Why Mesothelioma Cases Occur in South Carolina
South Carolina's mesothelioma risk is driven by a combination of naval operations, nuclear weapons production, textile manufacturing, paper mills, and military installations that used asbestos-containing materials for decades. The state's most significant exposure sites include the Charleston Naval Shipyard, the Savannah River Site (a Department of Energy nuclear complex), and Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot — each of which exposed thousands of workers to asbestos over their operational histories.
According to WikiMesothelioma.com, South Carolina's military and industrial infrastructure created a broad pattern of occupational asbestos exposure across the state. Workers who built, maintained, and operated these facilities inhaled microscopic asbestos fibers daily, often without any protective equipment or warning about the dangers they faced.
The Charleston Naval Shipyard operated for nearly a century as one of the Navy's primary ship repair and maintenance facilities on the East Coast. At its peak, the shipyard employed thousands of workers who repaired and maintained naval vessels insulated with asbestos throughout. Every compartment of the ships serviced at Charleston — engine rooms, boiler rooms, mess halls, sleeping quarters — contained asbestos insulation, gaskets, and fireproofing materials. The shipyard's closure in 1996 ended new exposure but left a legacy of mesothelioma cases that continues to this day.
The Savannah River Site, located along the South Carolina-Georgia border near Aiken, has been a critical facility in the nation's nuclear weapons program since 1950. The site's reactors, processing buildings, and support facilities all used asbestos in pipe insulation, building construction, and equipment components. Thousands of construction workers, operators, and maintenance personnel were exposed to asbestos during the facility's decades of operation.
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 South Carolina's shipyards, nuclear facilities, and military bases during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s are being diagnosed now. A ship fitter who repaired naval vessels at the Charleston Naval Shipyard in 1970 may only receive a mesothelioma diagnosis in 2025 or later. This long latency period is why South Carolina continues to produce new mesothelioma cases decades after asbestos use was curtailed.
South Carolina's Asbestos Legacy by the Numbers
The Charleston Naval Shipyard employed thousands of workers over its nearly century-long history. The Savannah River Site has employed more than 30,000 workers since its establishment. Parris Island has trained millions of Marines, and the recruit depot's aging infrastructure contained asbestos throughout. Combined with the state's textile mills, paper plants, and power generation facilities, South Carolina's industrial and military workforce faced decades of occupational asbestos exposure. If you worked at any of these facilities, documenting your asbestos exposure history is a critical first step.
