USS FORRESTAL (CV-59)

Evidence

10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).

1. [1]U.S. Dept. of the Navy / DOE, Final EIS/OEIS for Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled Ex-Enterprise (CVN 65) and its Associated Defueled Naval Reactor Plants, DOE/EIS-0524 (June 2023) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Table 3.2-1 (p. 3.2-11) and Section 3.2.2.1.1 Asbestos (pp. 3.2-10 to 3.2-12); figures verified against downloaded PDF text

   Finding type

   environmental_record

   Finding

   The Navy's own disposal EIS tabulates hazardous-waste volumes generated during the dismantlement of ex-Forrestal (the completed 2014-15 All Star Metals project, used as the scaling basis for ex-Enterprise estimates): displacement 57,402 long tons; PCB wastes 6,742 tons (footnote: 'Includes liquids, bulk product waste (including contaminated asbestos), and paints that may also contain toxic metals'); Asbestos Only 2 tons; Other Hazardous Waste 2 tons; Total Hazardous Waste 6,746 tons; Non-hazardous Scrap 57,545 tons. The same section states ACM 'is found throughout Navy ships in insulating materials on piping systems, in electrical cables, and on ship structures,' that materials requiring abatement include 'asbestos lagging,' and that asbestos-only waste is small 'due to extensive PCB and/or toxic metal contaminates being included in the makeup of most insulating materials.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   2014-2015 (dismantlement); 2023 (EIS)

   Population

   All Star Metals dismantlement workforce, Brownsville, 2014-2015; Navy on-site monitors

   Limitations

   Ship-specific federal accounting of dismantlement waste naming this hull - establishes asbestos was encountered and removed during scrapping, including 'contaminated asbestos' inside the PCB waste stream. These are disposal volumes, not an installed-material inventory: no locations, original quantities, or remaining material are itemized, and no individual worker exposure is established. The 2-ton 'Asbestos Only' figure understates total asbestos encountered because most insulating material was commingled with PCB/metal contamination.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-forrestal-cv59-01

2. [2]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 1231330, Docket No. 12-03 673 (Sept. 12, 2012), St. Petersburg RO; Veterans Law Judge Shamil Patel [court_record]

   Locator

   BVA decision 1231330, Findings of Fact and Analysis sections (machinist's mate duties aboard U.S.S. Forrestal; claims-file Navy informational document; conceded exposure; grant of service connection for asbestosis)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Adjudicated VA benefits decision: the Board of Veterans' Appeals granted service connection for asbestosis to a veteran who served February 1965 - February 1967 as a machinist's mate aboard the U.S.S. Forrestal (verified by service personnel records). He testified his duties included work on the ship's boilers and that 'the boilers and pipes were coated in asbestos,' working 8-hour boiler-technician shifts and up to 16-hour days as a boiler repairman. The Board recited that the claims file contains 'an informational document on asbestos exposure in the U.S. Navy' listing machinist's mates among positions with possible exposure, that 'Boilers, pipe coverings, and insulation were listed as products containing asbestos,' and that 'The U.S.S. Forrestal was also listed among the ships known to contain asbestos.' The RO had already conceded in-service exposure; the Board likewise conceded exposure 'based on the Veteran's verified duties aboard ship' and found asbestosis etiologically related to service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   1965-1967 service; 2012 decision

   Population

   Machinist's mate aboard USS Forrestal, Feb 1965 - Feb 1967 (boiler technician/repairman duties)

   Limitations

   An adjudicated administrative finding - stronger than a pleading: the VA actually granted service connection for asbestosis on conceded in-service asbestos exposure aboard this hull. It is a benefits-level finding, not a tort product identification: the 'ships known to contain asbestos' statement derives from an unspecified Navy informational document in the claims file (its provenance is not reproduced in the decision), the boiler/pipe asbestos statement is the veteran's own testimony, and no manufacturer or product line is identified.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-forrestal-cv59-02

3. [3]Dumas v. ABB Group, Inc., 46 F. Supp. 3d 477 (D. Del. June 4, 2014), Civil Action No. 13-229-SLR-SRF [court_record]

   Locator

   46 F. Supp. 3d at 480-483 (plaintiff's service/allegation recitation incl. the 'overwhelming majority' quotation; locality/connection analysis; disposition)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Published opinion in a docketed asbestos personal-injury action: plaintiff Arthur Dumas, a ~20-year Navy veteran (June 1954 - August 1974), alleged asbestos exposure across ships and stations (USS Guide, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Forrestal, Enterprise, Ogden, Tidewater, and Vulcan) and stated that 'the overwhelming majority of [his] exposure [ ] relates to the times he served out of Virginia on the USS Forrestal - from about 1958-60 and about 1971-74, and the USS Enterprise pre-commissioning from 1960-61.' The court applied the Grubart maritime locality/connection tests, found them satisfied, and held maritime law applies (plaintiff's motion for Virginia law denied; defendants' maritime motion granted).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   1954-1974 (alleged exposure); 2014 (opinion)

   Population

   Sailor aboard USS Forrestal ~1958-60 and ~1971-74; alleged asbestos exposure

   Limitations

   Maritime-jurisdiction ruling only - the exposure allegations are pleadings/discovery-stage recitals and were never adjudicated: no product aboard this hull was identified, no causation established, no quantity stated. The case later produced a report-and-recommendation on substantial-factor causation (2015 WL 5766460, adopted 2016 WL 310724) and ended by stipulation of dismissal (D.I. 487, 2019); the exposure record remains allegation-level. Quotation verified against the opinion text mirrored at syfert.com; CourtListener rate-limited direct page fetch this session.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-forrestal-cv59-03

4. [4]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 1320323, Docket No. 09-03 390 (June 24, 2013), St. Petersburg RO; Veterans Law Judge Stephen L. Wilkins [court_record]

   Locator

   BVA decision 1320323, reasons-and-bases recital (claimed exposures incl. asbestos aboard USS Forrestal Oct 1968 - Jul 1970; Internet-article provenance) and remand order

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   VA benefits decision reciting an asbestos-exposure claim aboard this hull: a veteran aboard the USS Forrestal October 1968 - July 1970 (tractor driver responsible for daily turbine maintenance; crash fire truck rescue and flight deck operations courses) claimed his prostate cancer was related to service aboard, 'to include exposure to lead based paint, asbestos and other hazardous chemicals'; he also 'submitted an Internet article that reported that there was asbestos dust on the USS Forrestal.' The Board remanded for a VA examination on possible causation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   1968-1970 service; 2013 decision

   Population

   Tractor driver / turbine-maintenance sailor aboard USS Forrestal, Oct 1968 - Jul 1970

   Limitations

   Allegation-level only - the claim named asbestos among several claimed exposures and was remanded for examination without any finding on exposure or causation. The 'asbestos dust on the USS Forrestal' statement comes from an Internet article the veteran submitted, an unverified non-official source; the decision itself establishes nothing about asbestos aboard this hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-forrestal-cv59-04

5. [5]DANFS, 'Forrestal (CV-59)' - Naval Historical Center entry [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS spec block and Chronology/Significant Events (construction milestones; yard periods; 1967-68 repair; SLEP 1983-85; AVT overhaul 1992; decommissioning and stricken 1993)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry documents construction and career: laid down at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA (narrative prints '14 June 1952'; NavSource and a July 1952 official USN photo caption give 14 July 1952 - see gaps); launched 11 December 1954, sponsored by Mrs. Josephine Forrestal; commissioned at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, 1 October 1955 (CAPT Roy L. Johnson). Spec block: displacement 56,000; length 1,036 ft; complement 4,000+. Yard periods documented: 1966-67 Norfolk Naval Shipyard 'massive facelifting' incl. NTDS installation; post-fire repairs at Norfolk Naval Shipyard 19 Sep 1967 - 8 Apr 1968 incl. Drydock No. 8 (21 Sep 1967 - 10 Feb 1968); 28-month $694 million Service Life Extension Program at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Jan 1983 - May 1985 (drydocking, cold-iron status from Feb 1983, first boiler light-off 2A on 9 Oct 1984); $157 million 14-month AVT conversion overhaul at Philadelphia from 14 Sep 1992, cut short by the decommissioning decision. Decommissioned at Pier 6E Philadelphia and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day, 11 Sep 1993; ~400,000 nautical miles steamed, 376,500+ arrested landings.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   1952-1993

   Population

   Ship's company ~4,000+ plus embarked air wing; yard workers across listed availabilities

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy history for milestones and yard periods; contains no asbestos or insulation-material content - yard-period asbestos scope is inference from era practice only. Live history.navy.mil DANFS URL 404s; citation is the March 2008 Wayback capture of the Naval Historical Center page.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-forrestal-cv59-05

6. [6]DANFS, 'Forrestal (CV-59)' - 1967 fire chronology and repair entries [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Chronology entries 25-31 Jul 1967 (fire, casualties, Cubi Point) and 19 Sep 1967 - 8 Apr 1968 (NNSY repair incl. Drydock No. 8)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   On 29 July 1967 at Yankee Station, an electrical fault on an F-4B Phantom fired a Mk-32 Zuni rocket into an A-4E Skyhawk's external fuel tank; burning fuel and a chain of ordnance detonations raked the flight deck and after spaces. DANFS records 132 officers and men dead, 2 missing (presumed dead), and 62 injured. Forrestal moored at NAS Cubi Point, then returned to the United States; she completed extensive repairs at Norfolk Naval Shipyard 19 Sep 1967 - 8 Apr 1968, including Drydock No. 8 (21 Sep 1967 - 10 Feb 1968).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   1967-1968

   Population

   Crew aboard (fire); Norfolk Naval Shipyard trades (1967-68 repair)

   Limitations

   Documents the casualty and the repair yard period - a major structural disturbance relevant to exposure research - but the source makes no asbestos statement; the asbestos scope of the 1967-68 rebuild is inference from era practice and is not documented per-hull. Casualty figures differ across official sources: DANFS gives 132 dead + 2 missing/presumed dead + 62 injured, while Naval Safety Command/NNAM commemorative materials give 134 killed and 161 injured - figures recorded as printed, not reconciled.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-forrestal-cv59-06

7. [7]NAVSEA delivery-order announcement (22 Oct 2013) as carried on the NavSource CV-59 page; official DVIDS Navy photo captions for the 15 Jun 2010 Newport departure (VIRIN 100615-N-SQ684-016 / 100615-N-9852I-123); Philadelphia Inquirer departure reporting (3 Feb 2014); All Star Metals project updates (Feb 2014); NVR status line quoted verbatim by NavSource [reputable_press]

   Locator

   NavSource CV-59 operational/building data and status entries; DVIDS image IDs 1343119 and 290724 (15 Jun 2010); Inquirer 3 Feb 2014; ASM 'Forrestal' updates (Feb 2014); NVR status quotation

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Disposal chain: after museum donation produced no viable applicant (the Navy removed the ship from donation-hold status in 2004), the Navy towed ex-Forrestal from Naval Station Newport, RI to the NAVSEA Inactive Ships on-site maintenance office at Philadelphia on 15-18 June 2010 (official DVIDS photo captions). In May 2012 the Navy solicited proposals for dismantling ex-Forrestal, ex-Saratoga and ex-Constellation; on 22 October 2013 it awarded All Star Metals LLC (subsidiary of Scrap Metal Services LLC) a $0.01 delivery order under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract 'for the towing, dismantling and recycling of conventionally powered aircraft carriers stricken from the Naval Vessel Register,' with the contractor assuming all costs and recovering them through scrap sales. The hull departed Philadelphia under tow by the Lauren Foss (Foss Maritime) on 4 February 2014 and arrived at ASM's Brownsville, TX facility on 18 February 2014. NVR status as quoted by NavSource: 'AVT 59 has been scrapped by All Star Metals LLC on December 15, 2015. Certificate of scrapping, demilitarization and HazMat disposal is on file.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   2004-2015

   Population

   All Star Metals dismantlement workforce 2014-2015; Foss Maritime tow crew; NAVSEA inactive-ships staff

   Limitations

   Tow dates and sale terms verified via Navy statements carried in reputable press and official DVIDS imagery captions; the scrapping-completion date and the 'certificate of scrapping, demilitarization and HazMat disposal' wording rest on the NVR status line as quoted by NavSource (a volunteer archive) - the live NVR detail page returned only a generic shell template to automated fetch. The certificate's contents (materials, tonnages, abatement method) are not public in the sources located.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-forrestal-cv59-07

8. [8]GAO HRD-80-2 (1979), Navy asbestos worker-protection program report; GAO LCD-78-435 (1978), 'Extending the Service Life of Aircraft Carriers: Where Should the Work Be Done?' [gao]

   Locator

   GAO product pages HRD-80-2 and LCD-78-435

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program and its 1975/1979 insulation-removal policies - original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless a yard period disturbed it. GAO's separate 1978 report documents that the Navy planned SLEP for all four Forrestal-class carriers between October 1980 and November 1989 (28 months each) - the era's deepest machinery-space overhauls; Forrestal's executed SLEP (Jan 1983 - May 1985, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard) is documented in DANFS.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   1978-1979 (reports); executed SLEP 1983-1985

   Population

   Navy shipyard workers; SLEP planning

   Limitations

   Program-level documentation - prioritizes research and frames the disturbance pattern; it is not a per-hull fact and contains no Forrestal-specific material data. HRD-80-2 full text not retrievable (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, verified 2026-09-19); report scope per GAO product-page descriptions and the forrestal-class profile's documented read.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-forrestal-cv59-08

9. [9]Forrestal-class profile (class-b/forrestal-class.class.json); Navy/DOE EIS-0524 Section 3.2.2.1.1 era statement; DANFS/NavSource class construction data [other_primary]

   Locator

   Class profile ev-forrestal-class-01; EIS-0524 Section 3.2.2.1.1

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Class/era context: all four Forrestal-class carriers were built 1952-59 (Forrestal and Ranger at Newport News; Saratoga and Independence at Naval Shipyard New York) with eight-boiler, four-turbine steam plants in the peak years of Navy asbestos use. The Navy's own disposal EIS states ACM 'is found throughout Navy ships in insulating materials on piping systems, in electrical cables, and on ship structures.' Era-standard applications included boiler casing and fireroom insulation, steam-pipe lagging, turbine lagging, valve and flange gaskets and packing, deck tile, bulkhead fireproofing, and cable insulation. The Navy did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-19

   Study period

   1952-1993

   Population

   Construction trades (Newport News; Brooklyn) 1952-1959; crews and yard workers 1955-1993

   Limitations

   Era-standard application list plus the Navy's generic statement - prioritizes research only; it is NOT a ship-specific finding and does not confirm installed materials on this hull. The only ship-specific quantification is the dismantlement-waste accounting in ev-uss-forrestal-cv59-01.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-forrestal-cv59-09

10. [10]This record's search ledger: NVR detail page (shell template, no ship content); CourtListener 'USS Forrestal' / 'Forrestal' / 'CV-59' / 'CVA-59' / 'AVT-59' asbestos sweeps; NHHC command-operation reports; NAVSEA DoI; GAO full text [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-forrestal-cv59-01 through sl-uss-forrestal-cv59-10

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No hull insulation survey, abatement contract, donation-condition hazmat disclosure, or service-era material inventory located for this ship. No tort opinion identifying a specific asbestos product aboard this hull was located - Dumas v. ABB (ev-03) is the only qualifying ship-named asbestos opinion found across CourtListener name and hull-number sweeps and is allegation-level without product identification. The 'certificate of scrapping, demilitarization and HazMat disposal' reported on file by NVR is not public in the sources searched.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-19

    Study period

    2026-09-19

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence - the Navy's own EIS confirms asbestos was encountered in dismantlement, and the 2014-15 project would have generated contract hazmat documentation not located publicly (archival leads: NAVSEA SEA21 disposal files, the on-file scrapping/demilitarization/HazMat certificate, NARA RG 19 construction records, the claims-file Navy 'ships known to contain asbestos' document recited in BVA 1231330, and MDL-875 dockets beyond CourtListener coverage).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-forrestal-cv59-10