Shipyards and Paper Mills: Georgia Asbestos Exposure Legacy

Georgia’s 4,172 asbestos-related deaths and 74 documented exposure sites trace to industries that shaped the state’s economy for generations. From Savannah’s waterfront to Atlanta’s construction boom to the paper mills of central Georgia, asbestos was embedded in the daily work of hundreds of thousands of people.

The workers who built the ships, ran the paper machines, and constructed the buildings are the ones receiving diagnoses now, decades after their last exposure. The disease was already forming in their lungs long before the material was recognized as deadly.

Savannah Shipyards

Savannah’s port has been one of the busiest on the Eastern Seaboard since the colonial era. During the 20th century, the city’s shipyard and maritime repair operations employed thousands of workers who built, repaired, and maintained naval and commercial vessels.

Shipyard work was among the most asbestos-intensive occupations in any industry. The material was used in virtually every system aboard a vessel. Steam and hot water pipes throughout a ship’s engine room and mechanical spaces were wrapped in asbestos insulation. Pipefitters and insulators cut, fit, and replaced this material in confined spaces where ventilation was minimal. Ship boilers were insulated with thick layers of asbestos to contain heat, and boilermakers who maintained and repaired these systems stripped old insulation and applied new material, releasing clouds of fibers in enclosed compartments.

Asbestos-containing spray was applied to bulkheads, overheads, and structural members as fireproofing. Workers in adjacent areas breathed these fibers during application and for years afterward as the material degraded. Valves, flanges, and pumps throughout a ship’s mechanical systems used asbestos gaskets to withstand heat and pressure, and engine room crews replaced these components as part of routine maintenance.

Workers at Savannah’s yards faced exposure levels that were orders of magnitude higher than in other industries, particularly those who worked below deck where asbestos fibers accumulated in enclosed spaces with limited air circulation. The same below-deck conditions produced elevated mesothelioma rates at naval shipyards nationwide, including the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, the Hunters Point and Long Beach yards in California, and the Jacksonville and Pensacola yards in Florida. National data on mesothelioma risk by occupation ranks shipyard workers among the highest-risk groups.

Paper and Pulp Mills

Georgia’s paper and pulp industry operated across the southern and central parts of the state, with mills in Macon, Savannah, Augusta, and smaller communities throughout the Coastal Plain. These mills processed Georgia’s abundant pine forests into paper, packaging, and pulp products.

Like paper mills across the country, including the Fox Valley mills in Wisconsin that helped give that state the highest per capita mesothelioma rate in the nation, Georgia’s operations used asbestos at multiple points in the production process. Paper mills run on steam, and every pipe carrying steam from the boiler house to the production floor was insulated with asbestos. Pipefitters and insulators maintained these systems throughout their careers.

Machine felts, dryer roll insulation, gaskets, and packing materials contained asbestos to withstand the heat and friction of continuous production. Workers who operated and maintained these machines were in direct contact with the material. Winders, calenders, and heavy production equipment used asbestos brake pads, and mechanics released fibers into the air each time they serviced the brakes.

Atlanta Manufacturing and Construction

Atlanta’s explosive growth during the second half of the 20th century created a massive construction and manufacturing sector. Commercial buildings, public infrastructure, residential developments, and industrial facilities all used asbestos-containing materials.

Insulation contractors, pipefitters, electricians, HVAC workers, roofers, and demolition crews were exposed throughout the construction process. In older buildings, maintenance workers and renovators continued to encounter the material for decades after original construction.

Major manufacturing operations across the metro area, from automotive parts to textiles to chemical processing, used asbestos insulation and components in their facilities. Workers at these plants handled the material daily, often without protective equipment or knowledge of the risk.

Military Installations

Georgia hosts several major military installations where asbestos was used extensively in buildings, barracks, workshops, and equipment.

• Fort Stewart (Hinesville): One of the largest military installations on the East Coast, with decades of construction using asbestos-containing materials
• Fort Benning (Columbus): Home of the Infantry, with aging buildings and infrastructure containing asbestos insulation and fireproofing
• Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base: Nuclear submarine maintenance operations involving asbestos-insulated components
• Robins Air Force Base (Warner Robins): Aircraft maintenance and repair operations where asbestos was present in brake systems, insulation, and building materials

Service members and civilian employees at these installations may have been exposed during construction, maintenance, renovation, and demolition activities.

Take-Home Exposure

Georgia’s shipyard workers, paper mill employees, and construction tradespeople carried asbestos fibers home on their clothing, skin, and hair. Spouses who laundered work clothes and children in the household were exposed to the same fibers that were accumulating in workers’ lungs.

Courts across the Southeast have recognized take-home exposure as a valid basis for claims. In January 2026, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that shipyard employers owe a duty of care to workers’ family members exposed through contaminated clothing, a decision with direct implications for Savannah shipyard families and secondary exposure claims nationwide. Families affected by secondhand exposure may have both lawsuit and trust fund options.

For legal outcomes from cases involving these exposure sites, see verdicts and settlements.