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Asbestos in Massachusetts

Linda Molinari
Author: Linda Molinari
Jennifer Lucarelli
Last Updated: 3/4/2026

For decades, many prominent Massachusetts industries used asbestos. Shipbuilding, manufacturing and construction all heavily relied on the mineral. This use put workers and residents at risk for asbestos exposure across the state. Exposure may lead to mesothelioma and other related diseases.

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Outline of Massachusetts state with "asbestos" next to it, beneath a factory icon

Asbestos Use in Massachusetts

Massachusetts industries used asbestos for most of the 20th century. They used the mineral for its insulation and fire-resistant properties for decades. Many Massachusetts buildings were built with asbestos products and materials. This heavy use of asbestos led to exposure for many Massachusetts workers, veterans and residents.

Today, the mineral is better regulated to help limit its harmful effects. Regulations in the 1980s limited new asbestos use. But old products, equipment and facilities state-wide could still expose people to asbestos.

Massachusetts Asbestos Statistics

Massachusetts has a lengthy commercial history with asbestos. Industries like manufacturing and shipbuilding once relied on asbestos. Massachusetts has four known asbestos deposits, including two former mines. Exposure to the harmful mineral has led to asbestos cancers, like mesothelioma, for many people in this state.

Notable statistics about mesothelioma in Massachusetts from 1999 to 2020 include:

  • Approximately 2,004 Massachusetts residents were diagnosed with mesothelioma.
  • Massachusetts reported 1,642 mesothelioma deaths.
  • Massachusetts has the eighth highest mesothelioma death rate in the country.
  • Barnstable County, Massachusetts, is in the top 50 highest U.S. counties for mesothelioma death rates.

Patients may seek custom mesothelioma treatment in Massachusetts. Boston is home to many reputable cancer centers, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Patients and families can also get specialized legal aid. Mesothelioma law firms can help navigate asbestos laws in Massachusetts.

Occupational Asbestos Use in Massachusetts

Massachusetts asbestos use often occurred in commercial and industrial settings. The mineral was affordable and durable, making it a popular addition to many products and materials. As a result, many people faced workplace asbestos exposure risks.

Workers may have handled asbestos products or used machines made with it. Buildings and facilities were often built with asbestos construction materials, leading to exposure risks for anyone in the area. Certain Massachusetts occupations faced higher asbestos risks than others.

Occupations Exposed to Asbestos in Massachusetts

Residential asbestos use was also common in Massachusetts. Before the 1980s, schools and homes were often built with asbestos-containing materials. If these materials are broken down, asbestos exposure risks can increase. Activities like remodeling or do-it-yourself repairs may lead to asbestos exposure.

Mining

Massachusetts once had two active asbestos mines, one near Pelham and the other near Hinsdale. Mining for asbestos and some other minerals, like talc, poses exposure risks. Typical job activities can stir up asbestos dust, which miners can inhale or ingest. They may also accidentally bring asbestos fibers home on their gear and clothes. This can lead to secondary exposure for members of their household.

Manufacturing

Many manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts used asbestos in their products or buildings. Asbestos companies often produced products like textiles, chemicals and electrical components. Asbestos was also popular to protect against high-heat manufacturing environments. Wainwright Manufacturing Company and American Can Company are examples of Massachusetts manufacturing companies known to have used asbestos.

Schools

Like the rest of the country, Massachusetts schools were once built with many asbestos materials. Massachusetts schools that contain asbestos include Middleboro Junior High and High School, Medford High School, Needham High School and Dartmouth Catholic High School. As schools age, asbestos materials may become broken down and more hazardous. Teachers, students and other school staff or visitors may be at risk of asbestos exposure.

Military

Until the 1980s, every branch of the U.S. military used asbestos. Once the mineral was more regulated, new uses of asbestos stopped. But many older military bases, facilities, vehicles, ships and machinery still contain asbestos.

Massachusetts has several military asbestos sites, including the Charlestown Navy Yard and Bedford Air Force Base. These and other military sites have posed past and ongoing asbestos risks to service members.

Questions About Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure in Massachusetts? Ask experienced mesothelioma advocate Jennifer Lucarelli Ask a Question

Asbestos Shipyards and Superfund Sites in Massachusetts

Various shipyards in Massachusetts are known asbestos sites. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund list also contains several asbestos-contaminated sites in the state. These locations have posed health risks in the past, and some continue today.

Fore River Shipyard

In 1883, the Fore River Shipyard opened as the Fore River Engine Company. Before its closure in 1989, the shipyard’s name and ownership changed various times. Over the years, this shipyard produced more than 600 vessels. These ships were used for both World Wars and the Cold War.

These high-production years were also the peak of U.S. asbestos use. Many ships built here may have contained asbestos products and materials. Anyone who worked at this shipyard may have been exposed to asbestos.

Charlestown Navy Yard

The Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston was established in the 1800s. It evolved from a repair facility to an important shipbuilding center known as a “destroyer yard.” Thousands of employees worked here around the clock to create destroyers and other warships.

Many Navy veterans worked at this shipyard. It also employed civilians and various specialized workers, like carpenters and blacksmiths. Asbestos use at this shipyard put workers in many trades at risk of asbestos exposure.

Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard

The Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard opened in 1941 and became a major ship producer. The shipyard closed in 1986, just a few years after asbestos regulations began. The shipyard covered 150 acres and employed more than 23,000 workers during its peak. Many of these workers faced asbestos exposure risks.

Nuclear Metals Inc.

In 2000, the EPA added Nuclear Metals Inc. in Concord to its Superfund list. This 46-acre facility produced depleted uranium products and metal powders for various uses. Its operations leached pollutants, like solid asbestos waste, into the soil and groundwater.

Immediate cleanup actions helped limit impacts on human and environmental health. A comprehensive plan was also created for continued remediation. Cleanup has not been enough to remove this site from the EPA’s Superfund list.

Creese & Cook Tannery

The Creese & Cook Tannery in Danvers was a leather tannery that operated from 1903 to the 1980s. It also served as a site for solid waste disposal and hazardous substance treatment. These types of activities led to the presence of harmful contaminants, including asbestos.

Although now closed, the potential health hazards remain. The EPA added this site to its Superfund list in 2013. Significant cleanup and remediation efforts continue today.

Asbestos Exposure in Massachusetts Cities

Below is a list of cities in Massachusetts with insights about asbestos exposure and related information. Click on a city for more details about specific asbestos exposure risks.

Asbestos Risks at Other Massachusetts Jobsites

Many Massachusetts cities and towns have known asbestos jobsites. Select a town below to see the list of jobsites known to have exposed workers to asbestos. Asbestos exposure may lead to mesothelioma cancer and other asbestos-related diseases.

Massachusetts Asbestos Work Sites
Sources

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC WONDER: About Underlying Cause of Death, 1999-2020.

  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC WONDER: United States and Puerto Rico Cancer Statistics, 1999-2021 Incidence Request.

  3. Mindat.org. Hinsdale Asbestos Mine, Hinsdale, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA.

  4. Mindat.org. Pelham asbestos mine, Pelham, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA.

  5. National Park Service. Charlestown Navy Yard – A Brief History.

  6. National Park Service. From the Great Migration to Boston’s Charlestown Navy Yard.

  7. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Superfund Site: CREESE & COOK TANNERY (FORMER) DANVERS, MA Cleanup Activities.

  8. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Superfund Site: NUCLEAR METALS, INC. CONCORD, MA Cleanup Activities.

  9. United States Naval Shipbuilding Museum. Fore River Shipyard.

  10. U.S. Geological Survey. Reported Historic Asbestos Mines, Historic Asbestos Prospects, and Natural Asbestos Occurrences in the Eastern United States.

  11. U.S. Naval Institute. The Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard in World War II.

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Linda Molinari, Editor in Chief at Mesothelioma.com
Written by Linda Molinari Editor in Chief
Jennifer Lucarelli
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