California Asbestos Exposure

California’s official state mineral is serpentine, a source of chrysotile asbestos. Asbestos is typically found in areas with volcanic mountains and earthquakes, and California is known for both. Early people groups who populated the area lived lightly on the land and did not disturb the serpentine rock, but with today’s rampant population growth and demand for housing, communities such as El Dorado Hills, located east of Sacramento, have seen a big rise in construction activity and as a result more asbestos fibers in the air. If you believe your home may contain asbestos, you could be at risk for asbestos-related diseases and should contact a mesothelioma lawyer.

Other locations in the state are a natural home to asbestos deposits. They include the three major mountain ranges north of the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, 50 miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada.

California Cities where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

Provided below is a list of cities in the state of California where asbestos jobsites are known to have been located. If you worked at any of these companies and/or jobsites in California there is a possibility that you may have been exposed to harmful asbestos which is known to cause mesothelioma. Click on any link to view a complete list of jobsites in that city.

Industries and Occupations

There are several industries and occupations located in California where employees, their families and nearby residents may have been exposed to asbestos, including:

20 major shipyards
Marine repair facilities
25 oil refineries
11 power plants and energy generation facilities
Mining and smelting operations

The San Diego Naval Base, as well as other naval shipyards and marine repair facilities in operation through the early 1990s, have used asbestos insulation in the ships. Consequently, U. S. veterans who served on sea-going vessels are more likely to develop asbestos diseases, making mesothelioma navy cases more common than cases from other branches of the military.

Asbestos-related Deaths

From the years 1979 until 1999, most of the deaths in the state of California due to asbestos cancer were centered on residents of Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. They made up over 25% of the total. 20% more were from Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo and San Francisco counties in the Bay Area.

Mesothelioma was the cause of over half of the asbestos-related fatalities in the state, but asbestosis is more commonly the cause than mesothelioma. People living in urban areas were more likely to contract mesothelioma, while people in rural areas had a greater chance of getting asbestosis. Those who believe they are at risk for mesothelioma should seek medical attention form California mesothelioma clinics.

Other California Jobsites Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

If someone you know has ever worked at one of the Jobsites listed below, they may have been exposed to high levels of asbestos. Asbestos exposure at any one of these Jobsites could put them at risk for developing one of the following asbestos related diseases: malignant mesothelioma (a terminal cancer), asbestos related lung cancer, asbestosis or pleural mesothelioma.

Acres

Allied Chemical Plant California

Anderson

Anderson Elementary School
Anderson Plant
Champion Building Products
City of Anderson
Kimberly Clark Corp
Kimberly Clark Paper Plant
Simpson Lee Paper - Shasta Mill
Simpson Paper Company
U S Plywood Corp

Arcadia

Armstrong Container & Supplier
C.M. Millwork Company
Kiln Company
Los Angeles Turf Club
Methodist Hospital of Southern California
Santa Anita Consolidated

Azusa

Aerojet-General Corporation
American Cyanamid Company
General Brewing Company
Lucky Lager Brewing Company
Miller Brewery (Was Lucky Lager--Azusa)
Reichhold Chemicals Inc
Universal Oil Products Company
Valley Forge Company

Benecia

Martinez Refining Company

Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills Hotel
Beverly Wilshire Building
Continental Baking Company
Litton Industries
Perpetual Savings & Loan
Saks Fifth Avenue
Sierra Vista School, Rear
Warner Bros. Theatre

Bishop

Avocet Tungsten Inc
Cal. Int. Telephone Company
Grinding and Flotation System
Tuxton Mine
Union Carbide Corporation
United States Tungsten
Us Vanadium Corp

Boron

Borax
Edwards Air Force Base
Pacific Coast Borax Company
Rio Tinto
United States Borax and Chemicals Corporation

Calistoga

Bank of America
C N Pickett
Calistoga Electric Light and Power Company
City of Calistoga Water Project
Sterling Winery - Phase 3

Camarillo

3M Company
Camarillo State Hospital
Minnesota Mining Manufacturing Company
Ols Energy Camarillo
State Farm Insurance Building
State Hospital

Campbell

Administrative Building
Deleco Corporation of California
Hyatt Coffee Shop
IBM
Valley Drywall Company

Canoga Park

Atomics International
Canoga Park Elementary School
Hughes Aircraft
Jelco
North American Aviation
North American Rockwell
Rocketdyne, Inc.

Castro Valley

Castro Valley High School
Cathedral At The Crossroads
Eden Hospital
Mount Eden Hospital
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church
Safeway

Coalinga

Robert S Lytle, Operator
Shell Oil Company
Standard Oil
Superior Oil Company
Texaco
Ther Kern Trading and Oil Company
Tidewater Oil Company
Wabash Oil Company
Western States Gasoline Company

Colma

Bay City Building Materials
Colma Team Track
Cypress Lawn Cemetery
Cypress Lawn Mem. Park
Home At The Peace Cemetery
Vulcan Forge
Woodlawn Memorial Park

Commerce

Downey Glass
Emery Industries, Inc.
Henkel Corporation
National Screw
Pacific Kraft Company
Safeway Stores Incorporated

Crockett

American Smelting & Refining
California & Hawaiian Sugar Company
Heircshoff Kiln
Plant Asbestos Company

Cucamonga

Burn Pacific
C. Itoh Textile Machinery Inc
Chino Basin M.W.D.
Diversified Metals
General Knit
Martin-Marietta
Master Builders
Star Finishing Company
Western Diversified Metals

Culver City

Advanced Installation, Incorporated
Avalon Cleaners
Carnation Company
Hughes Aircraft Company
Hughes Tool Company
Mcdonnell Douglas
Standard Enameling Company
Voi-Shaw Manufacturing Company
Western Stove

Daggett

California Electric Power Company
Southern California Edison Company
Texaco Research
Wismer & Becker Contractng Engineers

Danville

Alpha Beta Market
Community Presbyterian Church
East Bay Mud Water Project
Elliott Development Company
Sycamore Recreation Center
Viste Grande School
Westchester Elementary School

East Los Angeles

Corrugate Plant
Globe Mills
Naugtuck Chemical
O'Keefe & Merritt Stove Company
Pacific Tube Company
Pillsbury Mills Inc

El Monte

Aluminum Plant
Ball Corporation
Clayton Manufacturing
Envirogenics
Graning Enameling Company
Gregg Iron Foundry
Valley Brass
Valley Nitrogen Producers Inc

Elk Grove

C.B. Hobbs
Douglas Oil
Elk Grove Winery
Sierra Valley Pipeline
Union Carbide Corp

Elk Hills

Occidental Oil Company Refinery

Escondido

Conway School
Costa Mesa
Glenview School
K-Mart - Quince & Grant
K-Mart 4252
Orange Glen High School
Palamor Hospital

Etiwanda

Ameron Company
Big Three Industries
Etiwanda Water Company
Koppers Company
Southern California Edison Company
Tamco
Tamco- Ameron Affiliate Company
Tamco Division of Ameron

Fort Bragg

Baxman Gravel Company
Boise Cascade Corp
Georgia Pacific Corporation
Union Lumber Company

Gilroy

Continental Telephone Company
Crown-Zellerbach
Dan Caputo Company
Filice & Berrilli
Gaylord Container Div
Gilroy Meadows Sub-Division
Nature-Ripe
Safeway
Smuckers

Healdsburg

Fairchild Camera
Healdsburg Machine Shop
St Johns Convent
Union Oil Geysers
Widmer Vineyards

Hercules

E I Du Pont De Nemours Powder Company
Hercules Incorporated
Hercules Powder Company
Pacific Gas & Electric
Pacific Refining Company
Sequoia Oil Company
Valley Nitrogen Producers Inc

Irvine

Airco Cryogenics
Audio Magnetics
Bell and Howell Company
Brock Glass
El Toro Marine Corps Air Station
Southern California Testing Laboratories, Inc.
University of California

Irwindale

American Hoist Company
Kaiser Glass Fibers
Miller Brewery
O'Kelly Eccles Company
Reichold Chemical Inc.
The Conveyor Company

Jamestown

App Consolidated Gold Mining Company
Dutch Mining and Milling Company
Jamestown Prison
Sonora Prison Farm
Twain Harte Plumbing & Heating

Kaiser

Kaiser Company
Kaiser Steel Corporation
Koppers Company, Inc.
Linde Company

Kettleman Hills

General Petroleum Corporation
Standard Oil Company of California
Superior Oil Company
Texas Company
Western States Gasoline Company

Kingsburg

California Packing Corp
Del Monte Corp
Golden State Canning Company
Sunmaid Raisin Plant
Vie Del Corp
Western Grape Products

La Palma

Atlantic Richfield California

Lafayette

Acalanes High Schoold
Kaiser Residence
Lafayette Plumbing Company
Sequoia Professional Center
United Presbyterian Church
Vallecitos School
Wells Fargo Bank

Larkspur

Bank of America - Bon Air & Magnolia
California State Auto Association
Henry Hall School
Larkspur Ferry Terminal
Lyon's Restaurant
Pacific Bell
Redwood High School
Ross Valley Medical - Bon Air Road
Safeway - Bon Air Road & Magnolia Avenue

Lathrop

Best Fertilizers Company
Carbonic Engineering
Libby-Owens-Ford Glass Company
Occidental Chemical Company
Pritchard Products
Richard Products
Sharp Army Depot

Loma Linda

Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Hospital
Loma Linda Mercantile Company
Loma Linda Powerhouse
Loma Linda University
Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation
Southern California Edison Company

Lompoc

American-Marietta Company of California
Camp Cook
Celite Company (Jm)
Great Lakes Carbon Corp
Grefco
Howard L. Cooper
Johns-Manville
Vandenberg Air Force Base

Lucerne Valley

Anchor Mineral & Chemical
C.K. Williams & Company
Kaiser Cement & Gypsum
Pfizer, Chas & Company
Victorville Lime Rock Company

Lynwood

Allied Chemical Corporation
Columware Inc
English & Lauer
Jorgenson Steel
Smith Chemical
St Francis Hospital
Western Gear Works
Whitco Chevrolet

Madera

Allied Grape Growers
Berry Construction
Georgia Pacific Company
K. Arakelian, Inc.
Madera Electric Light Company
Madera Glass Company
Noble Meat Company
Plant Asbestos Company
United Vinters

Mare Island

Bureau of Yards and Docks
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Navy Department. Bureau of Supplies and Accounts
Sonoma (Uss)
United States Navy Yard

McKittrick

Anchor Refining

Milpitas

Federal Pacific Electric
Ford Motor Company
K Mart
Milpitas High School
Nitram Company
R.M. Maloney
Safeway

Mojave

Ashland Chemical C0
California Portland Cement Company
Cement Plant
Texas Aluminum Company Inc
Us Marine Corp

Monrovia

Avery Products
City Hall
Dilectron Company
Gladding Mcbean
Interpace
Live Oak Memorial Park Cemetery
Maxwell Industries
Monrovia Laundry
Whittaker Corporation

Morro Bay

Duke Energy North America
Duke Energy Power
Dynegy Morro Bay Llc, Unit #4
Morro Bay Power Plant
Morro Bay Water Department
Omer A. Rhoades
Pacific Gas & Electric Company

National City

National City Library
Paradise Valley Hospital
San Diego Gas and Electric Company
Shipyard
Union Ice Company
Welling Boiler

Northridge

California State University
Gluck Company
Los Angeles State College
Riker Labs, Inc.
San Fernando Valley State College
Southern Pacific Team Track

Norwalk

B.F. Goodrich Company
Gotham Industries
Gulf Oil Corporation
Metropolitan State Hospital
Norwalk State Hospital
Studebaker Hospital
Union Oil
Wilshire Oil Company, Inc.

Oleum

Oleum Refinery Whse.
Oleum Steam Plant
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Union Oil Refinery

Palmdale

Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Lockheed Aircraft Corp
Southern California Edison

Permanente

Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical
Kaiser Cement & Gypsum

Pleasant Hill

Albertson Market
Bay Area Rapid Transit Power
Christ King Church
Diablo Valley College
Pleasant Hill High School
Pleasant Hill Library
Treasury Store
YMCA

Point Loma

Cabrillo Center
Cape Davies
Naval Electronic Lab

Port Chicago

Allied Chemical
General Chemical Company
Naval Weapons Station
Port Chicago Chemical Plant

Rancho Bernardo

National Cash Register
Rancho Bernadino Inn #1
Western Electric - Muffler

Red Bluff

Antelope High School
Corona Box & Lumber Company
Diamond Lumber Mill
Diamond National Plant
M S & C Lumber Company
Red Bluff High School
T.H.R. Company

Rodeo

Bechtel (At Union Oil)
Pacific Gas & Electric Company
Sequoia Oil Company
Shell Oil
Union Chemical
Union Oil Company
Union Oil Refinery
Unocal Oil Refinery
Wax Loading Line

Roseville

Beale Air Force Base
City of Roseville
Diamond Oaks Golf Club
Pacific Fruit Express Company
Southern Pacific Company
Southern Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
Woodland Electric Company

Ross

Kathryn Bransen School
Pomeroy Residence
Ross General Hospital
Ross Grammar School
Ross Valley Hospital
Ross Valley Medical Clinic

San Anselmo

Drake High School
San Anselmo Library
San Geronimo Valley School
Shopping Center
Sir Francis Drake High School
Sunnyhills Plant School
Theological Seminary
Wells Fargo American Trust

San Carlos

Harry Lee Plumbing & Heating Company
Heather Elementary School
Litton Industries
Litton Systems Inc
San Carlos Airport
San Carlos High School
Sorcha Boru Ceramics

San Clemente

Aircraft Alloys

San Lorenzo

Del Monte Insulation
Galileo Salami
Granny Goose Foods
Mcdonald'S
San Lorenzo Library
San Lorenzo Recreatio Park
Sewage Treatment Plant
Wells Fargo Bank

San Luis Obispo

California Polytechnic School
California State Polytechnic College
California State University
Producers Transportation Company
San Luis Gas and Electric Company
San Luis Obispo
Scott Company of California, Inc.
Urho V. Jarvinen

San Onofre

Santa Susana

Atomica International
Rocketdyne, Inc.

Signal Hill

Associated Oil
Atlantic Oil
CS Mcanley
Gilmore Dabney Gasoline Plant
Pacific Lighting
Richfield Oil
Shell Oil
Signal Oil & Gas Company
Union Pacific Oil Company

Sonoma

Port Sonoma
Rapp Wm A Company
Safeway
Sonoma County Airport
Sonoma Valley High School
Vella Cheese Company
W.J. Newman

Sonora

California Youth Authority
Louisiana Pacific
Pennsylvania Pipe & Construction
Pickering Lumber Mill
Sierra Pacific
Sonora High School
Standard Lumber Company
Tuolumme County Hospital Addition

Sun Valley

Valley Generating Station
Valley Steam Plant

Susanville

California Conservation Center
California State Correctional Facility
Fruit Growers Supply Company
Owens Corning
Susanville Correctional Facility

Swanston

Norcall
Prestone School of Ind
Sutter Memorial Hospital
Swanston Team Track
University of California

Sylmar

Hy Temp Metals

Terra Linda

Holiday Inn
Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District
Nazareth Home
Oak View Apartments
Pacific Telegraph & Telephone
Terra Linda High School

Tiburon

Bureau of Fisheries
Dock Restaurant
Golden Gate Theological Center
Marin Convalescent Hospital
Mineral Technology Center
New Baptist Seminary
R V Kane Residence
Tuburon Lodge

Trona

American Potash & Chemical Corporation
American Trona Corp
Armstrong Contracting & Supply Corporation
I M C Chemical
Kerr Mcgee Chemical Company
Potash and Chemical Company
Searles Valley Minerals

Truckee

Burney Lumber Company
Douglas Lumber Company
Kings Castle Hotel Casino
Tahoe School District Office
Tahoe Truckee Sanitation

Tulare

Dairyman's Creamery Cooperative
George Mustin Pipeline Company
Golden State Company Ldt
Harold James Inc.
L.O.L. Dairymens
Los Angeles Creamery
Smuckers Company
Tulare County Power Company

Ukiah

Argonaut Constructors
Boise Cascade Corp
General Motors Dealership
Lake Sales
Masonite Corporation
Masonite Plant
Mendocino Courthouse
Mendocino State Hospital

Upland

First Baptist Church
Old Ranchers Canning Company
Standard Oil Company
Upland Citrus Association
Upland College

Vacaville

American Home Foods
Basic Vegetable Products
California Medical Facility
Fairmont School
Vacaville Water and Light Company

Vandenberg

Vandenberg Air Force Base

Venice

Holt Industries
Hughes Aircraft Corp
Hyperion Treatment Plant
Ladish Pacific Division
Triangle Oil Company
Venice High School

Victorville

AT&T
Cement Plant
Chas Pfizer & Company
Hook Junior High School
Interpace
Southwestern Portland Cement Company
Victor Valley College
Victor Valley Hospital

West Berkeley

Peet Brothers Manufacturing Company
Philadelphia Qurtz Company
Stauffer Chemical Company
Sunlit Fruit Company

Westwood

Equitable Life Building
Gibraltar Savings & Loan
Red River Lumber Company
Tishman Building
University of California
Veteran's Affairs Hospital

Woodland

Adams Elevator
Contadina Foods
Contadina Tomato Plant
Gibson School
Matmor Canning Company
Motion Picture Country House and Hospital
Skyline Mobile Homes
Spreckela Sugar Company
Spreckels Sugar Company

Yuba City

Buttes Pipe & Supply Company, Inc.
California Packing Corp
Del Monte Corporation
Harter Packing

Sources

Geological Research, Analyses and Services Programs. "Naturally Occurring Asbestos Locations in the Contiguous U.S. and Alaska." Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 25 May 2007.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/noa/usamap.pdf (accessed 23 August 2010).

Patterson, Randall. "Not In Their Back Yard." Mother Jones, May/June 2007.