Evidence
14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).
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[1]Wineland v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., No. C19-0793RSL (W.D. Wash.), Order Granting Robertshaw Control's [sic] Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. #311), filed as Document 552 on 17 May 2021 (Lasnik, J.) - signed order text via counsel's hosted copy of the court record [court_record]
- Locator
- W.D. Wash. 2:19-cv-00793-RSL, Document 552 (filed 05/17/21), pp. 1, 5-6 - ship list, Fulton Sylphon equipment recitals, causation analysis
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Docketed federal asbestos action naming this hull: the estate of engineman John Dale Wineland alleged asbestos exposure from defendant products while he worked engine rooms aboard USS Dynamic (1963-66), USS PLEDGE (1966-67), USS Loyalty (1970-72), USS Tuscaloosa (1972-74), and USS Esteem (1978-80); he developed mesothelioma and died in 2018. The order recites record evidence that 'Fulton Sylphon 1.5-inch temperature regulators and temperature regulating valves were installed on the PLEDGE during or before 1955' (Dkt. #396-6 at 38, 62), that 'the Fulton Sylphon valves the Navy tested and approved for use on its vessels contained asbestos gaskets and packing' (Dkt. #396-14 at 2-3), and that the repair practices described 'would invariably create asbestos dust.' The court recited 'ample evidence to support a finding that Mr. Wineland was exposed to significant levels of asbestos dust while working in the engine rooms of the ESTEEM, the PLEDGE, and the TUSCALOOSA.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1966-1967 (alleged exposure aboard PLEDGE); 2021 (order)
- Population
- Engineman aboard USS Pledge 1966-1967 (alleged); MSO engine-room crew (ship-specific litigation record)
- Limitations
- Summary-judgment-stage record, not an adjudicated finding: the court GRANTED Robertshaw Controls' motion because plaintiffs produced no evidence that its products were installed in the engine rooms where Wineland worked - the asbestos-to-product attribution failed ('the jury would have to speculate'). A defense summary-judgment win is a merits-level negative for these plaintiffs, not exposure evidence. Equipment presence is the court's recital of plaintiffs' exhibits (ship records), not a finding of asbestos content aboard; 'significant asbestos dust' is the plaintiff-favorable evidentiary recital under the SJ standard. Does not establish that any individual was exposed aboard this hull, the quantity of any material, or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-01
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[2]Wineland v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., No. C19-0793RSL (W.D. Wash.), Order Granting Alfa Laval Inc.'s Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. #313), filed as Document 555 on 19 July 2021 (Lasnik, J.) - signed order text via counsel's hosted copy of the court record [court_record]
- Locator
- W.D. Wash. 2:19-cv-00793-RSL, Document 555 (filed 07/19/21), pp. 1, 4-6 - equipment recitals and PLEDGE-specific concession
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Companion summary-judgment order in the same action reciting record evidence of defendant equipment aboard this hull: 'Alfa Laval purifiers were installed in the aft engine rooms of the DYNAMIC, LOYALTY, ESTEEM, PLEDGE, and TUSCALOOSA' (Dkt. #394-2 at 15; #394-6 at 46; #394-7 at 17; #394-8 at 67) and 'DeLaval lube oil pumps serviced the main propulsion reduction gears installed on DYNAMIC, LOYALTY, ESTEEM, and PLEDGE' (Dkt. #394-2 at 15). For PLEDGE specifically the order records a plaintiff concession: 'Plaintiffs do not dispute Alfa Laval's contention that Mr. Wineland was not exposed to its products during his service on the PLEDGE' - his service records placed him in the forward engine room while the purifier sat aft, and plaintiffs' expert 'could not say that Mr. Wineland was exposed to asbestos from an Alfa Laval product while on that vessel.' Summary judgment granted to Alfa Laval on causation under maritime law (McIndoe substantial-factor standard).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1966-1967 (alleged exposure window aboard PLEDGE); 2021 (order)
- Population
- Engineman aboard USS Pledge 1966-1967 (alleged); aft vs. forward engine-room assignment documented
- Limitations
- Summary-judgment-stage record: documents equipment-presence evidence aboard this hull in a docketed case, while the exposure claim against this defendant for this hull was expressly conceded absent and the motion granted - a merits-level negative for plaintiffs, not exposure evidence. Does not establish that the purifier or pumps aboard contained asbestos, that any exposure occurred, or any quantity of material. Purifier cleaning tasks were described in the record as producing no asbestos exposure per defendant's uncontested industrial-hygiene opinion.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-02
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[3]DANFS/NHHC, Pledge II (MSO-492) - official NHHC page (published 2015-08-21; live URL returns 404 as of 2026-09-22; verbatim text via Wayback capture 2025-12-09) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS entry 'Pledge II (MSO-492)', data line and service narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official ship history establishes identity and lifecycle: the second ship named Pledge; Aggressive-class minesweeper laid down 24 June 1954 as AM-492 by J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Washington; launched 20 July 1955 (sponsor Mrs. T. F. Ultsch); commissioned 20 April 1956, Lt. Thomas D. Pfundstein in command. DANFS data line: dp. 630; l. 172'; b. 36'; dr. 10'; s. 16 k.; cpl. 72; a. 1 40mm.; cl. Aggressive. Service narrative: joined sister ships at Long Beach 25 May 1956 (homeport); trained July 1956-February 1957; WestPac March-September 1957; 'underwent modification from October 1957 to March 1958' (yard and scope not stated); WestPac deployments 24 August 1961 (Bangkok, Saigon, Da Nang special training to 17 February 1962), 12 August 1963 (ROK and Nationalist Chinese exercises), 13 August 1965 (coastal surveillance off the Republic of Vietnam 18 October-16 November 1965 and from 18 December into early 1966); 'Into 1970 Pledge remains active with the Pacific Fleet.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1954-1970
- Population
- Construction trades (J. M. Martinac, Tacoma, 1954-55); crew (~72 per DANFS)
- Limitations
- DANFS narrative ends ~1970 and contains no asbestos, material, hazmat, decommissioning, or disposal information. Documents operational history only; does not establish asbestos presence or absence aboard this hull. Live NHHC URL 404s; text verified via Wayback capture of the official page (2025-12-09). The 7 February 1955 MSO reclassification date rests on secondary compilations (NavSource, NavalCoverMuseum), not this DANFS text.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-03
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[4]NavSource Online, Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, Pledge (MSO-492) ex-AM-492 - secondary compilation transcribing DANFS/registry data, propulsion and disposal detail, call sign, and U.S. Navy photographs [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource MSO-492 archive page, chronology block, specifications, commanding-officer list, and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Secondary-source details pending primary confirmation: reclassified MSO-492 on 7 February 1955; call sign November-Oscar-Bravo-Foxtrot; propulsion four Packard ID1700 diesel engines later replaced by four Waukesha Motors Co. diesels, two shafts, two controllable-pitch propellers; armament as built one 40mm mount plus two .50-cal machine guns, final configuration twin 20mm mount replacing the 40mm; displacement 775 t; complement 78; sponsor rendered 'Mrs. Theodore Ultsch' (DANFS: 'Mrs. T. F. Ultsch'); sold to Taiwan 9 September 1994 under the Security Assistance Program and renamed Yung Teh (M 1309). Photo captions place the hull in Mine Division 73 formation with Illusive (MSO-448), Conquest (MSO-488), Esteem (MSO-438), and Gallant (MSO-489) out of Long Beach (All Hands, Aug 1965), and on Operation Market Time patrol off South Vietnam, October 1967 (USN photo 1142218 via National Archives).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1954-1994
- Population
- Long Beach-based crew (1956-1994); Mine Division 73 sisters
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation, not a primary source - reclassification date, engine-replacement detail, complement, sponsor-name variant, beam/draft variants (35'/12' vs. DANFS 36'/10'), and the 9 September 1994 sale date are unverified against primary records. None of this row's content is used to establish asbestos status. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-04
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[5]Naval Vessel Register (NAVSEA), ship detail for PLEDGE (MSO 492) ex-AM 492, UIC 08150 - Wayback capture 2016-07-26 of the legacy NVR detail page (last updated by NVR 2000-06-29) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR SHIPSDETAIL MSO_492 fields (status, dates, builder, custodian)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official register record for the end of U.S. service: PLEDGE (MSO 492), MINESWEEPER,OCEAN, class MSO 422 (Aggressive); builder J M MARTINAC SB CORP; keel 06/24/1954, launch 07/20/1955, commission 04/20/1956, decommission 01/31/1994, stricken 01/31/1994; status 'Disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred, cash sale, ex-US fleet hull foreign military sale case number assigned,' status-change date 08/03/1994; custodian TAIWAN; age since launch at disposal 39.1 years.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1954-1994 (lifecycle); 1994 (disposal)
- Population
- Crew at disposal; SAP/FMS transfer pipeline workforce (unquantified)
- Limitations
- Documents U.S.-side lifecycle and disposal mechanism only - contains no asbestos, material-condition, or pre-transfer hazmat information. NVR 'Award Date 12/29/1942' precedes the keel date and is an apparent data artifact (flagged in gaps); hull-material and propulsion fields are blank in this record. Current live NVR detail page is a JS shell returning no ship data; record verified via the archived official page.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-05
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[6]ETtoday (Taiwan), '65-year-old Navy Yung Teh warship honorably decommissioned' (18 March 2021) - ROC Fleet Command 192nd Fleet decommissioning ceremony for Yung Teh, 16 March 2021, Xinbin base, Kaohsiung [reputable_press]
- Locator
- ETtoday article text (ceremony date, MSO-492 ex-name, mission description); Navypedia Yung Yang-class page for the four-ship mapping
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Taiwanese press documents the post-transfer identity and end of service for this hull: the ROC Navy's 192nd Fleet held the decommissioning ceremony for Yung Teh on 16 March 2021; the ship was the ex-USS Pledge (MSO-492), purchased from the U.S. through the military-sales channel and commissioned into the ROC Navy in 1995 (one of four ex-U.S. ocean minesweepers transferred in 1994 and commissioned at Kaohsiung 1 March 1995 - with ex-Conquest MSO-488, ex-Gallant MSO-489, and ex-Implicit MSO-455, per NavSource/Navypedia compilations). Yung Teh's principal duties were mine detection and influence/mechanical sweeping; the article notes 65 years of combined service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1994-2021
- Population
- ROC Navy crew, 192nd Fleet (1995-2021)
- Limitations
- Press documentation of identity and decommissioning only - contains no asbestos, material-condition, or post-strike disposal information; final fate (scrap, target, museum) undocumented. The four-ship transfer-group identification rests on secondary compilations (NavSource, Navypedia); the ROC commissioning date (1995-03-01) is consistent across sources but not verified against an official ROC record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-06
-
[7]Department of Veterans Affairs (VBA), 'Navy and Coast Guard Ships Associated with Service in Vietnam and Exposure to Herbicide Agents' (VAVBAWAS/CO/211/AGENTORANGE, 14 November 2012 release) - verbatim text via third-party mirror; Pledge (MSO-492) entries [other_primary]
- Locator
- VA ship list, category II/III ship entries for Pledge (MSO-492), November 2012 release
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- The official VA ship list documents in-country Vietnam service for this hull: 'USS Pledge (MSO-492) entered inland waterway of Qui Nhon Bay on May 8, 15, and 21, 1971' and 'USS Pledge (MSO-492) docked to pier at Cam Ranh Bay intermittently from May 1-24 and June 26-July 31, 1971' - qualifying her crew for the herbicide (Agent Orange) exposure presumption under 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6)(iii).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1967; 1971; list release 2012
- Population
- Pledge crew during listed 1967/1971 Vietnam windows
- Limitations
- Documents herbicide-exposure presumption eligibility, NOT asbestos - a different exposure regime. Verifies Vietnam in-country operations only. The live VA ship-list page no longer serves the document (VA migrated to a vessel-locator tool); entry text verified via verbatim reproduction of the official November 2012 VA release at a third-party mirror - current-list status unconfirmed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-07
-
[8]U.S. Navy, Navy Ships fact file (dod-101), MSO 422 Aggressive class entry - verbatim mirror at Federation of American Scientists [other_primary]
- Locator
- Fact-file specifications block (Power Plant, Complement, Builders) + class narrative + ship table row 'Pledge MSO-492'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official Navy fact file documents the MSO-422 (Aggressive) class design to which this hull belongs (Pledge appears in the class ship table as MSO-492): ocean minesweepers conceived in response to Korean War mining, capable of sweeping moored and bottom contact, magnetic, and acoustic mines with AN/SQQ-14 mine-countermeasures sonar; builders include J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation; power plant 4 aluminum-block diesel engines, 2 shafts, 2,400 bhp; complement 77 active (7 officers, 70 enlisted). Documents a diesel propulsion plant for this class - no boilers and no steam distribution system. The fact file records the class disposal pattern: 'some to be disposed of by the Security Assistance Program (SAP) for cash sale and others to be sold by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping' - this hull went the SAP route.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1950s design era; disposal era
- Population
- Crew and yard workers (class context)
- Limitations
- Class-level fact file, not a hull record; names no materials and no asbestos. Establishes propulsion type only - it narrows the era-typical asbestos envelope (no boiler or steam-line insulation) but does not enumerate what insulation, gasket, or packing materials were installed aboard this hull. Wood-hull construction for the class is attested in contemporaneous press and secondary indices rather than an official material specification retrieved this pass.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-08
-
[9]U.S. EPA newsroom archive: 'Maryland Company and President Convicted' (1997-06-06) and 'Maryland Company and Owner Sentenced for Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act Violations' (1998-02-20) - Seawitch Salvage Inc./Kerry L. Ellis Sr., D. Md.; convictions later affirmed, United States v. Ellis, No. 98-4150 (4th Cir. Feb. 22, 1999) (unpublished) [other_primary]
- Locator
- EPA archive newsroom releases R-89 (1997-06-06) and R-22 (1998-02-20)
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- Official EPA enforcement releases document that the U.S. Navy disposal contract for Aggressive-class sister USS Illusive (MSO-448) required proper removal of asbestos and other hazardous materials before dismantling; that between May 1993 and September 1995 Seawitch Salvage directed employees to remove asbestos-containing material from the ships unlicensed and without protective equipment; and that the company and owner were convicted on felony counts (30 May 1997) and sentenced (13 Feb 1998: imprisonment, fines, probation). The appellate record for the same prosecution describes DRMS bid invitations for decommissioned minesweepers Illusive (MSO-448), Inflict (MSO-456), and Fearless (MSO-442) as identifying asbestos-containing compartments marked by the Navy before sale.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1993-1995 (violations); 1997-1998 (conviction, sentencing)
- Population
- Shipbreaking workers (Seawitch Salvage, Baltimore, 1993-1995); DRMS/Navy disposal pipeline (class context)
- Limitations
- Names sister hulls MSO-448, MSO-456, MSO-442 - not MSO-492; establishes asbestos aboard decommissioned Aggressive-class minesweepers and the Navy's contractual asbestos expectation at disposal, not aboard this hull. Pledge was exported to Taiwan via Security Assistance Program sale rather than scrapped through DRMS, so the DRMS-flagging pathway does not map to her disposal. The companion appellate opinion (unpublished) was not re-retrieved this session - trial-level facts above rest on the official EPA releases alone.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-09
-
[10]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO HRD-80-2 report text (spec-revision, delivery-window, and 'all ships contain some asbestos' passages)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos program: product specifications for thermal insulation were revised to asbestos-free in 1973, but already-purchased asbestos materials continued to be installed and 'some ships were delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978'; per the report the Navy stated that 'all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables' and that thermal insulation was the Navy's major use of asbestos aboard ships. This hull's entire construction (1954-55) and commissioned service (1956-94) fall inside the asbestos-specification era the report documents.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1973-1979 (policy window); hull era 1954-1994
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; Navy-wide program
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation - names neither this hull, this class, nor her builder, and establishes nothing about what was installed or removed aboard. Report documents shipyard-worker protection, not shipboard crew exposure. gao.gov blocks automated fetches (HTTP 403 on the product page); content verified via indexed verbatim text of the official report.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-10
-
[11]Era inference from documented plant and era specifications: U.S. Navy Ships fact file (diesel plant, MSO-422 class) + GAO HRD-80-2 (Navy asbestos-insulation era to 1973/1978) + class wood-hull documentation + Wineland record's description of routine gasket/packing work aboard sister MSOs [other_primary]
- Locator
- Synthesis: fact-file propulsion block + GAO HRD-80-2 era documentation + Wineland Doc 552/555 expert-opinion passages on routine MSO engine-room gasket/packing work
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era-typical asbestos applications aboard a 1950s diesel-propelled ocean minesweeper, inferred rather than proven for this hull beyond the litigation record: diesel exhaust-system and muffler lagging on the four main engines; machinery gaskets and packing (the Wineland record describes routine removal and replacement of gaskets and stem/shaft packing on valves, pumps, and engines by enginemen aboard sister MSOs of this class); electrical-cable insulation; deck coverings and cements; brake linings on winches, windlass, and minesweeping gear. Because the documented plant is diesel with no boilers or steam distribution, the boiler-room and steam-line insulation envelope emphasized for steam combatants does not apply - the residual envelope concentrates in engine exhaust and machinery spaces.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1954-2021
- Population
- Construction trades (J. M. Martinac, Tacoma, 1954-55); enginemen and sweep-gear operators (crew); ROC Navy crew (1995-2021); post-2021 disposal workforce
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, specification, or material schedule was located. Does not establish that any listed product was installed aboard this hull beyond what the Wineland orders recite (Fulton Sylphon valves aboard; asbestos gaskets/packing in Navy-approved Fulton Sylphon valves - attribution to Wineland's work spaces failed), any quantity, or past or present presence (the hull was exported in 1994 and her post-2021 fate is undocumented). The October 1957-March 1958 modification's yard and material scope are undocumented in retrieved sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-11
-
[12]National Archives, 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' index - Pledge (MSO-492) entry (Commission: April 1956; Decommission: January 1994) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA digitized deck-log index, Pledge (MSO-492) entry, year-month listing 1956-04 to 1970-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's official digitized deck-log index lists this hull with digitized monthly deck logs covering April 1956 through December 1970 - spanning the 1966-1967 window alleged in Wineland, the Vietnam coastal-surveillance and Market Time periods, and the October 1957-March 1958 modification. Deck logs are the primary-source record that would document machinery work, locations, and operations relevant to any exposure reconstruction.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1956-1970
- Population
- Pledge crew 1956-1970 (recorded operations)
- Limitations
- Index-level confirmation only - the individual log images were not retrieved or read this pass. Deck logs document operations and locations; they rarely name insulation materials, so absence of asbestos mentions in them would not be evidence of absence. Post-1970 logs are not in the digitized set (paper records likely at Archives II).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-12
-
[13]DANFS, Pledge (AM-277) - verbatim transcription via Wayback capture (2022-09-10) of the hazegray.org DANFS mirror; official NHHC 'Pledge II (MSO-492)' entry header 'II' establishes the two-hull sequence [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS AM-277 entry (data line, build/service narrative, sinking); NHHC 'Pledge II (MSO-492)' header 'II'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Hull disambiguation: this record covers the postwar/Cold War Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper AM-492/MSO-492 (built 1954-55, commissioned 1956, to Taiwan 1994). The first USS Pledge was a distinct WWII Admirable-class steel-hulled minesweeper - laid down 1 July 1943 by Gulf Shipbuilding Corp., Chickasaw, Alabama; launched 23 December 1943; commissioned 29 July 1944, Lt. Thomas Knotts in command; struck a mine and sank off Wonsan, Korea, 12 October 1950 after USS Pirate (AM-275) was mined alongside; one WWII battle star and a Presidential Unit Citation for Korean service. WWII-era metadata attached to this vessel belongs to AM-277; canonical operational designation for this hull is MSO-492.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1950 (AM-277) vs 1954-2021 (MSO-492) hull timelines
- Limitations
- The DANFS 'Pledge II' header on the official NHHC page establishes the two-hull distinction; AM-277 particulars rest on the DANFS transcription at the hazegray mirror (Wayback capture) - sufficient for disambiguation, not relied on for exposure findings. Marketing listicles conflate the two hulls in single tables (mesothelioma.com lists both AM-277 and AM-492 rows) - excluded as sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-13
-
[14]Batch-1392 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (Wayback); NavSource; Naval Vessel Register (Wayback); NARA deck-log index; VA ship list (official document via mirror); W.D. Wash. 2:19-cv-00793 signed orders via counsel-hosted PDFs; U.S. Navy fact file; GAO HRD-80-2; EPA enforcement archive; shipyards.json yard index; VA BVA index; CourtListener API v4 (blocked - quota); open-web litigation screening [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-pledge-am492-01 through sl-uss-pledge-am492-13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying hull-survey-type asbestos record located for USS Pledge (AM-492/MSO-492) or her ROC identity Yung Teh (MSO-1309): no asbestos survey, abatement contract, material specification, hazmat disclosure, or pre-transfer environmental report naming the vessel was found in the sources searched (see search_ledger). The CourtListener API sweep could not be executed - authenticated API returned HTTP 429 (shared 2,800/day quota exhausted, ~5.9 h to reset) - so docket-level litigation screening is open-web-level, not exhaustive; the Wineland record was located by that screening, and no other case caption, docket, or opinion naming the vessel was found. The indexed VA BVA decisions check returned no result naming the hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 2026-09-22
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the ship was built and served entirely inside the Navy's asbestos era, and sister-hull disposal records (ev-09) show the class carried documented asbestos at disposal; the Wineland orders document asbestos-litigation claims and equipment evidence touching this hull without adjudicated exposure. Equally, era inference does not establish ship-specific presence. Does not establish that asbestos is or was aboard this hull beyond the litigation record's contents, and does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. Litigation screening incomplete due to CourtListener quota block.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am492-14