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Power Plants

Ravenswood Generating Station

Ravenswood Generating Station

Ravenswood Generating Station Ravenswood Generating Station is a major power plant on the East River waterfront in Long Island City, Queens, New York — one of the largest in-city generating stations in the United States. Its boilers, turbines, and miles of steam piping were insulated with asbestos, and the heaviest exposure came during turbine overhauls and boiler repairs, when that insulation was ripped out and replaced.

Last verified: 2026-06-28
Legal & editorial
Written by Paul Danziger, J.D. · Edited by Rod De Llano, J.D. · Legally reviewed by Michelle Whitman (affiliated firm)
Editorial Policy & Advisory Board
Location
Long Island City, NY
Industry
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
Exposure Era
1960s–1980s
Primary Asbestos Products
Boiler insulation, Turbine insulation and lagging, High-temperature steam-pipe lagging, Asbestos gaskets, Valve packing, Sprayed fireproofing and refractory
Job Categories at Risk
Boiler-house workers, Turbine operators, Insulators, Pipefitters, Boilermakers, Maintenance mechanics, Electricians, Welders, Millwrights, Laborers

History & Asbestos Use

Ravenswood Generating Station was built by Consolidated Edison between 1963 and 1965 with three large steam-generating units burning oil and natural gas. A fourth unit, known as "Big Allis," was one of the largest steam turbines in the world when installed. The plant was constructed with extensive asbestos-containing insulation throughout its boilers, turbines, and piping systems, standard for power plants of that era. The facility has since passed through operators including KeySpan and is currently owned by Rise Light & Power.

Exposure Details

A steam power plant is built around heat, and asbestos was the insulation that held it in. At Ravenswood, the boilers, turbines — including the massive "Big Allis" unit — and the high-pressure steam piping that connected them were all wrapped in asbestos lagging, and the equipment was sealed with asbestos gaskets and valve packing. The worst exposure came during turbine overhauls and boiler repairs, when insulators and laborers stripped the old, often deteriorated lagging off the machinery by hand before new material went on — rip-out work that releases far more airborne fiber than a fresh installation. Boiler-house workers, pipefitters, boilermakers, mechanics, and electricians working the same overhaul breathed that dust in the confined boiler rooms and turbine halls, and because this dense urban plant ran nearly continuously, maintenance was often performed while adjacent units stayed in service, concentrating exposure. Fibers carried home on work clothes exposed families through take-home (secondary) exposure.

Workers at Risk

The following job categories at Ravenswood Generating Station had the highest risk of asbestos exposure:

  • Boiler-house workers
  • Turbine operators
  • Insulators
  • Pipefitters
  • Boilermakers
  • Maintenance mechanics
  • Electricians
  • Welders
  • Millwrights
  • Laborers

Health Effects

Former Ravenswood workers have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and asbestosis. New York City has documented significant numbers of asbestos-related disease cases from power plants, building construction, and shipyards, and Ravenswood's large workforce makes it one of the most significant exposure sites in the metropolitan area. Because these diseases typically appear 20 to 50 years after first exposure, workers from the peak asbestos era are still being diagnosed today, and family members exposed to take-home fiber have developed mesothelioma as well. A diagnosis is not the worker's fault: the manufacturers that supplied asbestos to the plant knew the hazards, and many have since funded trust funds to compensate those harmed.

Health information is based on established medical research on asbestos exposure. Asbestos is classified as a known human carcinogen by the National Cancer Institute, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Consult a physician for medical advice specific to your situation.

Compensation May Be Available

Workers exposed to asbestos at Ravenswood Generating Station may be entitled to compensation through asbestos trust funds, personal injury lawsuits, or veterans benefits. Mesothelioma patients and their families have recovered billions in compensation from companies that manufactured or used asbestos products.

2 asbestos trust funds have been identified as potentially related to exposure at this site. Many mesothelioma patients qualify to file claims with multiple trusts simultaneously.

Find Out If You Qualify

Were You Exposed to Asbestos at Ravenswood Generating Station?

Workers who were employed at Ravenswood Generating Station between 1960s–1980s may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials. If you've been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may have legal options including trust fund claims and lawsuits.

Speak with an Attorney — Free Request a Free Case Evaluation

Related Asbestos Trust Funds

Workers exposed to asbestos at Ravenswood Generating Station may be eligible to file claims with the following trust funds:

Treatment Centers in New York

If you were exposed to asbestos at Ravenswood Generating Station and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, these specialized treatment centers in New York may be able to help.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

New York, NY

Comprehensive Cancer Center
View Full Profile
Mount Sinai Health System

Mount Sinai Health System

New York, NY

Cancer Center
View Full Profile
NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center

NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center

New York, NY

Comprehensive Cancer Center
View Full Profile
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Buffalo, NY

Comprehensive Cancer Center
View Full Profile

Browse all treatment centers →

Frequently Asked Questions

Was asbestos used at Ravenswood Generating Station?

Yes. Ravenswood was built in the 1960s with extensive asbestos-containing materials — boiler insulation, turbine lagging, high-temperature steam-pipe lagging, gaskets, valve packing, and sprayed fireproofing — throughout all generating units, including the massive "Big Allis" turbine.

What asbestos products were used at Ravenswood Generating Station?

Boiler insulation; turbine insulation and lagging; high-temperature steam-pipe lagging; asbestos gaskets and valve packing; and sprayed fireproofing and refractory. Insulators handled the raw material, but the dust exposed every trade working nearby in the boiler rooms and turbine halls.

What jobs had the highest asbestos exposure at Ravenswood?

Insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, and boiler-house workers had the heaviest exposure, especially during turbine overhauls and boiler repairs, but turbine operators, maintenance mechanics, electricians, welders, millwrights, and laborers in the same confined spaces were also exposed.

Why were turbine overhauls at Ravenswood especially hazardous for asbestos?

Overhauling a turbine or boiler means stripping off the old asbestos lagging before new insulation goes on, and tearing out aged, deteriorated asbestos releases far more airborne fiber than installing it new. At Ravenswood that rip-out happened in confined boiler rooms and turbine halls, often while adjacent units stayed in service, so fiber concentrated and exposed everyone working there.

Could family members of Ravenswood workers be exposed to asbestos?

Yes. Fibers settled on workers' clothing, hair, and tools and were carried home, where spouses and children could inhale them while greeting workers or laundering work clothes. This take-home (secondary) exposure has caused mesothelioma in family members who never entered the plant.

How long after working at Ravenswood can mesothelioma appear?

Mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases usually develop 20 to 50 years after first exposure, which is why former Ravenswood workers — and even their family members — are still being diagnosed today, decades after the peak asbestos years.

Can Ravenswood Generating Station workers or their families file an asbestos claim?

Often, yes. Former workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis — and the families of workers who have died — may be eligible for compensation through asbestos trust funds and claims against the manufacturers whose products were used at the facility. Eligibility and deadlines depend on the diagnosis and state, so a no-cost review by a mesothelioma attorney is worthwhile.

I worked here but I have no employment records. Does that end it?

No. Missing paperwork is normal after this long, and it is not what decides a claim. A Social Security earnings statement lists every employer you had, by year, and can usually be requested directly. Union records, W-2s and a DD-214 for military service do similar work. Coworkers who were there can also confirm conditions. What matters most is what you remember, written down in your own words.

My father or husband worked here and has since died. Can the family still file?

Yes. A wrongful death claim can be brought by the estate or eligible family members, and it is a separate route from a claim the patient would have brought themselves. It also runs on a different clock: the deadline generally starts at the date of death rather than the date of diagnosis, which means families are sometimes still in time when they assume they are not. Deadlines are set by each state, so confirm the one that applies to yours.

I never worked here, but a family member did. Could I have been exposed?

Possibly. Asbestos fibres travelled home on work clothes, in hair and in vehicles, and household members were exposed while washing laundry or greeting someone at the end of a shift. This is called secondhand or take-home exposure and it is a recognised route to a claim in its own right, not an exception. If you are documenting a family member's work history, write down your own contact with their work clothing as well.

Did you work at Ravenswood Generating Station? Write this down now

You do not need a lawyer, a diagnosis, or a decision to do this. You need a piece of paper. Memory is the part of a claim nobody else can reconstruct for you, and it is the part that fades.

  • The years you worked there — approximate is fine, and a range is fine
  • Your trade or job title, and what you actually did day to day
  • Which building, unit, ship or area you spent your time in
  • Who else was there — names of crew, foremen, or anyone who could confirm it later
  • Anything you remember about the materials — write what you recall on your own, before looking anything up. Details you remember unprompted are the ones that hold up years later when you are asked under oath. Details you read on a website do not.

If you are doing this for a relative who has died, write down what you remember too, including work clothes brought home to be washed. Household exposure is a real claim, not an edge case.

Worked at Ravenswood Generating Station? Tell us the years and your trade

That is usually enough to work out which claims are open to you — trust funds, a lawsuit, or VA benefits if the exposure happened in service. You do not need records, dates you are certain of, or the name of a product. If you are asking on behalf of someone who has died, a family member can file and the deadline runs differently. No cost, no obligation, and no pressure to decide anything today.

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Sources:

  • EPA records — accessed 2026-06-28
  • OSHA compliance records — accessed 2026-06-28
  • Consolidated Edison historical records — accessed 2026-06-28
  • New York DEC records — accessed 2026-06-28
← All Exposure Sites in New York ← All Exposure Sites
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