Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in Portland

During World War II, Kaiser shipyards in Portland and across the river in Vancouver, Washington, built cargo ships and escort carriers at remarkable speed. Tens of thousands of people moved to the area to work in the yards, installing asbestos insulation on boilers and steam systems. After the war, many of these workers stayed and took jobs in other Portland industries. Many of these new workers had no prior shipyard experience and learned on the job, often working shoulder to shoulder in cramped compartments. Welders, electricians and shipfitters shared spaces with insulators, so dust spread to everyone nearby. The yards closed or shrank after the war, but the exposure had already happened.

Pulp and paper mills along the Willamette and Columbia rivers relied on steam, and their boilers, piping and dryers were insulated with asbestos. Portland also had ship repair, metal work and construction industries that used asbestos products. Many Portland families trace exposure to the wartime yards or the mills, and some relatives were exposed at home through dusty work clothes. Portland's port and ship repair yards continued to service vessels for decades after the war. Union halls in the region dispatched tradespeople to mills, shipyards and construction sites on both sides of the Columbia River. Building engineers in older schools and offices could also be exposed during boiler repairs.