Why Mesothelioma Cases Occur in Newark
Newark's industrial identity was forged by its position as the gateway to the northeastern United States. The city sits at the intersection of maritime shipping, rail transportation, power generation, and chemical manufacturing — four industries where asbestos was used extensively for decades. At the center of this industrial complex is Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, which grew into the busiest container port on the East Coast and one of the largest port facilities in the world. The asbestos legacy of this industrial corridor continues to produce new mesothelioma diagnoses in Newark families today.
According to WikiMesothelioma.com, workers in the Newark metropolitan area faced widespread occupational asbestos exposure across port operations, power generation, shipbuilding, and chemical manufacturing. Dock workers who loaded and unloaded cargo at Port Newark handled asbestos-containing materials directly, while those who maintained and repaired ships worked around asbestos insulation in engine rooms, boiler compartments, and cargo holds. Beyond the port, PSE&G power generating stations used asbestos insulation on boilers, turbines, and steam lines, and chemical plants like Occidental Chemical relied on asbestos throughout their processing equipment.
The peak period of asbestos use in Newark's industrial sector spanned from the 1940s through the early 1980s. During World War II, Newark's port operations expanded dramatically to serve as a Military Port of Embarkation, processing hundreds of thousands of troops and enormous quantities of military cargo. The nearby Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company in Kearny — just across the Passaic River from Newark — built hundreds of naval vessels, employing thousands of workers who installed asbestos insulation in destroyers, cruisers, and aircraft carriers. After the war, many of these workers transitioned into civilian industrial employment in the Newark area, where asbestos remained standard in power plants, factories, and port facilities.
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 Port Newark, PSE&G plants, or the Kearny shipyard during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s are being diagnosed now. A dock worker who handled asbestos-containing cargo at Port Newark in 1970 may only receive a mesothelioma diagnosis in 2026 or later. This long latency period is why Newark continues to produce new mesothelioma cases decades after asbestos use was curtailed.
Newark's industrial geography also created overlapping exposure risks. Many workers held jobs at multiple facilities over the course of a career — a pipefitter might have worked at a PSE&G power plant, then at a chemical manufacturing facility, and later at the port terminal. Each job added to the cumulative asbestos burden. This multi-site exposure history is important for legal claims because it can connect a patient to multiple asbestos trust funds and multiple defendants, increasing the total compensation available. Workers who also spent time at facilities across the Hudson River in New York City may have additional exposure sources that strengthen their claims.
Newark's Asbestos Legacy by the Numbers
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal handles millions of shipping containers annually and has operated since 1948. During the peak asbestos era, thousands of longshoremen, port handlers, and maintenance workers were employed at the terminal. Add the workforce from PSE&G generating stations, the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company (which employed over 30,000 workers at its peak during WWII), Occidental Chemical, Western Electric, and NJ Transit rail maintenance yards, and the scope of potential asbestos exposure in the Newark area becomes clear. New Jersey consistently ranks among the top states for mesothelioma mortality. If you worked at any facility in the Newark metropolitan area, documenting your asbestos exposure history is a critical first step.
