Naval Submarine Base New London and Asbestos Exposure

Naval Submarine Base New London, located in Groton, Connecticut, is the oldest and largest submarine base in the United States, often called the "Home of the Submarine Force." For decades, the men and women who worked, trained, and served there faced a hidden danger that would not reveal itself until long after their service ended: pervasive asbestos contamination in submarines, shipyard facilities, and base infrastructure. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Navy veterans, particularly those who worked in shipyards or served aboard submarines, are among the occupational groups at highest risk for asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma and asbestosis.

The base was formally established as a submarine base in 1916, and its role expanded dramatically during World War II, when submarine construction and repair activity surged. It was precisely during this wartime buildup, and through the Cold War era that followed, that asbestos use reached its peak. Asbestos was applied throughout submarines and shore-based facilities because it was inexpensive, durable, and highly effective at insulating against heat and fire. The U.S. Navy relied on it heavily until the late 1970s, when federal regulations began restricting its use after its link to fatal lung diseases became undeniable.

Veterans who served at SUBASE New London, as well as civilian contractors and shipyard workers who supported the base's operations, may have been exposed to asbestos fibers in engine rooms, torpedo rooms, pipe insulation, gaskets, boiler systems, and the walls and ceilings of older buildings. Because mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years, according to the National Cancer Institute, many former service members are only now receiving diagnoses tied to exposures that occurred decades ago. Understanding where and how that exposure happened is the first step toward getting a diagnosis, accessing VA benefits, and exploring legal options.

If you served at Naval Submarine Base New London or worked in its shipyard facilities, you may not notice any symptoms of asbestos-related disease for many years, or even decades, after your exposure. This long latency period is one of the most dangerous characteristics of diseases like mesothelioma and asbestosis. By the time symptoms appear, the disease is often in an advanced stage.

According to the National Cancer Institute, symptoms of pleural mesothelioma, the most common form of the cancer, include persistent shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, a dry or painful cough, and unexplained weight loss. Fluid accumulation around the lungs, a condition called pleural effusion, is also common and is frequently the first sign that prompts a physician to investigate further. For veterans who developed peritoneal mesothelioma, symptoms tend to center on the abdomen and include swelling, abdominal pain, nausea, and changes in bowel habits.

Asbestosis, a chronic scarring of the lung tissue caused by inhaled asbestos fibers, produces its own set of symptoms, including a persistent dry cough, progressive shortness of breath, and in advanced cases, clubbing of the fingers. According to the Mayo Clinic, asbestosis symptoms typically appear 10 to 40 years after prolonged exposure. If you have a history of service at SUBASE New London and are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should tell your doctor about your military history and potential asbestos exposure right away. Early disclosure can significantly affect the diagnostic pathway your physician chooses.

Imagine a young Navy machinist in 1958, working inside the cramped engine room of a submarine docked at Groton for repairs. He spends hours cutting through pipe insulation, his hands and coveralls coated in a fine white dust that nobody thinks twice about. That dust was asbestos, and those microscopic fibers would remain in his lungs for the rest of his life.

This scenario was routine at Naval Submarine Base New London for much of the twentieth century. The U.S. Navy was one of the largest institutional users of asbestos in the country. According to a 2009 review published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, the Navy incorporated asbestos into more than 300 different products used aboard ships and submarines, including pipe lagging, boiler insulation, gaskets, packing materials, deck tiles, and bulkhead coatings. Submarines were especially hazardous environments because they were enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces where asbestos fibers had nowhere to go once disturbed.

At SUBASE New London specifically, asbestos exposure occurred in multiple settings. Workers repairing or overhauling submarines in dry dock disturbed existing asbestos insulation, releasing fibers into the air. Shore-based facilities, including machine shops, boiler plants, and older barracks buildings constructed before World War II, also contained asbestos in their insulation, roofing, flooring, and pipe systems. Civilian contractors employed by companies like Electric Boat, which has operated in Groton since 1899 and built many of the Navy's submarines, were also exposed. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) did not establish enforceable workplace asbestos limits until 1971, meaning that for most of the base's peak operational period, there were no meaningful protections in place.

Not everyone who served at Naval Submarine Base New London faced the same level of asbestos exposure. Certain job roles and work locations placed individuals at substantially higher risk than others. According to the VA, the occupational categories with the greatest documented asbestos exposure in the Navy include machinist's mates, boiler technicians, pipefitters, electricians, hull maintenance technicians, and damage controlmen. These roles required direct, hands-on contact with asbestos-containing materials on a near-daily basis.

Submariners as a group faced a particularly concentrated risk. Because submarines are sealed pressure vessels with limited internal volume, any asbestos fibers released during maintenance or repair work had no way to dissipate. Studies have found that asbestos fiber concentrations inside submarines during repair operations could reach levels many times higher than those found in conventional shipboard environments. A 1983 study published in Environmental Research documented elevated asbestos fiber counts in submarine compartments during routine maintenance activities, underscoring the severity of the hazard in these confined spaces.

Beyond active-duty personnel, civilian shipyard workers employed at or near SUBASE New London, particularly those working for Electric Boat in nearby Groton, also carried significant risk. Family members of workers could also be exposed secondhand, as asbestos fibers could be carried home on clothing and hair. This secondary exposure pathway has been documented in mesothelioma cases affecting spouses and children of shipyard workers, according to research published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

• Highest-risk roles: Machinist's mates, boiler technicians, pipefitters, electricians, hull maintenance technicians
• High-risk locations: Submarine engine rooms, torpedo rooms, boiler plants, dry docks, older base buildings
• High-risk time periods: World War II through the late 1970s
• Secondary exposure: Family members of workers who brought asbestos fibers home on clothing

Diagnosing an asbestos-related disease in a veteran who served at SUBASE New London begins with a thorough occupational and military history. If you're a veteran seeking evaluation, your physician needs to know the dates of your service, your specific job duties, and which facilities or vessels you worked in or on. This history is essential because asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma can mimic other conditions, and without a known exposure history, clinicians may not immediately consider them in the differential diagnosis.

According to the National Cancer Institute, imaging studies are typically the first step after a clinical history is taken. A chest X-ray may reveal pleural thickening or calcified pleural plaques, which are markers of past asbestos exposure, though they are not themselves cancerous. A CT scan of the chest provides more detailed information and can detect smaller abnormalities. If imaging suggests mesothelioma or another asbestos-related malignancy, a tissue biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis. Thoracoscopy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is the most common biopsy approach for pleural disease, while laparoscopy is used for peritoneal cases.

Veterans can access diagnostic evaluation through the VA healthcare system. The VA has specific guidelines for evaluating veterans with asbestos exposure histories, and a positive diagnosis of mesothelioma or asbestosis can qualify a veteran for VA disability compensation and healthcare benefits. The VA's rating system for asbestos-related conditions is based on the degree of functional impairment, and mesothelioma is generally assigned a 100% disability rating, according to VA guidelines. Veterans should request a copy of their military records, including their service record and any available health records, before seeking evaluation, as these documents can help establish the service connection required for VA benefits.

Treatment options for veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases following service at Naval Submarine Base New London depend on the specific disease, its stage at diagnosis, and the patient's overall health. For mesothelioma, the standard treatment approach typically involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, though the specific combination varies based on whether the disease is resectable and whether it has spread beyond its original site.

According to the National Cancer Institute, the first-line chemotherapy regimen for pleural mesothelioma is the combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed (brand name Alimta), which was approved by the FDA in 2004 after a clinical trial published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology demonstrated improved survival compared to cisplatin alone. More recently, the FDA approved the immunotherapy combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab (Opdivo and Yervoy) for unresectable pleural mesothelioma in 2020, based on the CheckMate 743 trial, which showed improved overall survival compared to chemotherapy in patients with non-epithelioid histology.

Veterans receiving care through the VA have access to mesothelioma treatment at VA medical centers, some of which have oncology programs with experience treating asbestos-related cancers. However, veterans are not limited to VA care. Specialized mesothelioma treatment centers, including those at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, the University of Chicago Medicine, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, have dedicated programs that may offer clinical trial access and surgical expertise not available at every VA facility. Veterans can use their VA benefits to cover care at non-VA facilities through the VA Community Care Program when the VA cannot provide the needed services in a timely manner.

The prognosis for mesothelioma remains serious regardless of where the asbestos exposure occurred. According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for pleural mesothelioma is approximately 12%, though this figure varies considerably based on the stage at diagnosis, the histological subtype of the tumor, and the patient's age and overall health. Patients with epithelioid mesothelioma, the most common cell type, generally have a better prognosis than those with sarcomatoid or biphasic subtypes.

Early-stage diagnosis is one of the most significant factors affecting outcomes. Unfortunately, because mesothelioma is often diagnosed at an advanced stage due to its long latency and nonspecific early symptoms, many patients are not candidates for aggressive surgical treatment by the time they receive a confirmed diagnosis. That said, survival statistics are improving. A 2021 analysis published in JAMA Oncology found that median overall survival for pleural mesothelioma improved from 9.4 months in the early 2000s to approximately 18 months in recent years, driven in part by advances in immunotherapy.

For veterans diagnosed with asbestosis rather than mesothelioma, the prognosis depends on the extent of lung scarring and whether the disease continues to progress. Asbestosis is not curable, but its progression can be slowed with appropriate management, and many patients live for years after diagnosis with a reasonable quality of life. The key risk for asbestosis patients is the development of secondary complications, including pulmonary hypertension and an elevated risk of lung cancer, which requires ongoing monitoring.

A diagnosis of mesothelioma or asbestosis tied to service at Naval Submarine Base New London carries profound implications, not just medically, but financially and legally as well. Veterans in this situation have several important avenues to explore, and pursuing them promptly matters because legal statutes of limitations apply to asbestos claims.

On the VA benefits side, veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma due to in-service asbestos exposure are generally entitled to VA disability compensation, VA healthcare, and in some cases, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving family members. The VA requires documentation establishing a service connection, meaning you'll need to show that your asbestos exposure occurred during your military service. A VA-accredited claims agent or veterans service organization (VSO) can help you gather the necessary records and submit a well-supported claim.

Beyond VA benefits, veterans and their families may also be eligible to file claims against the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products used at SUBASE New London. Companies like Johns Manville, Owens Corning, and W.R. Grace manufactured asbestos insulation and other products widely used in Navy facilities and submarines. Many of these companies established bankruptcy trust funds after being overwhelmed by asbestos litigation. According to the RAND Corporation's Institute for Civil Justice, more than 60 asbestos bankruptcy trusts have been established, collectively holding billions of dollars for claimants. An attorney experienced in asbestos litigation can help identify which trusts your exposure history may qualify you to file against. Mesothelioma law firms typically handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless compensation is recovered.

Support resources are also available. The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and the Veterans Asbestos Alliance offer information, peer support, and connections to specialists for veterans navigating a new diagnosis. You don't have to navigate this alone, and reaching out to these organizations early in the process can make a meaningful difference in both your care and your legal outcomes.