Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
-
[1]Geist v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp. et al., C.D. Cal. No. 2:10-cv-01191-R-VBK, complaint Exhibit A (exposure list); RECAP: MDL-875 docket doc. 6475-22 [court_record]
- Locator
- Complaint Exhibit A, p. 24 of RECAP PDF (exposure-site table); CM/ECF docket header pp. 1-2
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Docketed asbestos complaint: Ronald Alvin Geist v. Air & Liquid Systems Corporation et al., C.D. Cal. 2:10-cv-01191-R-VBK (removed from Los Angeles Superior Court BC430412; filed 2010-02-17, terminated 2010-03-29; tagged to MDL-875). The complaint's Exhibit A lists plaintiff's alleged asbestos exposure during U.S. Navy service as a Boiler Tender, 1960-1980, at locations including 'USS Wabash (AOR-5)' by hull number, alongside USS Hornet (CV-12), USS Blue (DD-744), USS Hollister (DD-788), USS Dubuque (LPD-8), Long Beach Naval Shipyard, and US NAS San Francisco; Exhibit B alleges mesothelioma diagnosed on or about 2009-10-09. Document preserved on the JPML MDL-875 docket as attachment 22 to doc 6475 (Viad Corp notice of related action, filed 2010-12-13).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1960-1980 (alleged exposure); 2010 (complaint filed/terminated)
- Population
- U.S. Navy boiler tender serving aboard USS Wabash (alleged), 1960-1980
- Limitations
- Pleading-stage allegation only - a complaint's exposure list is an allegation, not a finding; the docketed record shows no adjudicated exposure or product finding, and the case terminated 2010-03-29 without a located merits decision. Does not establish that asbestos-containing products were aboard this hull, that any individual exposure occurred, or quantity. No product is identified aboard Wabash.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-wabash-aor5-01
-
[2]Westbrook v. Asbestos Defendants (BHC) et al., N.D. Cal. No. 3:01-1661 - plaintiffs' Motion to Vacate CTO-199 and brief, JPML MDL-875 doc. 3219 (RECAP) [court_record]
- Locator
- MDL-875 doc. 3219, brief Statement of Facts (Todd removal basis paragraph)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Westbrook v. Asbestos Defendants (BHC) et al., N.D. Cal. No. 3:01-cv-1661 (asbestos personal-injury action filed in San Francisco Superior Court 2001-03-14): defendant Todd Shipyards Corporation removed under 28 U.S.C. §1442(a)(1) federal-officer removal, alleging it performed contract work under federal direction aboard a list of U.S. Navy ships including 'USS WABASH' - listed with USS Wichita and USS Kansas City (its AOR class sisters) and USS Ranger, Hancock, Oriskany, Midway, Coral Sea, American Racer, American Trader, and Silas Bent. Recited in plaintiffs' motion to vacate Conditional Transfer Order-199, filed on the JPML MDL-875 docket as doc. 3219 (2001-07-23).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2001 (filing); alleged work period unstated in document
- Population
- Todd Shipyards contract workers aboard Navy hulls; asbestos-injury plaintiff (underlying claims)
- Limitations
- Removal-stage jurisdictional allegation by a defendant - classified below pleading-allegation level for exposure purposes: it asserts where Todd performed federal-directed contract work, not that the plaintiff was exposed aboard this hull, and no merits finding exists in the located record. Hull number not stated; identification as AOR-5 rests on class-mate context (Wichita and Kansas City appear in the same list) and DANFS-documented Todd Shipyard Alameda overhaul of this ship (1977-1978). Scanned-image PDF; text verified by OCR.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-wabash-aor5-02
-
[3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Wabash IV (AOR-5), Naval Historical Center [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Wabash IV entry, full text (Wayback capture 2005-09-06; live NHHC URL returns 404)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS (Wabash IV): laid down 1970-01-21 at Quincy, Mass., by General Dynamics Corp.; launched 1971-02-06 (sponsor Mrs. William G. Bray); commissioned 1971-11-20 at Boston Naval Shipyard, Capt. Robert P. Chrisler in command. First WestPac departed Long Beach 1972-11-09; flagship TG 73.5 (Service Squadron 9); 46 underway replenishments on the line off Vietnam Dec 1972-Jan 1973 during final phase of U.S. combat operations. Homeport changed to Alameda 1973-09-06; collided with USS Flint (AE-32) during a towing exercise en route to third WestPac (1976; neither ship's mission capability curtailed); 35,000+ miles and 100 UNREPs that deployment; regular overhaul at Todd Shipyard, Alameda, 1977-06-15 to 1978-06-09.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1970-1979
- Population
- Crew (1971-1994); Todd Alameda yard workers (1977-78 overhaul)
- Limitations
- Establishes identity, construction, commissioning, homeports, Vietnam service, and the 1977-78 Todd Alameda overhaul on this hull. DANFS contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat statement; narrative coverage ends in early 1979 - post-1979 career, 1994 decommissioning location, and inactivation details are outside this source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-wabash-aor5-03
-
[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - WABASH (AOR-5), Ship History Detail 5047 (milestones table) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- MARAD ShipHistory Detail 5047, Milestones section; supplementary dates per navsource.org/archives/09/21/2105.htm (secondary)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory record (Detail 5047): entered Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet 1997-12-23; MARAD acquired title 1998-12-18; California SHPO cleared the ship for disposal 2005-06-21; vessel departed 2012-11-14 under domestic sale contract with ESCO Marine, Inc. A secondary-source timeline (NavSource) adds: towed from Long Beach Naval Shipyard to Suisun Bay arriving 1994-10-02 under Navy custody; sold 2012-10-01 for $2,026,726 (contract MA-14149); moved to Mare Island for cleaning 2012-11-14; departed 2012-12-03 under tow for Brownsville, TX.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1994-2012
- Population
- NDRF/Suisun Bay maintenance crews; disposal and tow crews
- Limitations
- Authoritative for custody milestones only; contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information. MARAD's own narrative field conflicts with its milestone table ('transferred ... December 1999' vs 1998-12-18 acquisition) and contains a 'Vancouver' copy-paste error in the withdrawal sentence - milestones adopted as controlling. NavSource-level details (1994 Navy-custody arrival, sale price, contract MA-14149, Mare Island cleaning stop) are secondary and labeled as such.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-wabash-aor5-04
-
[5]Historic American Engineering Record HAER No. CA-356, Wichita (AOR-1) - class machinery documentation (3 Foster Wheeler boilers, 700 psi/850 deg F; 2 GE turbines; 32,000 shp), NPS Heritage Documentation Programs with MARAD, 2009; era substitution timing per GAO HRD-80-2 [haer]
- Locator
- HAER CA-356 narrative pp. 5-6 (machinery spaces description); class table
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era inference for a 1970-71 steam plant: a ship laid down 1970-01-21 and commissioned 1971-11-20 with three Foster Wheeler boilers (700 psi at 850 deg F) and twin geared steam turbines was built in the closing years of standard Navy asbestos insulation practice - era-typical applications for this machinery type included boiler casing and fireroom insulation, steam-line lagging, turbine lagging, valve and flange gaskets and packing, deck tile, bulkhead fireproofing, and cable insulation. Navy standing policy of the period left installed insulation in place unless damaged (see GAO row).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1970-1971 (construction); service era 1971-1994
- Population
- Construction trades (General Dynamics Quincy, 1970-71); engineering crew; overhaul yard workers
- Limitations
- Class/design documentation and era inference only - HAER CA-356 documents lead ship Wichita, not this hull, and the full text contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement; asbestos presence aboard AOR-5 is not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, remaining material, or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-wabash-aor5-05
-
[6]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 to automated fetch, HTTP 403 - description via product page)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program for shipyard workers: standing Navy policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or as required for repairs, modified in 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - so original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless a yard period disturbed it. GAO fieldwork was performed at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards; this ship's first homeport and 1994 inactivation occurred at Long Beach (secondary source for the inactivation site).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1979 (report); policy era 1975-1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program review); ship crews (context)
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation of Navy asbestos-management policy, not a record about this hull; establishes era context for persistence of installed insulation aboard 1970-71 construction, not that asbestos was or remains aboard AOR-5. Long Beach tie-in is homeport/inactivation association, not documented Wabash-specific asbestos work.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-wabash-aor5-06
-
[7]Professional Mariner, 'First of ghost fleet ships arrives at West Coast yard for disposal' (Mare Island/Allied Defense Recycling program; MarAd court order; USCG hull-cleaning requirement); Times-Herald (Vallejo) reporting via ShipRecycling archive on Wabash tow scheduling [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Professional Mariner article (program context); recyclingships.blogspot.com/2012/11 (Wabash tow details, quoting Times-Herald)
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- Disposal pathway for this hull ran through the documented Suisun Bay NDRF drawdown: the ship was towed from the reserve fleet to the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard site (Allied Defense Recycling / Mare Island Ship Yard LLC) for hull cleaning before the open-ocean tow via the Panama Canal to ESCO Marine in Brownsville, TX - the cleaning stop reflecting the U.S. Coast Guard hull-fouling requirement applied to departing NDRF hulls, and the fleet disposal operating under a court-ordered schedule following California environmental litigation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2011-2013
- Population
- Mare Island cleaning crews; tow and dismantling crews (ESCO Marine)
- Limitations
- Documents the end-of-life handling pathway for this hull (cleaning stop, tow, dismantling destination); hull cleaning addressed marine fouling and loose paint, and no source here documents asbestos removal or asbestos condition aboard. Trade-press/secondary sources - the MARAD milestone row is the controlling custody record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-wabash-aor5-07
-
[8]NARA Guide to Federal Records RG 24 (Navy deck logs); NHHC command operation reports collection; MARAD disposal contract file (MA-14149) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Record-group mapping only; NHHC digitized COR collection searched without result for this hull
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no research-room visit or reproduction spend authorized): NARA RG 24 deck logs for AOR-5 covering 1971-1994 (College Park); NHHC ship command-operation-report files for Wabash (other ships' digitized reports document UNREPs with Wabash - e.g., Valley Forge CG-50 1991, Thach FFG-43 1986 - but Wabash's own reports were not located in the digitized collection); MARAD disposal file for contract MA-14149 (ESCO Marine sale) including any hazardous-material disclosure exhibits; General Dynamics Quincy construction/outfitting records.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1971-2013 records
- Limitations
- Record-location mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; whether any asbestos-specific document exists in these series for AOR-5 is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-wabash-aor5-08
-
[9]Batch-2031 search ledger (this record): DANFS; MARAD ShipHistory 5047; HAER CA-356 full text; CourtListener opinion and RECAP docket searches; NHHC COR collection; NVR; GAO product page [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-wabash-aor5-01 through sl-uss-wabash-aor5-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or adjudicated exposure finding naming this hull was located in the public sources searched: the Wichita-class HAER documentation project (CA-356, incl. a 2007 aboard site visit at Suisun Bay) contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement; MARAD ShipHistory contains none; the two located court records naming the ship are a complaint's exposure-site allegation and a defendant's removal-stage work-site list - both unadjudicated.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1970-71 steam auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and disposal-contract hazmat exhibits (if any) are not public. This row records the search result; it does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-wabash-aor5-09