Evidence
14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).
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[1]research packet 634-packet.md (3 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-newport-lst1179-pkt-634-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS / NHHC ship history page, 'Newport III (LST-1179)' (published 2016-04-11; live URL verified 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS 'Newport III (LST-1179)' page body text and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Third ship named Newport; laid down 1 November 1966 at Philadelphia, Pa., by Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; launched 3 February 1968; sponsored by Mrs. Claiborne Pell; commissioned 7 June 1969, Cmdr. Derwin T. Lamb in command. First of a new class of LST with over-the-bow ramp instead of bow doors and a stern gate for simultaneous offload from both ends. Assigned to Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, homeported Little Creek, Va.; alternated east-coast amphibious training with Caribbean and Mediterranean deployments. Decommissioned 1 October 1992; transferred to the government of Mexico 23 May 2001; stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 13 July 2001.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1966-2001
- Limitations
- Establishes identity, construction, service pattern, and disposition. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or industrial-hygiene information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-01
-
[3]Naval Vessel Register ship detail, NEWPORT (LST 1179), UIC 58179 (archived Wayback capture 2010-12-03; live nvr.navy.mil unreachable from research network on 2026-10-02 - connection timeout) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR LST-1179 detail table, all milestone fields
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NVR detail page records: Award Date 12/29/1964; Keel 11/01/1966; Launch 02/03/1968; Delivery 09/12/1969; Commission 06/07/1969; Decommission 10/01/1992; Stricken 07/13/2001; status 'Disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred, cash sale, ex-US fleet hull foreign military sale case number assigned', date status changed 05/23/2001; Custodian MEXICO; Builder 'NAV SY/PHILADELPHA'; hull material steel hull/aluminum superstructure; propulsion type Diesel Engines, 2 propellers; accommodations 13 officers / 227 enlisted; 'No changes to this information were reported since 08/31/2001.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1964-2001
- Limitations
- Official register milestones only; archived copy cited because the live NVR detail page was unreachable at research time - the archived page is labeled as such and is not presented as live. Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-02
-
[4]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, 'Tank Landing Ship LST-1179 Newport' page (navsource.net live URL verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource LST-1179 page: timeline block, specifications block, awards block, photo caption table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline: lead ship of a twenty-ship class; laid down 1 November 1966 Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; launched 3 February 1968 (joint launch/christening with USS New Orleans LPH-11); commissioned 7 June 1969; decommissioned 1 October 1992; laid up at Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility Portsmouth, VA, maintenance category C; struck 13 July 2001; transferred by cash sale to Mexico 23 May 2001, renamed ARM Sonora (A-4), renamed ARM Papaloapan (A-411) in fall 2001. Specifications: six 16-cylinder EMD 645E5 diesel engines on two shafts (3 per shaft, 15,000 shp), two controllable-reversible-pitch propellers, three EMD 12-cylinder 645E2 generator sets, 800-hp bow thruster. Awards shown: Navy Battle 'E', Navy Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal. Photo-documented career points: Amsterdam fleet visit 29 September 1972; Barcelona 11 November 1976; Valiant Blitz / Team Spirit '82; Solid Shield '85 off Camp Lejeune 1 June 1985; Sardinia-87; laid up Norfolk Naval Shipyard 8 October 1994 (photo DN-SC-95-01401); ARM Papaloapan (A-411) off Mississippi for Hurricane Katrina relief 9 September 2005 (U.S. Navy photos 050909-N-8154G-180/-168).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1966-2010 (page coverage)
- Limitations
- Volunteer-edited archival photo archive; timeline and captions document dates and events but the page contains no asbestos information. 'Final Disposition, fate unknown' line is superseded by 2025 DVIDS imagery showing the hull active in Mexican service.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-03
-
[5]Office of the Secretary of Defense (GulfLink/Force Health Protection), 'United States Navy in Desert Shield/Desert Storm' chronology, Tab A entry for 3 November 1990 [other_primary]
- Locator
- GulfLink USN chronology page usnavy_089, entry dated '3 Nov'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official DoD chronology records: '3 Nov - In Operation SHARP EDGE, USS NEWPORT (LST-1179) relieves BARNSTABLE COUNTY off Liberia.' Documents this hull on Operation Sharp Edge station off Liberia in November 1990 during her 1990-91 Mediterranean-West Africa deployment, concurrent with the Desert Shield period.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1990-11
- Population
- Crew embarked during 1990-91 deployment (not enumerated)
- Limitations
- Establishes operational presence only; no asbestos or shipboard-material content. Sharp Edge station off Liberia is distinct from in-Gulf Desert Shield/Storm service - the chronology documents the former, not combat-zone presence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-04
-
[6]Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), official DoD media: 'UNITAS 2025: Mexico participates with ARM Rio Papaloapan (A411)' (U.S. Marine Corps video by CWO4 Izzel Sanchez) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DVIDS video 977523 caption and tag 'ARM Rio Papaloapan (A411)'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official DoD imagery documents the Mexican Navy landing ship ARM Rio Papaloapan (A411) - the ex-USS Newport (LST-1179), rename chain per NavSource - arriving at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, on 14 September 2025 to participate in UNITAS 2025, confirming the hull remains in active service 57 years after launch.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2025-09
- Limitations
- The DVIDS caption does not itself state the ex-USS Newport lineage; the A-411 identification to this hull is carried by the NavSource rename chain (Sonora A-4 to Papaloapan A-411, fall 2001). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-05
-
[7]Halseth et al. v. General Electric Co. and Viad Corp., No. 3:07-cv-02543-EMC (N.D. Cal.), 'Complaint for Asbestos Personal Injury/Products Liability,' filed 2007-05-14, Document 1-2 Exhibit A pp. 4-5 (Brayton Purcell LLP); docket nature of suit 368 P.I.: Asbestos; filed federal court; terminated 2016-06-13. Complaint text via CourtListener RECAP index (gov.uscourts.cand.192004) and full-text filing mirror at FindForms [court_record]
- Locator
- Complaint Document 1-2 'Exhibit A', pp. 4-5, Halseth exposure table, 'Location of Exposure Philadelphia Naval Shipyard ... NEWPORT (LST-1179)'
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- PLEADING-STAGE ALLEGATION naming this hull. The filed complaint's Exhibit A exposure history for plaintiff Michael Halseth states that as a Navy/DoD electrician at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, 8/1968-9/1970, he 'performed layout and installation of electrical components during new ship construction of the NEWPORT (LST-1179), MANITOWOC (LST-1180) and SUMTER (LST-1181)' - installing wiring to refrigeration compartments, switchboards, and engine compartments, running electrical cables throughout the ship, and connecting boxes for the bow door-ramp - and 'recalls placing asbestos blankets over the wall-mounted controller boxes while holding them in place for the welder,' using asbestos blankets to protect himself and the boxes; he also recalls lead-coated wire with a cloth fabric interior and identifies Square D, Westinghouse, Temp Seal, GE control panels, Union Carbide Bakelite, and GE/Westinghouse wire and cable at the job site.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1968-08 to 1970-09
- Population
- Michael Halseth (Navy/DoD electrician, construction period); named coworkers Gary Moss, Mel Weems, Robert Groff
- Limitations
- Complaint allegation - the least-final litigation stage; unadjudicated. The allegation covers this hull's fitting-out and early-service window at the builder yard (Aug 1968-Sep 1970 spans post-launch construction, commissioning June 1969, and delivery September 1969). It asserts, but no court has found, that asbestos materials were present aboard this hull during construction. Case terminated 2016-06-13; disposition of Halseth's LST-1179-related claims (severance, settlement, or dismissal) not verified at research time - four plaintiffs shared the complaint. Does not establish exposure dose, causation, or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-06
-
[8]Agena et al. v. Cleaver-Brooks, Inc. and Husch Blackwell (successor to Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek), No. 1:19-cv-00089-DKW-WRP (D. Haw.), complaint removed from Circuit Court of Hawaii (CV 19-1-0074-01 JHA), Document 11-4 filed 2019-02-28 (Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman); docket cause 18:1962 RICO; terminated 2021-08-31. Complaint text via CourtListener RECAP document gov.uscourts.hid.143298.11.4 [court_record]
- Locator
- Complaint Document 11-4, paragraph 45 (Behlert service history) and paragraphs 71-81 (Aqua-Chem product allegations)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- PLEADING-STAGE ALLEGATION naming this hull. The removed RICO complaint alleges Cleaver-Brooks, as successor to Aqua-Chem Inc., concealed for decades that its boilers, Aqua-Chem/Water Tech water-distillation equipment, and Davis Engineering heat exchangers contained asbestos and were sold for use aboard Navy vessels; it alleges plaintiff Joseph A. Behlert 'served in the United States Navy during the approximate years 1970 to 1994, serving aboard the USS Newport (LST 1179) during the approximate years 1971 to 1974 and aboard the USS Peoria (LST 1183) during the approximate years 1974 to 1979.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- Alleged service 1971-1974; complaint 2019; terminated 2021-08-31
- Population
- Joseph A. Behlert (Navy crewmember aboard LST-1179, ca. 1971-1974)
- Limitations
- Complaint allegation - least-final litigation stage. The hull is named in the plaintiff's service history; the complaint's theory implies (but does not separately plead ship-by-ship) that asbestos-containing Aqua-Chem/Davis Engineering equipment was aboard Navy ships on which plaintiffs served - no adjudicated finding that such equipment was aboard LST-1179. Case terminated 2021-08-31; disposition details not verified at research time.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-07
-
[9]U.S. GAO report HRD-80-2, 'Navy's efforts to protect workers from asbestos exposure' (published 18 October 1979; product page and highlights verified live 2026-10-02) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO HRD-80-2 product page, Highlights section
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO reviewed the Navy's efforts to protect workers from asbestos exposure at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards, covering the use of asbestos in Navy ships, the cost of removing asbestos from Navy ships, and compensation programs. The Navy's 1975 policy was to remove and replace with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for necessary repairs; in 1979 this was modified to selectively replace asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- Report 1979; covers Navy asbestos policy 1975-1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers and ship crews (program level)
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation of Navy asbestos use aboard ships into the late 1970s; fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk, not Philadelphia. Does not name this hull or establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. Demonstrates that asbestos remained aboard in-service Navy ships (such as this one, 1969-1992) subject to a manage-in-place policy rather than wholesale removal.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-08
-
[10]Taylor v. Celotex Corp., 393 Pa. Super. 566, 574 A.2d 1084 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1990) (Justia full text verified live 2026-10-02) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion text, case history and trial-record discussion sections (393 Pa. Super. 566)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Pennsylvania Superior Court opinion reviewing a Philadelphia jury verdict ($800,000 compensatory; $100,000 consortium, later molded) for William Taylor, who alleged long-term occupational asbestos exposure over approximately forty years in the shipbuilding industry at New York Shipyard (Camden) and the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; trial testimony placed Taylor at PNSY working primarily on submarines between 1965 and 1984, and he identified Johns-Manville, Owens-Corning Fiberglas, GAF, and Garlock as products he worked with.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- Employment 1940s-1984; opinion filed 1990-05-07
- Population
- Civilian shipyard workers, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
- Limitations
- Yard-level litigation: the opinion documents asbestos conditions and products at this hull's builder yard but does not name LST-1179, and Taylor's PNSY work described at trial was primarily on submarines. Trial-stage verdict reviewed on procedural/product-identification grounds; establishes asbestos presence at the yard, not aboard this hull; no causation or exposure finding for any Newport crewmember.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-09
-
[11]Legal Newsline, 'Philly jury awards mesothelioma victim $7.25M in asbestos trial' (2014; verified live 2026-10-02) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Article body: verdict date, exposure period 1965-1970, product list, defendant findings
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Press report of a Philadelphia County jury verdict of $7.25 million (13 March 2014) for the estate of Edward Merwitz, a shipfitter who alleged asbestos exposure while working on U.S. Navy ships at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard from 1965 until 1970 - the exact construction window of this hull (November 1966 - June 1969). His work required handling asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, pumps, electric motors, turbines, control boxes, and electric wire, plus asbestos pipe covering and insulation. The jury found Buffalo Pumps, Westinghouse, Blackmer Pumps, General Electric, Greene Tweed, Square D, and Warren Pumps liable; RSCC Wire & Cable (formerly Rockbestos) was the sole non-settling defendant at verdict.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- Exposure 1965-1970; verdict 2014-03-13
- Population
- Philadelphia Naval Shipyard trades (shipfitters), 1965-1970
- Limitations
- Press account of a trial-court verdict, not a published opinion; case caption and appellate history not independently verified. Yard-level evidence - the account does not name LST-1179 among the Navy ships Merwitz worked on; establishes asbestos conditions and products at the builder yard during this hull's construction period only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-10
-
[12]NVR propulsion entry 'Propulsion Type: Diesel Engines' (archived capture) corroborated by NavSource specifications (six EMD 645E5 diesels, two shafts) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR detail field 'Propulsion Type'; NavSource specifications block
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: marketing-level asbestos web content (e.g., navyshipexposure.com Newport-class page) misdescribes this class as powered by 'two steam turbine plants producing 16,500 shaft horsepower' with boiler and steam-pipe asbestos systems. The official record shows a diesel plant: NVR lists 'Propulsion Type: Diesel Engines' and NavSource specifications list six 16-cylinder EMD 645E5 diesels on two shafts. No boilers or steam turbines exist aboard; asbestos-relevant systems are diesel exhaust lagging, gaskets, packing, cable insulation, and joiner/deck materials.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1969-1992 (service)
- Limitations
- Corrects a competitor-source claim, not an official record. Confirms propulsion type only; does not itself establish which asbestos products (if any) were installed on this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-11
-
[13]Batch-6667 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS live; NVR via Wayback; NavSource; DoD GulfLink; DVIDS; GAO; Justia appellate opinion; MARAD Vessel History Database; CourtListener API v4; RECAP document text via storage.courtlistener.com and FindForms filing mirror; general web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-newport-lst1179-01 through sl-uss-newport-lst1179-16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No ADJUDICATED ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, published opinion, verdict, or trial finding naming LST-1179 / USS Newport exists in the sources searched (see search_ledger). Two filed complaints naming the hull exist (ev-uss-newport-lst1179-06, -07) but both are unadjudicated pleading-stage allegations. The CourtListener opinion index contains zero hits for the quoted string 'LST-1179'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Pleading allegations establish that claims were asserted, not that the asserted conditions existed. The opinion-index negative is real but narrow (opinions only, quoted hull number); the 'USS Newport' opinion search was blocked by fleet pacing, and complaints/dockets not yet digitized or not captured by RECAP may exist. The hull remains in foreign service, so no post-service survey or disposal hazmat record can exist.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-12
-
[14]NHHC photo catalog USN 1140728 (Delaware River, 27 August 1969); companion NHHC items USN 1149793, K-78403, K-78404 (Little Creek, October 1969); NARA-held imagery documented via NavSource captions (NAID 6382334, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard 31 May 1984; NAID 6403481, Onslow Beach 1 June 1985); NARA deck logs for LST-1179 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC photo pages USN-1140728 / USN-1149793 / K-78403 / K-78404; NavSource caption NAIDs; NARA RG 24 deck-log custody
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads for deeper ship-specific research: NHHC's online catalog holds at least four cataloged photographs of this hull (Delaware River trials August 1969; Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek October 1969), NavSource captions identify two NARA-held images (NAID 6382334 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard during her 1984 yard period; NAID 6403481 during Solid Shield '85), and NARA holds post-1978 deck logs for LST-1179 that are not digitized. Command histories and yard-period work packages, if located, are the likeliest sources of any adjudication-grade shipboard-material documentation.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1969-1992
- Limitations
- Leads only - none of these sources has been reviewed for asbestos content and none is known to contain it; listed so future passes can target primary material rather than repeat negative searches.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-newport-lst1179-13