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.

03. Superfund Sites

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.

04. Exposure in Texas Cities

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.

• Austin
• Baytown
• Beaumont
• Corpus Christi
• Dallas
• Deer Park
• El Paso
• Fort Worth
• Galveston
• Houston
• Longview
• Lufkin
• Port Arthur
• San Antonio
• Tyler

05. Other Work Sites

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.