Bethlehem Steel Corporation — Plants in California

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that they were exposed to asbestos while working at Bethlehem Steel Corporation plants in California. This page documents the California portion of Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s multi-state operations. For the full corporate summary and plants in other states, see the Bethlehem Steel Corporation manufacturer page.

Premises Description

Bethlehem Steel Corporation (founded 1857, headquartered Bethlehem PA; bankrupt 2001, assets acquired by International Steel Group / Mittal / ArcelorMittal) was through the 20th century the second-largest U.S. integrated steel producer and one of the principal U.S. shipbuilders. Bethlehem asbestos-era operations included:

Integrated Steel Mills:

  • Bethlehem PA — corporate headquarters and original Lehigh Valley mill (closed 1995)
  • Sparrows Point MD (Baltimore-area) — one of the largest integrated steel mills in the world at peak (closed 2012)
  • Burns Harbor IN — modern Lake Michigan integrated mill (still active under ArcelorMittal/Cleveland-Cliffs)
  • Lackawanna NY (Buffalo-area) — closed 1983
  • Steelton PA — steel plate, rail products
  • Johnstown PA — closed 1992

Shipyards:

  • Beaumont TX — Bethlehem Steel Beaumont Shipyard, major Gulf Coast shipbuilder through WWII and post-war
  • Quincy MA — Bethlehem Steel Quincy Shipyard, Navy and commercial shipbuilding
  • Sparrows Point MD — adjacent to the steel mill, major Navy and commercial shipbuilding
  • San Francisco CA and San Pedro CA — West Coast shipyards
  • Hoboken NJ and Brooklyn NY — East Coast ship repair

The Bethlehem Steel Beaumont Shipyard is of particular significance for OBLF Texas cases — Bethlehem Beaumont was a major employer for the Beaumont-Port Arthur trade-union corridor through the asbestos era, with Boilermakers Local 587, Pipefitters Local 195, IBEW Local 479, and other Beaumont-area locals dispatched to shipyard work alongside Bethlehem’s own employee workforce.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Bethlehem Steel — as premises owner of its integrated mill and shipyard operations — exposed its steelworker workforce, shipyard machinists and trade employees, and contractor pipefitters, insulators, and boilermakers to extensive asbestos materials.

Bethlehem Steel Corporation has been named as a Premises Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

  • United Steelworkers Local members at Sparrows Point, Burns Harbor, Lackawanna, Bethlehem, Steelton, Johnstown
  • Shipyard machinists and marine trades at Beaumont TX, Quincy MA, Sparrows Point MD, San Francisco/San Pedro CA
  • Boilermakers Local 587 (Beaumont) dispatched to Bethlehem Beaumont Shipyard
  • Pipefitters Local 195 (Beaumont) dispatched to Bethlehem Beaumont
  • Navy ratings working aboard Bethlehem-built Navy ships
  • Construction-trade workforces on Bethlehem mill capital projects

If You Worked at a Bethlehem Steel Mill or Shipyard

If you worked at a Bethlehem Steel Corporation integrated mill, shipyard, or fabrication facility during the asbestos era — including at the Beaumont TX shipyard, Sparrows Point MD, Burns Harbor IN, Quincy MA, or any other Bethlehem site — as a Bethlehem employee or as a dispatched contractor trade worker, and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related illness, you may have legal rights.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Named Plants and Operating Era

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that specific named Bethlehem Steel plants in California allegedly involved asbestos-containing materials during their principal operating eras. Documented plant footprint in California:

  • Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, San Francisco (Union Iron Works) — San Francisco CA; Navy and commercial shipbuilding and ship repair yard on the historic Union Iron Works site (Potrero Point / 20th Street), acquired by Bethlehem in 1905 and operated through WWII into the postwar period; Bethlehem shipbuilding-yard site closed and later transitioned to other operators.
  • Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, San Pedro — San Pedro (Terminal Island) CA; West Coast Navy repair and drydock yard operated by Bethlehem through the asbestos era.
  • Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Alameda — Alameda CA (Bethlehem Alameda yard); WWII-era shipbuilding satellite in the Bay Area.

Plant-Era ACM Narrative

At Bethlehem Steel’s California shipyard operations, plaintiffs alleged the following plant-era asbestos exposure pathways during the U.S. asbestos era (approximately 1930s-1980):

  • Asbestos-fabric ship-side and bulkhead insulation on WWII and Cold War hull construction at San Francisco and Alameda
  • Asbestos-cement Marinite panels for machinery-space bulkheads on Navy and merchant hulls
  • Asbestos-block boiler lagging on ship propulsion boilers and shipyard powerhouse boilers
  • Asbestos pipe covering on steam, hot-water, and process piping across the yards, powerhouses, and drydock utility runs
  • Asbestos gaskets and packing in ship steam systems, condensers, valves, and pumps disturbed during drydock overhauls at San Pedro

Trades and Local Union Coverage

Plaintiffs alleged that California Bethlehem Steel shipyard work was performed by tradesmen from the following unions and Locals during the asbestos era: HFIAW insulators Local 16 (Bay Area) and Local 5 (Los Angeles/San Pedro) for shipside lagging, UA pipefitters Local (the San Francisco-area Local and the San Pedro-area Local), IBB boilermakers Local (the Bay Area shipyard Local), IBEW electricians Local, Ironworkers Local, and Marine Draftsmen (MDA-1) for hull ironwork on WWII construction.

Documented ACM Product Vectors Named in Litigation

Products from AP defendant manufacturers that plaintiffs alleged were supplied to or specified at California Bethlehem Steel shipyards during the asbestos era:

For Bethlehem Steel shipyards (San Francisco / San Pedro / Alameda):