Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]research packet du-packet.md (1 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-norton-sound-av11-pkt-du-packet-md
-
[2]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Norton Sound [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Opening data line and paragraphs 1-14 (through 1969)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Norton Sound (AV-11), a Currituck-class seaplane tender, was laid down 1942-09-07 by Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. at San Pedro, launched 1943-11-28, and commissioned 1945-01-08. DANFS lists complement 1,247. She served off Okinawa in 1945, was converted for guided-missile testing beginning in 1948, reclassified AVM-1 on 1951-08-08, decommissioned 1962-08-10 for Typhon conversion, and recommissioned 1964-06-20. DANFS records Philadelphia, Long Beach, and San Francisco naval shipyard work and the Baltimore Typhon conversion.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1942-1969
- Limitations
- DANFS ends its operational narrative in 1969 and gives no period for the 1,247 complement. It does not identify asbestos products, abatement, individual exposure, or final disposal.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-norton-sound-av11-01
-
[3]Naval History and Heritage Command, United States Naval Aviation 1910–1995, Appendix 3, Seaplane Tenders (AV) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Appendix 3, page 435, Norton Sound row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The NHHC naval-aviation appendix identifies Norton Sound as AV-11 commissioned 1945-01-08, changed to AVM-1 on 1951-08-08, and finally decommissioned 1986-12-11.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1986
- Limitations
- Confirms identity, designation, and final decommissioning date; it does not establish final disposal or any asbestos condition.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-norton-sound-av11-02
-
[4]Covington v. Owens-Illinois Glass Co., No. GLR-12-461, ECF No. 108, memorandum opinion (D. Md. Oct. 5, 2012), court-authored PDF mirror [court_record]
- Locator
- PDF pages 1-2 (allegation and interrogatory answer), 5-7 (remand ruling)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- In Covington v. Owens-Illinois Glass Co., No. GLR-12-461, the District of Maryland recorded that plaintiffs' January 2012 interrogatory answers identified USS Norton Sound as a Navy vessel on which decedent Otis Garnes allegedly encountered asbestos. The court's 2012-10-05 order denied a motion to remand on removal-timing grounds.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- Alleged employment 1942-1967; order 2012
- Population
- Otis Garnes, alleged shipyard welder-burner exposure
- Limitations
- Verified only as a report of plaintiffs' discovery-stage allegation, not as a judicial finding that asbestos was aboard Norton Sound or that Garnes encountered any product there. Remand concerned federal jurisdiction and timing, not exposure merits. The PDF reproduces the signed court order on a non-court host; an official-host copy was not located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-norton-sound-av11-03
-
[5]Covington v. MCIC, Inc., No. 14-2055, 627 F. App'x 268 (4th Cir. Jan. 5, 2016), unpublished per curiam opinion [court_record]
- Locator
- PDF pages 4-6, especially page 5 (grounds for summary judgment)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- In the same Garnes/Covington asbestos action, the Fourth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for General Electric, MCIC, Wallace and Gale, and SB Decking because plaintiffs did not present evidence of exposure to those defendants' products sufficient for Maryland's frequency-regularity-proximity causation test; Wayne Manufacturing's judgment rested on lack of personal jurisdiction. The court reported voluntary dismissals or consented summary judgments for the other 58 defendants.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2008-2016 litigation
- Population
- Otis Garnes estate's claims against the named defendants
- Limitations
- The appellate opinion does not repeat Norton Sound's name; linkage is through the same Garnes/Covington action and district docket in the 2012 order. This is a merits-level negative for the specified product defendants, not proof that Norton Sound was asbestos-free or that no other exposure occurred. Wayne's disposition was jurisdictional. The opinion is unpublished and nonprecedential.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-norton-sound-av11-04
-
[6]U.S. Government Accountability Office, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (1979), product-page highlights [gao]
- Locator
- Highlights, paragraphs 1-2
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- GAO reported that, under the Navy's 1975 policy, damaged asbestos insulation or insulation removed for necessary ship repairs was replaced with nonasbestos material; the 1979 policy added selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. GAO reviewed Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1975-1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers generally
- Limitations
- Navy program and two-shipyard context only. The cited highlights do not name Norton Sound or establish asbestos aboard her, the scope of any of her yard periods, product identity, exposure, or removal. Full report was not used for a hull claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-norton-sound-av11-05
-
[7]National Archives, Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Beginning Research; General Information Books; Inspection Reports; Ship Engineering Drawings; Other Records
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA identifies RG 19 hull-specific Bureau of Ships correspondence, auxiliary-vessel General Information Books, and ship engineering drawings under S39 (insulation and lagging) and S48 (piping) as research paths for ship asbestos questions; RG 38 holds auxiliary-vessel material inspection reports. NARA says deck logs and muster rolls provide no direct evidence of asbestos materials.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1941-1961 guide scope
- Limitations
- Repository guide only. The relevant AV11/AVM1 drawings, books, correspondence, and inspection reports were not retrieved; their contents and any asbestos finding remain unknown. NARA warns that deck logs cannot directly prove asbestos materials.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-norton-sound-av11-06
-
[8]Naval History and Heritage Command, ZC Files — N; NHHC Archives Branch, Collection 94 finding aid [other_primary]
- Locator
- ZC Norton Sound (AVM-1) index entry; https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/research-guides-and-finding-aids/electronic-finding-aids/official-collections/coll-94.pdf , box 176, folder 38
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC's ZC-files index lists Norton Sound (AVM-1) change-of-command, welcome-aboard, and decommissioning brochures dated 1973-1986. A separate NHHC Archives Branch finding aid lists a USS Norton Sound (AVM-1) 'Decommissioning and Changes, 1948-1987' file in collection 94, box 176, folder 38.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1973-1986
- Limitations
- Finding-aid entries only; brochures and folder contents were not retrieved and no asbestos content is claimed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-norton-sound-av11-07
-
[9]Batch 3033 search ledger: NHHC DANFS and ZC index; NARA asbestos guide; GAO HRD-80-2; Covington district and appellate orders; CourtListener sweep status [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-norton-sound-av11-01 through sl-uss-norton-sound-av11-15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The primary-source review found no verified Norton Sound asbestos inventory, sampled material result, insulation specification, or abatement record. The located case is a vessel-specific allegation followed by adverse summary judgment for the remaining product defendants, not an affirmative asbestos-material finding.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- Research as of 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- A bounded public-source negative finding, not proof that asbestos was absent. RG 19/RG 38 materials, disposal records, the original interrogatory answer and trial-court summary-judgment documents have not been retrieved. CourtListener sweep status is recorded separately and may remain limited by fleet pacing.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-norton-sound-av11-08
-
[10]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory Detail 6129, NORTON SOUND (AV-11/AVM-1), digitized status card 6129_AF; NHHC photograph 80-G-381470 caption [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory identity fields and status-card image https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/cards/6129_AF.jpg ; NHHC photo caption https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/80-G-381000/80-G-381470.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD's Norton Sound database entry identifies the AV-11/AVM-1 hull, Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Corporation, and year built 1943. Its digitized status card says the vessel was at the Navy inactive ship facility in Bremerton, Washington, before MARAD traded it with other scrap ships to the Puerto Rico Maritime Shipping Authority and sold it to C.J.W. Shipping and Trading, Inc. for scrapping in Taiwan under contracts dated 1988-10-20.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1988 disposal; database year built 1943
- Limitations
- The card documents contracts and stated purpose of scrapping in Taiwan, not a completion certificate, arrival date, or asbestos survey. The page's Fate field is blank. MARAD's 'Year Built 1943' may represent the launch year: NHHC's photograph 80-G-381470 says the ship was photographed after completion on 1944-12-31. The disputed build-year field is omitted from top-level data. No present-day location or material condition can be inferred.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-norton-sound-av11-09
-
[11]Naval Sea Systems Command, Aegis Combat System history; Naval History and Heritage Command, U.S. Naval Aviation chronology, Chapter 11 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAVSEA first engineering development model paragraph; https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/publications/1910/11%20Chapter11.pdf , 15 October 1985 entry, page 454
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NAVSEA reports that the first Aegis engineering development model was installed on USS Norton Sound (AVM-1) in 1973. NHHC's naval-aviation chronology records the ship firing a Tomahawk antiship missile from the Pacific Missile Test Center Sea Test Range on 1985-10-15 in a test of the vertical launch system.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1973-1985
- Limitations
- Documents weapons-test milestones after DANFS's 1969 endpoint; neither source describes yard work, insulation materials, asbestos, or exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-norton-sound-av11-10
-
[12]CourtListener API v4 search, exact phrase USS Norton Sound; Jacobo v. United States, 853 F.2d 640 (9th Cir. 1988); United States v. Morris (military appellate opinion, 1980) [court_record]
- Locator
- Authenticated search returned 2 opinions; second hit https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/8662919/united-states-v-morris/ ; search_ledger row sl-uss-norton-sound-av11-12
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- An authenticated CourtListener API v4 exact-phrase opinion search for 'USS Norton Sound' returned two ship-specific but non-asbestos opinions: Jacobo v. United States concerns a tank cleaner's injury in a storage tank aboard the vessel; United States v. Morris concerns damage to electrical meters in the ship's after machinery room. Both are classified as other litigation, not qualifying asbestos litigation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1980-1988 opinions; search 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Negative only for this exact-phrase opinion query. The broad name search was partially paginated, and hull-designation and docket sweeps were not completed because the fleet helper withheld pacing tokens. Neither opinion proves anything about asbestos aboard the vessel; the Covington case was identified through separate primary court orders.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-norton-sound-av11-11