Evidence
16 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-16).
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[1]DANFS, Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601) entry - (1970) Vol. 6, pp. 292-293 plus post-service supplement (NHHC canonical page, verified live 2026-09-29) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Vol. 6 pp. 292-293 + supplement (NHHC canonical page)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 25 August 1958 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va.; launched 18 December 1959, sponsored by Mrs. Robert E. Lee IV (the general's granddaughter); commissioned 16 September 1960, Comdr. Reuben F. Woodal (Blue) and Comdr. Joseph Williams Jr. (Gold) in command. Third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine to join the fleet and the first nuclear-powered ship built in the South. Shakedown and qualification at sea; departed for first deterrent patrol August 1961; operated alternately from Holy Loch, Scotland, and Charleston, S.C.; completed at least 33 deterrent patrols by 1 January 1971. First major overhaul at Mare Island beginning February 1965, including reactor refueling and modification for the Polaris Mk 3 system; second overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard beginning January 1971.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1958-1991
- Population
- Newport News construction trades (1958-60); Blue/Gold crews (1960-1983); Mare Island and PSNSY overhaul trades
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. NHHC DANFS canonical page verified live 2026-09-29 (hazegray.org transcription superseded). The DANFS text ends its active narrative around the mid-1970s; later events (final Polaris patrol Oct 1981, SSN-601 reclassification, decommissioning) rest on NVR plus secondary compilations (ev-02, ev-09, ev-10).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-01
-
[2]Naval Vessel Register detail page, ROBERT E LEE (SSN 601) (ex-SSBN 601), via Internet Archive Wayback (live nvr.navy.mil detail pages not reachable in this environment) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR SHIPSDETAIL_SSN_601.HTML, Vessel Status and Milestone Dates tables (Wayback)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NVR record: ROBERT E LEE (SSN 601), ex-SSBN 601; builder Newport News Shipbuilding; class field 'SSN 598' (George Washington class); award 07/30/1958; keel 08/25/1958; launch 12/18/1959; delivery/commission 09/16/1960; decommission 12/01/1983; stricken 04/30/1986; status 'Disposed of by submarine recycling', status changed 09/30/1991; custodian Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1957-1991
- Limitations
- Official register of status and milestone dates only; no asbestos or material information. NavSource gives a simultaneous decommission/stricken date of 30 Nov 1983 - conflict with NVR's 12/01/1983 decommission and 04/30/1986 stricken carried in gaps (NVR controls).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-02
-
[3]DANFS, Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601) entry (NHHC canonical page; substituted 2026-09-29 for the unreachable hrnm.navy.mil Hampton Roads Naval Museum feature) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS page, Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official Navy museum account corroborates: Robert E. Lee was built at Newport News Shipbuilding using a hull and machinery sections originally begun for the Skipjack-class attack submarine Shark (SSN-591), reordered and completed as a George Washington-class SSBN - consistent with the George Washington-class expedited-construction pattern documented for the class lead (SSBN-598 was similarly converted on the ways). 'First nuclear-powered ship built in the South' corroborates DANFS.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1958-1960
- Population
- Newport News construction trades (1958-60)
- Limitations
- Citation substituted 2026-09-29: hrnm.navy.mil unreachable; NHHC DANFS canonical page (verified live) now cited for the vessel history. The Shark-SSN-591 component-reuse detail was originally documented from the museum feature and is carried as secondary (consistent with DANFS-era class accounts), not re-verified against DANFS; no asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-03
-
[4]Redman v. A.W. Chesterton Company, et al., No. 3:08-cv-03013-JSW (N.D. Cal.), complaint with embedded Exhibit A, Document 1 (filed 2008-06-18); retrieved as RECAP storage PDF gov.uscourts.cand.204462.1.0.pdf [court_record]
- Locator
- Document 1, embedded Exhibit A jobsite table, PDF p.15 of 27 (RECAP gov.uscourts.cand.204462.1.0.pdf)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Asbestos survival/wrongful-death complaint (Paul & Hanley LLP; decedent Ronald Redman, Newport News Shipbuilding pipefitter/steamfitter, died of mesothelioma 21 Oct 2007) embeds Exhibit A alleging occupational asbestos exposure at listed jobsites - including 'USS ROBERT E. LEE' at NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING & DRYDOCK COMPANY, Newport News, VA, with a 1/1/1960-12/31/1961 employment window shown on the exhibit table. Verified by local OCR (tesseract) of the scanned archived RECAP PDF (exhibit table on PDF p.15 of 27). This hull is named at its own builder's yard during its construction-era window.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1960-1961 (alleged exposure window); 2008 (filing)
- Population
- Ronald Redman (Newport News Shipbuilding pipefitter/steamfitter); successor plaintiffs
- Limitations
- Pleading-stage allegation (complaint exhibit), unadjudicated - not an individualized exposure finding. The OCR'd exhibit table associates vessels with employer entries and year windows; cell alignment is partially legible, so the exact date window for the Robert E. Lee row (1/1/1960-12/31/1961 shown adjacent) is treated as approximate. Establishes an allegation of presence aboard at Newport News during construction/overhaul-era work, not materials aboard or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-04
-
[5]Cooks v. General Electric Company, No. 3:07-cv-05451-EMC (N.D. Cal.), complaint Exhibit A work-history, Document 1-2 (filed 2007-10-25); retrieved as archived RECAP PDF gov.uscourts.cand.197119.1.1.pdf [court_record]
- Locator
- Document 1-2, Exhibit A vessel roster, 'ROBERT E LEE (SSBN-601)' w/ 1974-1991 tag (RECAP gov.uscourts.cand.197119.1.1.pdf)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Asbestos complaint Exhibit A (plaintiff Alvin Cooks's work-history/exposure exhibit; Mare Island Naval Shipyard marine machinist, 1974-1995, helper through general foreman) lists 'ROBERT E LEE (SSBN-601)' in its alphabetical vessel roster with a 1974-1991 tag - consistent with this hull's documented third-overhaul Mare Island yard period (1976-78). Verified by direct pdftotext extraction of the archived RECAP PDF.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1974-1991 (alleged exposure window); 2007 (filing)
- Population
- Alvin Cooks (Mare Island Naval Shipyard marine machinist, 1974-1995)
- Limitations
- Pleading-stage allegation (complaint exhibit), unadjudicated. A vessel-list entry is not an individualized exposure finding and does not establish that asbestos products were aboard this hull, that any exposure occurred, causation, or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-05
-
[6]Halseth v. General Electric Company, No. 3:07-cv-02543-EMC (N.D. Cal.), complaint Exhibit A work-history, Document 1-2 (filed 2007-05-14); retrieved as archived RECAP PDF gov.uscourts.cand.192004.1.1.pdf [court_record]
- Locator
- Document 1-2, Exhibit A pp. 6, 8 (narrative recall list), 13 (RECAP gov.uscourts.cand.192004.1.1.pdf)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Asbestos complaint Exhibit A (plaintiff Michael Halseth's multi-employer work history) names 'ROBERT E LEE (SSBN-601)' in three places, verified by direct extraction: (a) the Mare Island Naval Shipyard roster tagged '1970-95' (exhibit p.6); (b) the ship-scheduler narrative's list of hulls the plaintiff recalled crawling on/around asbestos-insulated piping while doing ship sightings ('ROBERT E LEE (SSBN-601)' among them); (c) the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard pipefitter (1975-2004) roster (exhibit p.13, 'ROBERT E. LEE (SSBN-601)').
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1970-2004 (alleged exposure windows); 2007 (filing)
- Population
- Michael Halseth (Mare Island NSY electrician/shop planner/ship scheduler; PSNSY pipefitter)
- Limitations
- Pleading-stage allegation (complaint exhibit), unadjudicated. The narrative-recall entry is a stronger allegation than a bare roster line (it ties the hull to the plaintiff's described disturbance of asbestos insulation) but remains a pleading. Establishes nothing adjudicated about materials aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-06
-
[7]McIntyre v. Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Inc., No. 3:08-cv-03070-EDL (N.D. Cal.), complaint with embedded Exhibit A, Document 1 (filed 2008-06-25); retrieved as RECAP storage PDF gov.uscourts.cand.204620.1.0.pdf [court_record]
- Locator
- Document 1, embedded Exhibit A vessel roster (RECAP gov.uscourts.cand.204620.1.0.pdf)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Asbestos survival/wrongful-death complaint (Brayton Purcell; decedent Edward McIntyre, Mare Island Naval Shipyard painting-shops painter, mesothelioma dx ~2006, died 2007-07-19) embeds Exhibit A listing 'ROBERT E. LEE / (SSBN-601)' among vessels in the decedent's alleged Mare Island exposure history. Exhibit pages are image scans; verified by local OCR (tesseract) of the archived RECAP PDF.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 2008 (filing); alleged exposure window Mare Island career
- Population
- Edward McIntyre (Mare Island NSY painter); successor plaintiffs
- Limitations
- Pleading-stage allegation (complaint exhibit), unadjudicated; OCR of scanned roster - string verified but surrounding-cell formatting only partially legible. A vessel-list entry establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-07
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[8]U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, 'U.S. Naval Nuclear Powered Ship Inactivation, Disposal, and Recycling' (Green Book, 2019 ed.), Appendix D completed-projects table and Appendix C dismantlement process description (DOE-hosted) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Green Book 2019, Appendix D row 5 ('SSBN 601 Ex-Robert E. Lee', RC 1989, recycle 1991); Appendix C pp. C-4/C-5/C-9 process description
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- Official program document names this hull: Appendix D lists 'Ex-Robert E. Lee' (SSBN 601) as reactor-compartment shipment No. 5 - RC disposal completed 1989, ship recycling completed 1991. The same document's dismantlement-process description states that for ballistic-missile submarines 'asbestos insulating material and removable ballast lead are also removed from the ship,' that recycling begins with shipboard sampling to identify insulating materials that may contain asbestos, and that pre-mid-1970s reactor compartments contain asbestos insulation on pipes and other components, removed by specially trained personnel under controlled conditions.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1983-1991
- Population
- PSNSY recycling/dismantlement workers (1983-1991 processing window); Hanford burial-ground operations
- Limitations
- The Appendix D per-hull row (dates, shipment number) is ship-specific; the asbestos-removal language is the program-level process description - the document does not present an asbestos inventory for this individual hull. The inference 'asbestos insulation was removed from this hull during SRP processing' follows from a named hull under a documented process, but the record is program-descriptive, not a hull survey. No quantity; does not establish any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-08
-
[9]Navysite.de, USS Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601) unofficial ship page - post-DANFS service narrative (secondary compilation; not a primary record) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navysite SSBN-601 history and characteristics sections
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Secondary-compilation detail (attributed to SUBRON 15 history and ship publications): third Mare Island overhaul November 1976-1978; DASO launches 1978; continued Guam/Pacific deterrent patrols; completed her 55th and last Polaris deterrent patrol in October 1981 - described as the last patrol of the Polaris missile program by any SSBN; reclassified SSN-601 in March 1982; entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard February 1983 for inactivation; decommissioned there (NVR: 1 December 1983).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1976-1991
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation (unofficial site) - used for narrative corroboration only, consistent with prior batches. The 'last Polaris patrol' claim is widely repeated but rests on secondary attributions; no primary patrol log was located. Complement variant ~140 (two crews) carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-09
-
[10]NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive, Robert E. Lee (SSBN/SSN-601) page - USN photo captions and milestone block (secondary compilation) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.net/archives/08/08601.htm - spec block and photo captions (Grapevine/Mare Island overhaul photos; Trench 94 list)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Photo-archive captions document: Robert E. Lee in Mare Island's Grapevine berth area during its 1976-78 overhaul period; Hanford Trench 94 reactor-compartment burial list naming Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601); NPSSRP disposal at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; milestone block: decommissioned/stricken 30 Nov 1983 variant vs NVR (12/01/1983 decommission; 04/30/1986 stricken), disposal completed 30 Sep 1991.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1965-1991
- Population
- Mare Island overhaul trades (1965-66, 1976-78); PSNSY recycling workers (1983-91)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation hosting official USN photos and captions. Its simultaneous decommission/stricken date (30 Nov 1983) conflicts with NVR - NVR controls (carried in gaps). No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-10
-
[11]navyshipexposure.com marketing page claims a ship-specific 35-entry BuShips machinery/equipment manifest for SSBN-601 - NOT CITED as evidence; underlying BuShips records (if they exist) would sit in NARA RG 19/RG 181 holdings [other_primary]
- Locator
- navyshipexposure.com SSBN-601 page (excluded); prospective NARA RG 19/RG 181 BuShips technical files
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Unverified archival lead only: a law-firm-adjacent marketing site asserts a 35-line Bureau of Ships equipment manifest for this hull listing asbestos-containing items (insulation, gaskets, valve packing). The site itself is excluded under sourcing rules. If the manifest exists, the underlying primary record would be in NARA BuShips/ShipAlt or yard-technical-file holdings - flagged for future NARA verification.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1958-1960 (if manifest authentic)
- Limitations
- LEAD ONLY - the asserting source is a commercial asbestos-claim site and its 'manifest' content is unverified, possibly synthesized. Do not treat as evidence of materials aboard this hull unless a NARA primary copy is located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-11
-
[12]Era inference anchored to DANFS/NVR-documented construction and yard periods for this hull (Newport News build 1958-60; Mare Island overhauls 1965-66 and 1976-78; PSNSY overhaul 1971 and inactivation/recycling 1983-91) [other_primary]
- Locator
- construction-era inference from DANFS/NVR dates and documented yard periods
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era inference: a first-generation SSBN built 1958-60 at Newport News and repeatedly overhauled at documented asbestos-era yards (Mare Island x2, PSNSY x2) sits inside the Navy's peak asbestos-use era; era-standard applications on the secondary steam plant and auxiliary systems included thermal/pipe insulation, gaskets, packing, and machinery insulation. All involved yards' asbestos product use in this period is independently documented at the yard level in the shipyard exposure dataset. Nuclear propulsion itself establishes nothing about asbestos.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1958-1991
- Population
- NNS/Mare Island/PSNSY yard trades; Blue/Gold crews
- Limitations
- CLASS/ERA INFERENCE ONLY - no ship-specific insulation schedule or material list located for this hull. Does not establish asbestos aboard USS Robert E. Lee, any exposure, or any quantity. Never infer ship-specific findings from this row.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-12
-
[13]Kase v. Metalclad Insulation Corp., Cal. Ct. App. (4th Dist.) 2021 (CourtListener opinion 4324658) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion, specification-history discussion
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Court-documented era regime: Navy submarine insulation procurement specifications (SUBSAFE's MIL-I-24244 post-1963; predecessor BuShips practice before) covered asbestos-containing insulation for submarine construction and overhaul - the regime applicable to this hull's 1958-60 build (pre-SUBSAFE) and service-era availabilities.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 2021 (opinion); regime described 1950s-forward
- Population
- Navy submarine construction/maintenance trades
- Limitations
- This hull is not named in the opinion; documents the era spec regime only. Does not establish materials aboard this hull, exposure, causation, quantity, or eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-13
-
[14]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [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 this hull's 1958-60 construction and most of its service-era availabilities (Mare Island 1965-66, PSNSY 1971, Mare Island 1976-78).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- 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) - content via product-page description, consistent with prior batches.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-14
-
[15]Name-collision screen and search-layer status for 'USS Robert E. Lee' / 'SSBN-601' / 'SSN-601' (see search_ledger) [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger sl-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-05..08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Collision/coverage screen: 'Robert E. Lee' is a very high-collision string (Confederate general; CSS Robert E. Lee; SS Robert E. Lee Liberty ship; Lee County litigation; 'Robert E. Lee St.' address entries - e.g., the Guthrie v. GE exhibit's only 'Robert E. Lee' hit is a street address). Hull-number sweeps are the reliable isolator. This session's verified hull-name hits: Redman (Newport News jobsite), Cooks, Halseth (x3), McIntyre (all RECAP-verified). The Cronin and Davis exhibits do NOT list this hull. Estes v. GE and Agena v. Cleaver-Brooks exhibits could not be checked (Estes not in the archive.org mirror; CourtListener API rate-limited and site search CloudFront-blocked).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- Coverage limitation: CourtListener API was rate-limited (125/day exhausted before this session) and site search WAF-blocked; checks were run directly against archived RECAP PDFs instead - text-level verification, but only for retrievable dockets. State-court pleadings and non-mirrored federal filings are outside this sweep.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-15
-
[16]Negative finding: no qualifying non-litigation ship-specific asbestos record located across DANFS/NHHC, NVR, NNPP Green Book, museum, and ACM-survey/abatement/disposal sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- see search_ledger sl-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-01..09
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No hull ACM survey, abatement contract, or adjudicated exposure finding naming USS Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601/SSN-601) was located. The NNPP Green Book documents asbestos removal as a standard SRP dismantlement step for the hull it names (ev-08), but no hull-specific survey is public. Litigation records are four unadjudicated pleading-stage rosters (Redman, Cooks, Halseth, McIntyre). The navyshipexposure.com 'BUSHIPS manifest' claim is unverified and excluded (ev-11). No opinion names this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- Absence of a located record is not proof no record exists - NARA BuShips/ShipAlt records and yard industrial-hygiene files are not digitized; the claimed BuShips manifest (ev-11) is the clearest lead for hull-specific material documentation. Roster allegations remain pleading-stage only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-e-lee-ssbn601-16