Coast Guard Cutters and Asbestos

Asbestos Exposure on Coast Guard Cutters

Before 1991, the United States Coast Guard (USGC) constructed hundreds of ships (like cutters) with asbestos-containing materials. Usually, contamination stemmed from insulation and flooring. As a result, countless Coast Guardsmen experienced routine asbestos exposure for years during their service.

Inhaling asbestos is known to cause long-term organ damage and cancers in some people. Respiratory cancers, pleural plaques, and mesotheliomas have been diagnosed in former cutter workers. Moreover, higher rates of these cancers occurred among Coast Guard shipyard workers.

Anyone who worked on or berthed in a USGC cutter before ship renovations in the early 1990s may have been exposed to asbestos from interacting with:

• Cement
• Duct pipe wrap
• Electrical wire coating
• Gaskets and boiler lining
• Loose floor and ceiling tiles
• Sealants and adhesives
• Thermal insulation

Although asbestos exposure levels were low aboard cutters, men and women on these ships experienced routine, daily exposure to the material. Handling asbestos-insulated wires, cleaning damaged asbestos-containing floors, and other normal activities exposed Coast Guardsmen to the carcinogen each day. The risk of developing cancers like mesothelioma increase significantly the longer you’re exposed to asbestos.

Removing asbestos-containing materials from cutters presented another chance for exposure in the Coast Guard. Workers who failed to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) during the renovation of cutters risked higher levels of asbestos exposure.

Additionally, low levels of lead exposure were likewise a health risk on cutters before the 1990s. Lead exposure can also lead to developing long-term illnesses.

History of Military Coast Guard Cutters

In 1790, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton brought together a small fleet of cutter ships eventually known as the Revenue Cutter Service. The fleet patrolled American waters to enforce tax laws and prevent smuggling. With the Revenue Cutter Service, Hamilton simultaneously created the United States Coast Guard.

By 2018, the Coast Guard had 243 cutters. Typically, the ships range from 65 feet in length to over 200 feet (for cutters carrying helicopters).

The boats operate as:

• Buoy tenders
• Construction tenders
• Escort
• Fast response vessels
• Harbor tugs
• National security
• Patrol
• Polar and Great Lakes icebreakers
• Training cutter

List of Asbestos-contaminated Cutters

Health Risks Linked to Asbestos Exposure

In most cases, it takes years or decades for asbestos particles in the body to cause evident symptoms. Up to 20 to 50 years after serving aboard a cutter, service members may notice a hacking cough that won’t go away, chest pain, or swelling in the upper torso.

Complications of asbestos exposure (like lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma) can produce similar symptoms. As such, diagnosing the underlying problem can be difficult for doctors (especially for those unfamiliar with asbestos-caused diseases).

Health problems linked to asbestos exposure include:

• Colon cancer
• Larynx cancer
• Lung cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Pericardial mesothelioma
• Peritoneal mesothelioma
• Pleural mesothelioma
• Stomach cancer
• Testicular cancer

Benefits for Veterans

Fortunately for veterans and their families, all health issues linked to military service are covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA provides compensation and health care to eligible Coast Guardsmen, veterans, and their families.

If you have an asbestos-related illness and were assigned to a USGC cutter before 1991, you may provide one of the following documentation to the VA:

• Permanent duty assignment orders on a USGC cutter
• Career Summary list of all permanent duty assignments
• Coast Guard Service Treatment Records stating you had a permanent duty assignment on a specific Coast Guard cutter
• Military Service Records from the National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri
• Military Service Records from the Coast Guard Military Records Section/ Personnel Service Center (if you separated on or after 10/01/2006)