knots submerged; crew 15 officers + 150 enlisted; 154 Tomahawks, 4 torpedo tubes.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   1975-2006

   Population

   crew (COMSUBLANT figure 15 officers + 150 enlisted - conflicts with DANFS/NVR 153; disclosed in gaps)

   Limitations

   Official Navy command page; no asbestos or materials content. Live sublant.usff.navy.mil page returned Access Denied (403) this session; Wayback capture used. Keel date agrees with DANFS (4 Jul 1976) against NVR (19 Jan 1981). Facts & Figures complement (165) reflects SSGN configuration and conflicts with DANFS/NVR 153.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-03

4. [4]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (18 Oct 1979), Enclosure I Attachment 1 (Navy CNO Ser 4542/318054 of 5 Jan 1979) and Note 1 [gao]

   Locator

   HRD-80-2 Enclosure I Attachment 1, 'Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine (Nuclear Propulsion) (Trident) - SSBN' block listing hulls 726-730 (hull 728 row: Unchristened, start 2/76, del. 7/82); Note 1 on residual applications (gaskets, pipe hanger liners)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Ship-specific federal record: Attachment 1 to the Navy's 5 January 1979 response to GAO (enclosed in GAO HRD-80-2) lists U.S. Navy ships delivered since 1973 or under construction, with thermal-insulation status. The 'FLEET BALLISTIC MISSILE SUBMARINE (NUCLEAR PROPULSION) (TRIDENT) - SSBN' block lists hulls 726 OHIO, 727 MICHIGAN, 728, 729, and 730 - this hull shown as 'Unchristened 728,' construction start 2/76, projected delivery 7/82 - annotated 'Asbestos-free thermal insulation.' The same document's Note 1 states that, in addition to exceptions noted for specific ships, 'asbestos is also used in shipboard applications for which no suitable (asbestos-free) substitutes have as yet been designated, i.e., gaskets and pipe hanger liners'; the letter text adds that all ships in service contain some asbestos (clutches, electric cables, deck tile, galley-range insulation, piping gaskets/packing, resistors) and that it is 'nearly impossible to build a Navy ship free of the mineral.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   1979 statement covering construction then in progress (hull start listed 2/76; delivered 1983)

   Population

   construction/shipyard trades at Electric Boat; crew (projected complement)

   Limitations

   Navy-reported materials designation made January 1979, while this hull was in early-mid construction (keel 1976 per DANFS/COMSUBLANT, delivery 1983) - it describes the insulation specification/status for the hull number, not a post-delivery survey. 'Asbestos-free' covers thermal insulation only; per the same document's Note 1, asbestos remained aboard in gaskets, pipe hanger liners, and other applications lacking substitutes. Does not establish that no asbestos-containing material was installed, nor any exposure. gao.gov 403-blocks automated fetch; full PDF text extracted from a 2025-02-11 Wayback capture of gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-04

5. [5]NHHC Command Operations Reports, USS Florida (SSBN 728), command histories for 1986 (Gold and Blue crew submissions) [other_primary]

   Locator

   1986.pdf Part 3 Narrative (Refit 10 drydocking, DCT valve and coolant-piping modifications); NHHC COR collection florida-ssbn-728-vi holds 1983-2005

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NHHC-archived command history for this hull (1986, both crews): home port Bangor, Wash.; operational commander Submarine Squadron 17; administrative command Submarine Group 9. Refit cycle documented: Gold Crew relieved Blue 20 February 1986 beginning Refit 8; Patrol Eight 14 March-23 May 1986; Refit 9 from 25 May; Patrol Ten departed 29 September, returned 13 December 1986; during Refit 10 'major modifications were completed on DCT 4-way valves, and coolant discharge piping. Other work included a reduction gear inspection and drydocking.' NHHC holds this hull's command-operation-report run for 1983-2005.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   1986

   Population

   Blue and Gold crews; Bangor refit/drydock trades (1986)

   Limitations

   Primary command-file documentation of refit/drydock work on this hull; contains no asbestos or materials characterization - the valve, piping, and drydock work items are maintenance events, not ACM records. Live NHHC PDF URLs 404; Wayback captures used.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-05

6. [6]NHHC Command Operations Reports, USS Florida (SSGN 728), command histories 2003, 2004, 2005 (NNSY ERO/SSGN conversion); NVR comments field [other_primary]

   Locator

   2003.pdf (Drydock 4 entry, ERO start); 2004.pdf (refueling Jan-Sep, EB conversion start 8 Mar); 2005.pdf (undocking Feb, Pier 5 South)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NHHC-archived command histories for this hull document the 2003-2006 conversion shipyard period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), Portsmouth, Va.: 2003 report - berth shift into Drydock 4, NNSY, 8 July 2003; 'Start of ERO and SSGN Conversion' 1 August 2003; in drydock through year end. 2004 report - ERO and SSGN Conversion in progress in Drydock 4; refueling commenced 15 January; 'Electric Boat (EB) Commenced SSGN Conversion' 8 March; refueling completed 14 September; ERO complete by year end. 2005 report - ERO testing and SSGN conversion in progress; partial flood-down of Drydock 4 on 9 February and final flood-down 10 February with berth shift of FLORIDA to Pier 5 South, NNSY; year ended with ERO testing complete and conversion in progress. NVR comments field: 'SSGN 728 WAS DELIVERED FROM CONVERSION ON 08 APR 06 FROM NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD, VA.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   2003-2006

   Population

   NNSY shipyard trades; Electric Boat conversion team; combined-crew complement (2003-2006)

   Limitations

   Primary command-file documentation of a ~32-month yard period (reactor refueling plus SSGN conversion) on this hull; the reports contain no asbestos, hazardous-material, or abatement characterization - they document where and when industrial work occurred, not what materials were disturbed.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-06

7. [7]DoD Inspector General, Evaluation of Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) Sustainment, Report No. DODIG-2018-127 (15 June 2018), Table 2 [other_primary]

   Locator

   DODIG-2018-127 Table 2 (ERO periods, end-of-life) and ERO description section

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   DoD IG evaluation lists this hull's mid-life refueling overhaul window: USS Florida, SSBN-728, commission June 1983, Refueling Overhaul August 2003 - April 2006, end of life May 2026 (Table 2). The report's class program describes ~27-month EROs refueling the reactor and repairing/upgrading propulsion, ship equipment, and ballistic-missile systems at Norfolk Naval Shipyard or Puget Sound Naval Shipyard depending on assignment; for this hull the window coincides with the documented ERO+SSGN conversion at NNSY (ev-06) - the extended ~32-month span reflects the combined overhaul-plus-conversion.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   2003-2006 (overhaul window); report dated 2018

   Population

   shipyard trades at the ERO/conversion yard (NNSY per command histories - documented, not inferred, for this hull)

   Limitations

   Maintenance-window documentation only; the report contains no asbestos or materials data for this hull. Table 2 still lists the hull as SSBN-728; the window given is the documented NNSY ERO+conversion period. dodig.mil and media.defense.gov returned Access Denied to direct fetch; report PDF retrieved via a 2025-02-07 Wayback capture.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-07

8. [8]NIOSH, Health Hazard Evaluation Report HETA 78-135-1333, Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corp., Groton, Connecticut (August 1983) [other_primary]

   Locator

   HETA 78-135-1333 Background and Results/Discussion sections (asbestos passage)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation at Electric Boat Division, Groton (field visits July 1979-March 1981 - overlapping this hull's mid/late construction, keel 1976 through delivery 1983): 'Historical reports of overexposure to asbestos were common among workers with eight or more years work experience at Electric Boat,' occurring 'primarily in the course of submarine overhaul and/or retrofit' performed at the Groton shipyard and a naval base in Spain; 'since the introduction of alternative forms of insulation for the reactor vessel and its complex of piping, asbestos use in the shipyard and on the submarines is slowly being phased out.' The report identifies the Trident class as one of the two submarine types manufactured at Electric Boat.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   field investigation 1979-1981; report August 1983

   Population

   Electric Boat workers (~25,000, incl. ~1,000 painters); painters surveyed had mean 11.5 years employment

   Limitations

   Yard/era documentation, not hull-specific: no hull number, boat, or materials schedule is identified. The asbestos passage describes historical overexposure reports concentrated in overhaul/retrofit work and documents that asbestos use in the yard and on submarines was being phased out - it neither establishes nor excludes ACM aboard hull 728. Consistent with the GAO designation (ev-04) rather than contradicting it.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-08

9. [9]U.S. EPA Superfund Site Profile, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth VA (site ID 0302841); EPA NPL Site Narrative for Norfolk Naval Shipyard [other_primary]

   Locator

   EPA site profile - NPL milestones and site description; NPL site narrative (semspub.epa.gov/work/HQ/184041.pdf) waste list

   Finding type

   environmental_record

   Finding

   Norfolk Naval Shipyard (Portsmouth, VA) - this hull's documented 2003-2006 ERO/SSGN-conversion yard (ev-06) - is a federal Superfund site: proposed to the National Priorities List 6 March 1998, finalized May 1999 (Federal Register notice 22 July 1999); EPA documentation lists asbestos among wastes generated by shipyard industrial shops, and a Federal Facilities Agreement among the Navy, EPA, and Virginia DEQ was signed in 2003-2004.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   NPL listing 1998-99; site operations historical and ongoing

   Population

   NNSY workforce and surrounding environment

   Limitations

   Yard-environment documentation only; not a record of asbestos aboard this hull. The hull's presence at NNSY 2003-2006 is documented by its own command histories (ev-06) - the linkage is per-hull, but the Superfund record speaks only to the yard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-09

10. [10]Cross-source discrepancy: DANFS + COMSUBLANT (4 Jul 1976) vs. NVR (19 Jan 1981) vs. NavSource (6 May 1977, secondary) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NVR keel field vs. DANFS narrative, COMSUBLANT History page, and GAO Attachment 1 construction-start column

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Keel-date conflict documented, not reconciled: DANFS and COMSUBLANT give 4 July 1976 (a deliberate bicentennial keel-laying ceremony, boat unnamed); NVR gives 19 January 1981 - identical to the Secretary of the Navy naming date reported by COMSUBLANT, suggesting field conflation; the secondary NavSource compilation gives a third value, 6 May 1977. The GAO construction-start entry for this hull (2/76, ev-04) is consistent with the 1976 ceremony, not the 1981 NVR date. This record carries the DANFS/COMSUBLANT date (4 July 1976) - the two official narrative sources, corroborated by the GAO start entry - with NVR and NavSource values disclosed.

    Verification

    disputed

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-19

    Limitations

    Official Navy sources conflict; the NVR value equals the naming date (19 Jan 1981) and is inconsistent with the Navy's own 1979 construction-start entry (2/76) and the documented bicentennial ceremony. NavSource's 1977 value is secondary. DANFS/COMSUBLANT carried; the conflict itself is the documented fact. No builder's keel record was located to adjudicate.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-10

11. [11]Negative litigation finding across verbatim search of five retrieved N.D. Cal. Exhibit A/complaint rosters (gov.uscourts.cand.192004, .197119, .199308, .204620, .204934); CourtListener API and public search blocked (429/WAF) this session [court_record]

    Locator

    verbatim text search of retrieved exhibits incl. OCR of the scanned McIntyre complaint (3:08-cv-03070-EDL); blocked CourtListener searches sl-10/sl-11

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Litigation sweep result: verbatim full-text search of five retrieved N.D. Cal. asbestos complaint exhibits - Halseth (gov.uscourts.cand.192004), Cooks (.197119), Davis (.199308), McIntyre (.204620, image-only complaint OCR'd this session), and Cronin (.204934) - produced no qualifying asbestos-litigation reference to USS Florida / SSBN-728 / SSGN-728; every 'Florida' string was a state-name collision (parties, employment venues, corporate registrations). CourtListener itself was unreachable this session: the v4 search API returned HTTP 429 (125/day shared limit exhausted, ~12-hour reset) and public web search is AWS WAF-blocked (403); both logged as blocked in the search ledger, not as no-result. General web sweeps returned only non-citable marketing/law-firm pages asserting asbestos aboard this hull - excluded under the source rules.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-19

    Study period

    filings reviewed 2026-09-19

    Limitations

    Absence of a located pleading or opinion is not proof none exists - the CourtListener opinion and RECAP-docket repositories could not be queried this session (API daily cap; public search WAF-blocked), a narrower sweep than prior batches completed. 'Florida' is a high-collision name; state-name hits were discarded. A fresh CourtListener pass remains an open lead.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-11

12. [12]Negative finding across DANFS/NHHC (incl. 1983-2005 command-operation-report run), NVR, COMSUBLANT, DoD IG, GAO, NIOSH, EPA, and indexed litigation sources [other_primary]

    Locator

    see search_ledger sl-uss-florida-ssgn728-01..13

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Negative finding: beyond the 1979 Navy insulation designation (ev-04), no ship-specific asbestos execution record was located for USS Florida - no hull ACM survey, abatement contract, materials schedule, hazmat disclosure, litigation roster entry, or adjudicated exposure finding. The ev-04 designation is a specification-level statement (asbestos-free thermal insulation with residual ACM applications per Note 1), not a post-construction materials survey. The 2003-2006 NNSY conversion command histories contain no hazmat characterization.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-19

    Limitations

    Absence of a located record is not proof no record exists. An active in-commission SSGN's detailed materials/hazmat records are not public; no FOIA-derived hull documentation was located.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-florida-ssgn728-12