Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]DANFS, Nautilus (SSN-571) — construction, 'underway on nuclear power', Operation Sunshine, Portsmouth overhauls, service narrative (verbatim transcription; live NHHC DANFS page returned 404 on 2026-09-19) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narrative and spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 14 June 1952 at Electric Boat Co., Division of General Dynamics Corp., Groton (President Truman officiating); launched 21 January 1954 (sponsor Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower); commissioned 30 September 1954, Cmdr. E. P. Wilkinson; first 'underway on nuclear power' 17 January 1955. Operation Sunshine: first submerged transit of the geographic North Pole, 3 August 1958 (2315 EDST); Presidential Unit Citation. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard availabilities documented: first complete overhaul 28 May 1959–15 August 1960; second overhaul entered 17 January 1964 (returned to homeport 2 May 1966); returned to Portsmouth August 1967 for another year's stay (back to New London December 1968).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1952-1970
- Population
- EB construction trades (1952-54); Portsmouth NSY yard trades (1959-60, 1964-66, 1967-68 availabilities); crew (1954-1980)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Yard-period asbestos disturbance is era inference, not a per-hull record. DANFS narrative ends circa 1970 — it does not cover the 1979-82 Mare Island inactivation/conversion or 1980 decommissioning. Live NHHC DANFS page returned 404; verbatim HazeGray/LostHistory transcription used.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-nautilus-ssn571-01
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[2]NPS National Historic Landmarks list (CT section): 'Nautilus (USS) (SSN-571) — 05/20/82, Groton, New London County, CT'; NPS NHL/NRHP nomination form, NRIS 79002653 (npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/79002653_text, extracted via pdftotext) [nps]
- Locator
- NPS NHL-by-state list, Connecticut; NPGallery NRIS 79002653 asset page; nomination form Items 7-8
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Nautilus was designated a National Historic Landmark on 20 May 1982 (NPS NHL-by-state list) and is on the National Register (NRIS 79002653, Groton/Naval Submarine Base; asset record dates the listing 1979). The February 12, 1982 NPS nomination (James W. Sheire, NPS Division of History) records the ship at Mare Island Naval Shipyard 'being prepared for display as a public monument near the place of her construction at Groton, Connecticut,' describes the STR Mark II pressurized-water plant and twin geared turbines on two shafts, and states significance dates 1955-80.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1979; 1982
- Population
- Museum visitors and maintenance staff (contemporary)
- Limitations
- The nomination's description section covers compartments, reactor plant, and habitability — it contains NO asbestos or insulation-material statement, so it does not characterize the hull's materials. Nomination text gives the keel ceremony as 'June 12, 1952,' conflicting with DANFS's 14 June 1952 (DANFS used; discrepancy in gaps). Designation documents significance and condition, not fiber content; establishes no exposure for any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-nautilus-ssn571-02
-
[3]CHIPS (official DON CIO magazine), 'Nautilus SSN-571, First Nuclear-powered Submarine' (2014-09-30, via Wayback 2025-02-12 capture — live doncio.navy.mil rejected automated fetch); NavSource-hosted scan of the 1980-03-03 decommissioning ceremony program and captioned USN photos; Conn. Gen. Stat. §3-110d [other_primary]
- Locator
- CHIPS article text; navsource.org/archives/08/08571.htm (ceremony program + inactivation/conversion photo captions); cga.ct.gov §3-110d; portal.ct.gov state-ship page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Post-service arc for this hull: decommissioned 1980 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard (exact date 3 March 1980 per the scanned decommissioning-ceremony program hosted at NavSource and concordant secondary sources; NHL nomination confirms 'Decommissioned in 1980 ... presently at Mare Island'). After 'an extensive historic ship conversion at Mare Island Naval Shipyard' she was towed to Groton, arriving 6 July 1985, and on 11 April 1986 the historic ship Nautilus and the Submarine Force Museum opened to the public (CHIPS). Connecticut designated her state ship (CGS §3-110d; 1983 General Assembly per portal.ct.gov).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1979-1986
- Population
- Mare Island conversion trades (1981-82); museum staff and visitors (1986-present)
- Limitations
- The 1981-82 'historic ship conversion' scope — including whether any asbestos abatement was performed — is not publicly characterized in these sources. NavSource is a volunteer photo archive hosting scanned Navy artifacts (document host, not issuer); the ceremony program is the underlying artifact. Exact stricken date (same day) rests on secondary concordance — NVR carries no entry (pre-1987 disposal outside NVR coverage). Establishes no exposure for any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-nautilus-ssn571-03
-
[4]Navy/DVIDS releases: 'Navy celebrates commencement of long-anticipated preservation of Historic Ship Nautilus' (407728, 2021-10-15); 'USS Nautilus Returns to NHHC Fleet' (428408, 2022-08-31); 'Historic Ship Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum conducts Change of Charge' (449210, 2023-07-14) [other_primary]
- Locator
- dvidshub.net/news/407728/, /news/428408/, /news/449210/
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documents a ~$36 million Navy preservation project for this hull, October 2021–August 2022: towed from the museum berth to Naval Submarine Base New London for dry-docking; scope included hull and superstructure repair/painting, topside decking replacement, internal/external tank and void inspection, and lighting/electrical upgrades; workers from the Navy and Electric Boat plus teak-deck specialists from Mystic Seaport. Returned to NHHC's artifact fleet 4 August 2022; reopened to the public 9 September 2022; finished ahead of schedule and under budget (449210). Only nuclear-powered U.S. naval vessel open for general visitation; ~100,000+ annual visitors pre-closure.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 2021-2023
- Population
- Preservation/drydock workers incl. EB trades (2021-22); museum staff
- Limitations
- The public releases describe preservation scope — structural work, coatings, decking, tanks/voids, electrical — but contain NO asbestos or hazardous-material characterization. Whether ACM was encountered or abated during the drydocking is not stated in the public record reviewed. Does not establish exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-nautilus-ssn571-04
-
[5]UPI, 'Nautilus completes polar trip' (1958-08-08); DANFS spec block (cpl. 105); USNI Naval History (Aug 2008) party breakdown [reputable_press]
- Locator
- UPI archive story (1958-08-08); DANFS spec block; USNI Naval History 2008-08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: the widely quoted figure of ~116 aboard Nautilus was the Operation Sunshine polar-transit party, not the ship's complement. Contemporary UPI reporting says 'Anderson and 116 crewmen sailed aboard the Nautilus'; a 2008 USNI Naval History account gives '15 officers, 103 enlisted men, and four civilians' — the composition breakdown varies by source. DANFS lists the complement as 105. The ~116 figure is voyage-specific and must not be used as the complement.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1958
- Population
- ~116-122-person polar transit party; 105 design complement
- Limitations
- Corrects a specific misreading, not a material claim; no asbestos content. Party-composition variants (UPI '116 crewmen' + CO; USNI 15+103+4=122; other accounts 111 crew + 4 scientists) are unresolved across sources — carried in gaps, none asserted as exact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-nautilus-ssn571-05
-
[6]Kase v. Metalclad Insulation Corp., 6 Cal.App.5th 623 (Cal. Ct. App., 1st Dist., Div. One, filed 2016-11-22; related opinion 5 Cal.App.5th 1249) — also on CourtListener (opinions 4324658/4332654) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion text (Justia A143590; vLex 6 Cal.App.5th 623); specification-history discussion
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Court-documented era regime: the Navy procured asbestos-containing insulation (Unibestos) for nuclear submarines at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in the early 1970s under performance/testing specifications (MIL-I-2781, MIL-I-24244) that — per undisputed record evidence — could only be met by asbestos-containing insulation, and Unibestos was the only product on the Navy's approved list. This documents the submarine asbestos-insulation spec regime applicable to Nautilus's era and later availabilities.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 2016 (opinion); regime described covers Nautilus-era submarine insulation procurement
- Population
- Navy submarine construction/maintenance trades; Mare Island insulation workers
- Limitations
- Nautilus is not named in the opinion; documents the era spec regime only. Kase's exposure was early-1970s Mare Island submarine work — the opinion establishes procurement specifications, not materials aboard this hull. Citation corrected this batch: 1st Dist. Div. One, 2016, 6 Cal.App.5th 623 (prior batch text read '4th Dist. 2021'). Does not establish exposure, causation, quantity, or eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-nautilus-ssn571-06
-
[7]Era inference built on: DANFS spec block and service narrative (S2W/STR Mark II plant per NHL nomination; Portsmouth availabilities 1959-60, 1964-66, 1967-68; Mare Island inactivation/conversion 1979-82); shipyard-exposure-map documented asbestos product lists for Electric Boat/Groton, Portsmouth NSY, and Mare Island NSY (thermal insulation, submarine steam/propulsion lagging, gaskets, packing, block insulation) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS spec block; NHL nomination item 7 (plant description); shipyards.json product lists for electric-boat-groton, portsmouth-naval-shipyard, mare-island-naval-shipyard
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A first-generation nuclear submarine built 1952-54 at Electric Boat and maintained through Navy-yard availabilities across the 1950s-70s sits inside the Navy's peak asbestos-use era; era-standard applications on the secondary steam plant (steam generators to turbines) and auxiliary systems included thermal/pipe insulation, gaskets, packing, and machinery insulation. All three yards' asbestos product use in this period is independently documented at the yard level.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1952-1980; 2021-22
- Population
- EB construction trades (1952-54); PNSY/EB/Mare Island yard trades; crew (1954-1980); museum/preservation workers
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only — no hull-specific insulation survey or material list located for SSN-571. Names era-standard applications on non-nuclear auxiliary/secondary systems, not confirmed installed materials; the S2W reactor plant establishes nothing. No quantity; current material condition of the museum hull undocumented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-nautilus-ssn571-07
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (1979-10-18) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s — covering all of Nautilus's 1952-54 construction and the bulk of her service-era insulation events.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403 — verified again 2026-09-19); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-nautilus-ssn571-08
-
[9]Leonard v. CBS Corp. (General Dynamics), No. 2:12-cv-60177 (E.D. Pa., MDL-875, Robreno J.) — memorandum ECF 61 and orders ECF 62-63 (signed 2014-01-28, entered 2014-01-30) granting summary judgment to General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls; Cronin v. Todd Shipyards Corp., No. 3:08-cv-03274 (N.D. Cal., filed 2008-06-18), complaint Exhibit A (ECF 1-2) [court_record]
- Locator
- Leonard v. CBS, 2:12-cv-60177 (E.D. Pa.), ECF 61 (memorandum), ECF 62-63 (orders, MSJ granted); Cronin v. Todd Shipyards, 3:08-cv-03274 (N.D. Cal.), ECF 1-2 (Exhibit A vessel list)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- QUALIFYING asbestos litigation naming this hull — both at the allegation stage, none adjudicated: (1) Leonard v. CBS — the MDL-875 summary-judgment opinion recites that plaintiff John Leonard's alleged exposure pertinent to General Dynamics occurred during his work at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in the early 1960s aboard five Electric Boat-built submarines, explicitly including 'USS Nautilus'; General Dynamics' motion was granted on the government-contractor defense (merits-level defense outcome — no exposure finding was reached). (2) Cronin v. Todd Shipyards — the complaint's Exhibit A work history for a Mare Island electrical engineer (1978-1995) lists 'NAUTILUS (SSN-571)' among vessels on which the decedent worked (pleading-stage allegation). Context-only hits verified in the prior pass: Varnum v. Air & Liquid Systems (Naval Reactors/Nautilus as program history in an expert report); United States v. General Dynamics Electric Boat (procurement matter, Nautilus as EB corporate history).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1960-1980 (alleged exposure windows); 2008-2014 (litigation)
- Population
- John Leonard (Mare Island NSY worker, alleged exposure early 1960s); Cronin decedent (Mare Island electrical engineer 1978-1995)
- Limitations
- Unadjudicated allegations — a recited claim in an SJ opinion and a complaint exhibit; no court found exposure occurred aboard this hull, and no materials data is supplied by these references. Leonard's alleged early-1960s Mare Island window is the plaintiff's pleading: the accessible DANFS narrative shows Atlantic operations and Portsmouth overhauls in that window; documented Mare Island presence is a brief May 1958 visit and the 1979-82 inactivation/conversion. Verification provenance: opinion/exhibit content verified in the repo's QA-02 pass (2026-09-15); docket metadata and disposition independently re-verified 2026-09-19 via UniCourt (Leonard) and PlainSite (Cronin); CourtListener itself was rate-limited today, so opinion text was not re-pulled.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-nautilus-ssn571-09
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[10]Batch-400 search ledger (this record): DANFS transcription; NPS NHL list + NRIS + nomination (text extracted); DVIDS/NAVSEA releases; CHIPS/DON CIO (Wayback); CT statute/portal; UPI archive; CourtListener searches (blocked 2026-09-19 — QA-02 2026-09-15 classifications carried); GAO product page; UniCourt/PlainSite docket metadata; NVR; ussnautilus.org [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-nautilus-ssn571-01 through -16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No ship-specific asbestos materials record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or materials itemization naming USS Nautilus (SSN-571) was found in official/authoritative sources. The 2021-22 preservation releases and the 1981-82 conversion descriptions contain no ACM characterization; the NHL nomination contains no materials statement. Litigation references exist (ev-09) but are unadjudicated allegations, not materials documentation. CourtListener searches could not be re-run today (API 429, ~11.8h reset; web UI 403) — the QA-02 2026-09-15 classifications are carried ('USS Nautilus': qualifying Leonard + Cronin docket hits, context Varnum/US-v-GDEB, assorted collisions; 'SSN-571': name-collision/other-litigation matches plus the same qualifying dockets).
- 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 of asbestos aboard. The preserved hull's interior material condition is not publicly characterized; museum maintenance records, if any exist, are not public. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. CourtListener re-verification is an open lead blocked by the shared daily rate limit.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-nautilus-ssn571-10
-
[11]NARA catalog record 132353695 — the NHL documentation file for USS Nautilus (SSN-571), linked from the official NPS NHL-by-state list entry [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/132353695 (linked from NPS NHL-by-state list, Connecticut section)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The National Archives holds the NHL documentation file for this hull (catalog.archives.gov/id/132353695, the link target of the NPS NHL list entry). The file may contain period photographs, the administrative record of the 1982 designation, and any supplementary material description beyond the published nomination — a concrete archival lead for the hull's material condition that has not been pulled.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Limitations
- Not retrieved — catalog page is JS-rendered and the file contents were not reviewed; whether it contains any materials/asbestos information is unknown. An archival lead, not a finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-nautilus-ssn571-11