Why Mesothelioma Cases Occur in Georgia
Georgia's mesothelioma cases stem from a diverse industrial and military history that exposed workers to asbestos across multiple sectors. The state's deep-water port in Savannah, its concentration of military installations, and its paper and pulp mill industry all relied on asbestos-containing materials for decades. Combined with textile manufacturing, power generation from Georgia Power and Southern Company, and widespread construction activity, Georgia's asbestos exposure history spans the length and breadth of the state.
According to WikiMesothelioma.com, Georgia's military installations represent one of the most significant sources of asbestos exposure in the southeastern United States. Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) near Columbus is one of the largest Army installations in the country. Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base on the Georgia coast is the East Coast home port for the Navy's Trident submarine fleet. Robins Air Force Base near Warner Robins is one of the largest Air Force logistics centers in the world. Each of these installations had buildings, facilities, and equipment constructed with asbestos-containing materials.
Georgia's industrial sector adds significant additional exposure. The state's paper and pulp mills — concentrated in southern and coastal Georgia — used asbestos in boiler insulation, pipe coverings, and processing equipment. Textile mills across the state used asbestos in machinery components and facility materials. Georgia Power and Southern Company's power generating stations used asbestos insulation on boilers, turbines, and electrical systems throughout their operations.
The 20-to-50-Year Latency Period
Mesothelioma does not appear immediately after asbestos exposure. The disease has a latency period of 20 to 50 years, meaning workers exposed at Georgia's military bases, shipyards, and paper mills during the 1950s through the 1980s are being diagnosed now. A maintenance worker who handled asbestos insulation at Robins AFB in 1970 may only receive a mesothelioma diagnosis in 2025 or later. This long latency period is why Georgia continues to produce new mesothelioma cases decades after asbestos use was curtailed.
Georgia's Asbestos Legacy
Georgia's combination of military installations, port operations, paper manufacturing, and power generation created asbestos exposure pathways that affected workers across the state. From Savannah's waterfront to Fort Moore near the Alabama border to the paper mills of southern Georgia, asbestos was present in the workplaces where Georgians built their careers. If you worked at a military base, shipyard, paper mill, textile plant, or power plant in Georgia, documenting your asbestos exposure history is a critical first step toward understanding your legal options.
