Santa Maria, California

Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, California. Located on the Santa Maria River, the city has a current population of just over 100,000. The Santa Maria Valley was first settled in the late 18th century by Spanish missionaries. The farming town that would become Santa Maria was formally platted in 1875. Although agriculture is still a key economic sector, oil drilling and refining, manufacturing and healthcare lend diversity. Among the city's top employers are Marian Medical Center, Allan Hancock College and Bonipak Produce Inc. Santa Maria is also home to Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Founded as Grangerville, the city was permanently renamed Santa Maria in 1855. Cattle ranching and farming were the primary industry until the discovery of the Orcutt Oil Field around 1900. Union Oil Company of California, one of the first to establish a major operation in the area, had 22 wells in production by 1903. The Pinal Oil Company, formed in 1901, merged with Dome Oil Company in 1911. The survivor company, Pinal Dome Oil, was acquired by Union Oil in 1917. The discovery in the 1930s of the Santa Maria Valley Oil Field provided additional petroleum to meet wartime demand. Although land-based production tapered off after the 1950s, offshore oil development increased. By 1975, the Santa Maria Valley area housed more than 1,700 active wells. Today, Greka Energy operates a refinery which dates from 1935. The Camp Cooke army base was established in 1941. After periods of service during World War I and the Korean War, the base was renamed Vandenberg Air Force Base in 1958. Vandenberg has been closely involved with various missile defense systems, as well as NASA's Space Shuttle program.

Santa Maria's lengthy history of heavy industry makes asbestos exposure a cause for concern. Asbestos was widely used in manufacturing and construction during the first half of the 20th century. Workers exposed to asbestos may be at risk for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. If you were exposed to asbestos in Santa Maria and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should also consider contacting an asbestos law firm.

Large Jobsites in Santa Maria where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance has compiled information obtained from a number of sources to identify the following large job sites in Santa Maria where asbestos exposure was known to have occurred. These sites are listed below. Click on them to get more detailed information.

Other Jobsites in Santa Maria where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

These additional jobsites in Santa Maria, CA have been identified as harboring asbestos containing materials. These sites, at one point in their history, were known to have exposed a variety of tradesmen to asbestos. We will be documenting in more detail how asbestos exposure occurred at these sites in the future on this web site.