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Asbestos in Texas

Linda Molinari
Author: Linda Molinari
Jennifer Lucarelli
Last Updated: 11/12/2025

Texas used asbestos in a number of industries, including oil refineries. Prolonged exposure to asbestos can lead to serious health problems like pleural mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. People who lived and worked in Texas can find resources about asbestos below.

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Asbestos exposure in Texas

Asbestos Use in Texas

People who have lived or worked in Texas may have been exposed to asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was used in thousands of products across a variety of industries. Asbestos exposure can lead to diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer.

It is important for patients to seek care from experienced mesothelioma doctors and care teams. Mesothelioma patients can find treatment in cities around the state, including Dallas and Houston.

Texas Asbestos Statistics

Thousands of Texans have been diagnosed with mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure. Exposure may have occurred when people worked with asbestos or asbestos products. It may have also occurred in buildings where asbestos was present. Today, it’s estimated that as many as 50% of Texas homes still contain asbestos.

  • From 1999 to 2019, 3,836 Texas residents were diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma.
  • According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Texas has eight known natural asbestos sites, including two former mine prospects.
  • A Texas processing plant was found to have processed more than 100,000 tons of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite between 1961 and 1989. It was named a Superfund site. This led to clean-up and renovations of the site.

Individuals with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases in Texas or surrounding areas may qualify for legal compensation. Texas mesothelioma lawyers can help asbestos exposure victims determine their legal options.

Occupational Asbestos Use in Texas

Texans have faced a high number of mesothelioma and asbestos-related deaths over the years partially because of the mineral’s wide use in so many industries within the state.

Occupations Exposed to Asbestos in Texas

Oil Refineries

Dallas and Houston, as well as many other cities in Texas, are home to a number of oil refineries like Phillips Pride Refining. Oil refineries are a big industry in the state and have created thousands of jobs. However, asbestos use may have put thousands of employees at risk of asbestos exposure. Asbestos was often used in construction of these facilities because of its high heat and chemical resistance.

Shipbuilding

With its border on the Gulf of Mexico, Texas has been a popular place for shipyards and shipbuilding services for decades. American Bridge Shipyard, Port Adams Shipyard, Todd Houston Shipbuilding Corporation and over a dozen others have popped up over the years to build, repair and maintain ships. Thousands of workers were employed at these sites, risking exposure to asbestos and other toxins used in the ships’ construction.

Military

Veterans account for around 30% of all mesothelioma diagnoses because of the wide use of asbestos throughout the military. Ships, aircrafts and buildings on bases were just a few areas veterans could have been exposed during their service. Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin and the Naval Station Ingleside in Corpus Christi are known sites of asbestos exposure for veterans, as well as civilian workers.

Manufacturing

Pathfinder Manufacturing and Chevron Phillips Plastics, like many other manufacturers around the country, may have exposed workers to asbestos in these facilities. Equipment often contained asbestos products, like gaskets, to help protect against heat. The buildings themselves may have also contained a variety of asbestos products in their construction.

Chemical Plants

Dow Chemical, Phillips Chemical Company and the Nalco Chemical Plant are just a sampling of the many chemical plants in Texas that have used asbestos. These facilities relied on asbestos materials for construction, equipment and sometimes even protective clothing.

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

Asbestos Shipyards and Superfund Sites in Texas

Though Texas has dozens of Superfund sites all over the state, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hasn’t noted asbestos as a concern at any of these sites. However, residents and workers still face the risk of exposure at numerous shipyards along the coastline.

AMFELS Shipyard

AMFELS Shipyard in Brownsville has been running since the 1970s and still builds many types of commercial vessels. These ships included barges, sludge carriers and support ships, among others. The shipyard continues to be prolific today in the construction and refurbishment of various vessel types. From the beginning of its operations, asbestos was used frequently aboard ships, and workers rarely used any kind of protective gear. Thousands of shipyard workers were potentially exposed to asbestos.

Bloodworth Bond Shipyard

Bloodworth Bond Shipyard operates today under the Bollinger Company with two locations in Houston and Texas City. Both shipyards have several drydocks and the capacity to work on any size vessel. Since their opening, the shipyards have focused largely on repair work and have employed hundreds of tradesmen. Repairs in the boiler room or inside the ship especially could result in airborne asbestos becoming more concentrated from poor ventilation.

Orange Shipbuilding Company

Orange Shipbuilding Company was founded in 1974. Shipbuilding became an important economic boost to Orange during World War II, and many of these companies continued to grow even after the war efforts. In 1997, the company was acquired by Conrad Industries and continues to build and repair a wide variety of ships. Around the time the company was first forming until the 1980s, towboat engine rooms and most other ships were outfitted with asbestos materials, making maintenance and repair especially dangerous.

Port Freeport

Port Freeport has been operating in Freeport, Texas, for well over 100 years and is one of the most important ports on the Gulf Coast. The port stretches over 7,500 acres of land and is easily accessible for national and international business. The shipyard is capable of construction, maintenance and repair of various types of vessels. Until asbestos was banned from maritime manufacturing in the mid-1970s, it was a prime material in ship construction because it could withstand the changes in heat and moisture and help build a durable, safe engine.

Asbestos Exposure in Texas Cities

Below is a list of cities in the state of Texas where asbestos use is known to have occurred. Click on a city below to see more detailed information about the specific jobsites where asbestos exposure occurred.

Asbestos Risks at Other Texas Work Sites

Beyond the major cities and towns in Texas, asbestos exposure has also occurred at a number of other jobsites. Asbestos exposure at any one of these sites could put workers at risk of developing pleural mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.

Texas Asbestos Work Sites

Common Questions About Asbestos in Texas

When was asbestos banned in Texas?
While asbestos has not been completely banned in Texas, the state follows federal regulations regarding the handling and removal of asbestos. The state also has its own regulations under the Environmental Hazards Programs.
What can I do if I was exposed to asbestos in Texas?
People who believe they may have been exposed to asbestos should speak with their doctor or a mesothelioma specialist. Mesothelioma patients in Texas may also be eligible for financial compensation. An asbestos attorney can help victims of asbestos exposure explore their legal options.
Sources

  1. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Naturally Occurring Asbestos Locations in the Contiguous USA and Alaska and the 100 Fastest Growing U.S. Counties. July 2007.

  2. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Who Is At Risk of Exposure to Asbestos? Updated May 2023.

  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. United States and Puerto Rico Cancer Statistics, 1999-2021 Incidence Request. CDC Wonder Online Database.

  4. Krstev S, Stewart P, et al. Mortality among shipyard Coast Guard workers: a retrospective cohort study. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. October 2007;64(10):651-658. doi: 10.1136/oem.2006.029652

  5. Peebles RH. Shipbuilding. Texas State Historical Association. Updated November 2017.

  6. Sorahan T. Mortality of UK oil refinery and petroleum distribution workers, 1951-2003. Occupational Medicine (London). May 2007;57(3):177-185. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kql168

  7. Texas Economic Development. Target Industry Clusters.

  8. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Superfund Sites in Reuse in Texas. Superfund Redevelopment Program. Updated June 2023.

  9. Van Gosen BS. Reported Historic Asbestos Prospects and Natural Asbestos Occurrences in the Central United States. U.S. Geological Survey. 2006.

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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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