Evidence
6 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-6).
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[1]Gibbs v. Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Record No. 111870 (Va. Nov. 1, 2012), reported at 284 Va. 622, 733 S.E.2d 648 - official opinion PDF, Supreme Court of Virginia (vacourts.gov) [court_record]
- Locator
- Va. Supreme Court opinion, Record No. 111870, pp. 1-3 (facts) and Conclusion (reversed and remanded)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Published Virginia Supreme Court opinion names this hull in an asbestos wrongful-death action: '[o]ne of the submarines, to be commissioned as USS Lewis and Clark, SSB(N) 644, was scheduled for preliminary acceptance by the Navy in November 1965. In mid-1965, Gibbs was ordered to be part of the Lewis and Clark's pre-commissioning crew' testing and inspecting electronic systems; Gibbs 'brought a civil action ... alleging that while performing his duties aboard the Lewis and Clark he had been required to work daily in areas in which shipyard workers were installing asbestos products, that he had been exposed to large quantities of asbestos dust and fibers during this period and that he had contracted malignant mesothelioma as a result of this exposure.' The circuit court dismissed on workers'-compensation-exclusivity grounds; the Supreme Court REVERSED and REMANDED (5-2, McClanahan and Mims, JJ., dissenting).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1965 (alleged exposure window); 2008-2012 (litigation)
- Population
- Kenneth M. Gibbs, Navy electronics technician, pre-commissioning crew (mid-1965); Newport News construction trades
- Limitations
- The opinion recites pleading-stage allegations and resolves only whether the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act barred the action - a procedural question. It is NOT a finding that asbestos was aboard the hull, that Gibbs was exposed, or that the vessel caused disease; the merits were never adjudicated. Classified at pleading-allegation stage with a published appellate procedural ruling.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lewis-clark-ssbn644-01
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[2]NHHC DANFS, Lewis and Clark (SSBN-644) entry - construction and brief service narrative (live history.navy.mil page unavailable in this environment; Wayback capture of the official NHHC page used) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'Lewis and Clark (SSBN-644)' (Wayback capture)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 29 July 1963 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va.; launched 21 November 1964 (sponsors Mrs. M. F. Engman and Mrs. M. G. Sale); commissioned 22 December 1965 (Comdr. John F. Gagan, Jr., Blue Crew; Comdr. Kenneth A. Porter, Gold Crew). After shakedown and missile firing off Cape Kennedy, Fla., in 1966, joined the Polaris-equipped deterrent fleet; stricken 1 August 1992.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1963-1992
- Population
- Blue and Gold crews (1965-1992)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content and no spec block (complement unverified). Live NHHC page unreachable here - official page used via Wayback; defect disclosed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lewis-clark-ssbn644-02
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[3]Naval Vessel Register detail page, LEWIS AND CLARK (SSBN 644), via Internet Archive Wayback capture (live nvr.navy.mil detail page not reachable in this environment) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR SHIPSDETAIL_SSBN_644.HTML, Vessel Status and Milestone Dates tables
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NVR record: LEWIS AND CLARK (SSBN 644), ballistic missile submarine (nuclear-powered), class SSBN 640; status 'Disposed of by submarine recycling', status changed 09/23/1996; builder Newport News Shipbuilding; award 11/01/1962; keel 07/29/1963; launch 11/21/1964; commission 12/22/1965; decommission 08/01/1992; stricken 08/01/1992.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1962-1996
- 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-lewis-clark-ssbn644-03
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[4]Navysite.de, USS Lewis & Clark (SSBN-644) unofficial ship page - service compilation and disposition data (secondary compilation, corroboration only) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navysite.de/ssbn/ssbn644.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 (no Trident backfit), Blue/Gold deterrent-patrol operations, and inactivation. 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
- 1965-1992
- Population
- Blue and Gold crews; overhaul shipyard trades
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation - corroboration and service-era context only; not a primary source and cannot independently establish any material fact. No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lewis-clark-ssbn644-04
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[5]Class/era background - Benjamin Franklin-class SSBN, one of the '41 for Freedom' fleet ballistic-missile submarines [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 construction and overhaul 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
- 1963-1996
- Population
- NNS construction trades (1963-65); Blue and Gold crews (1965-1992)
- Limitations
- CLASS/ERA INFERENCE ONLY - never a ship-specific finding. The Gibbs opinion's recital that Gibbs alleged work amid installed asbestos products is a ship-specific allegation, but era inference cannot independently establish asbestos aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lewis-clark-ssbn644-05
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[6]Negative finding - ship-specific ACM documentation sweep (NHHC, NVR, web/govinfo, RECAP mirrors) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search ledger sl-uss-lewis-clark-ssbn644-05/06/07
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No hull-specific ACM documentation located beyond the Gibbs litigation record: no ACM survey, abatement contract, shipyard industrial-hygiene report, or Ship/Submarine Recycling Program hazardous-material disclosure naming USS Lewis & Clark (SSBN-644) was found in the sources searched. The hull does not appear in the Cooks, Halseth, Davis, Cronin, or Agena complaint exhibits extracted.
- 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 compilations, govinfo USCOURTS, RECAP-mirrored complaint exhibits, and the official Virginia opinion; CourtListener API/feed search was throttled and blocked during research (documented in search ledger), so litigation coverage is incomplete. The remanded Gibbs action's later outcome was not located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lewis-clark-ssbn644-06