Evidence
5 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-5).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-498 (10/14/14498.htm), history extract credited to LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II (Turner Publishing, 1997) [other_primary]
- Locator
- History block, lines 17-30 of live page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource's USS LSM-498 history identifies this hull as an LSM-1-class landing ship built by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Texas: laid down 17 March 1945, launched 7 April 1945, commissioned 12 May 1945 with Lieutenant Richard R. Baker III USNR in command, assigned during World War II to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, and assigned to occupation service in the Far East from 12 September 1945 through 24 February 1946. It was decommissioned 2 May 1947 at Green Cove Springs, Florida, laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, sold in January 1959 to J.C. Berkwit & Co., converted to a barge, and reported scrapped during the 1980s.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1980s
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction workforce; U.S. Navy crew; post-1959 barge workers and scrappers
- Limitations
- Live hull-history compilation verified at navsource.net. The page attributes the history extract to a Turner Publishing volume and does not provide construction-contract records, an asbestos finding, a complete deck-log history, or a verified scrapping record beyond the reported 1980s disposition.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-498-lsm498-01
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[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-498 (10/14/14498.htm) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Specifications and propulsion blocks, lines 32-58 of live page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The live hull-specific specifications list LSM-498 at 520 tons light, 743 tons landing, and 1,095 tons full load; 203 feet 6 inches overall; 34 feet 6 inches beam; maximum speed 13.2 knots; complement 5 officers and 54 enlisted; troop accommodations for 2 officers and 46 enlisted; capacity for 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks, 6 LVTs, or 9 DUKWs; and two General Motors 16-278A reversible diesel engines producing 1,440 BHP each, with twin propellers and 2,800 shp.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1947
- Population
- Ship crew and cargo/troop users
- Limitations
- The page supplies design and specification data but does not identify insulation materials, asbestos content, maintenance work, or present-day condition. Diesel propulsion means this record does not support a steam-boiler or steam-turbine claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-498-lsm498-02
-
[3]Jacqueline Karnell Corn and Jennifer Starr, Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding, American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Article abstract and historical discussion of WWII shipbuilding asbestos use
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Historical scholarship documents extensive asbestos use as fireproofing and insulation in U.S. shipbuilding during World War II. For a WWII-era diesel landing ship, era-standard applications can include machinery or exhaust insulation, gaskets, packing, electrical insulation, and brake linings. These are class/era applications only and are not documented as installed aboard LSM-498.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- World War II; article published 1987
- Population
- WWII shipbuilding workforce and naval crews
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarship does not name LSM-498, Brown Shipbuilding, or any particular installation aboard this hull. It does not establish asbestos presence, quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation for this vessel or any person.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-498-lsm498-03
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[4]U.S. Government Accountability Office, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product-page Highlights section; full report not retrieved
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO's Navy asbestos-protection review describes Navy policies governing asbestos insulation removal and replacement during the 1970s, including the use of asbestos in Navy ships and the cost of removing it. This establishes Navy-program context for asbestos management during the postwar period, not a material finding for LSM-498.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1975-1979 policy window
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers and Navy asbestos-program personnel
- Limitations
- Program-level source, not a hull record; the full report was not retrieved because the PDF endpoint was inaccessible to automated access. The product-page description does not establish what material was installed, removed, or retained aboard LSM-498.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-498-lsm498-04
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[5]Authenticated CourtListener API v4 searches through cl-auth-search.py; exact-name and exact-hull queries logged in this record's search ledger [court_record]
- Locator
- Search-ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-498-lsm498-04 through sl-uss-lsm-498-lsm498-07
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record was located in the public sources searched: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material specification, or verified asbestos-litigation record naming USS LSM-498 was located. CourtListener exact-name and exact-hull searches were made through the authenticated helper; no qualifying hit was identified in the completed result set.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- A negative public-source search does not prove absence of asbestos aboard the hull and does not defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener coverage was constrained by the fleet-paced helper and Firecrawl was unavailable after reporting a multi-hour quota stand-down; unlocated records may exist in non-digitized Navy, shipyard, or court files.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-498-lsm498-05