Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in Pascagoula

Ingalls Shipbuilding opened on the Pascagoula River in the late 1930s and grew into a major builder of naval and commercial ships, including destroyers, amphibious ships and submarines. Ship construction in the mid-twentieth century relied on asbestos to insulate boilers, turbines and piping. Insulators, pipefitters, electricians and welders often worked together in the same compartments, and dust spread to everyone nearby. With thousands of people on the payroll at a time, the shipyard shaped the health histories of families across Jackson County and beyond, including many who commuted from Alabama.

The Chevron refinery, which opened in Pascagoula in the 1960s, added another large industrial workforce. Refinery units, furnaces and steam systems of that era used asbestos insulation that contractors replaced during turnarounds. With so much of the local economy tied to these two sites, many Jackson County households include current or former shipyard or refinery workers, and some workers spent time at both. Dust brought home on work clothing exposed spouses and children, so household exposure is also part of the Pascagoula story and a recognized basis for claims. Several generations of some families have worked at the yard.