Shipyards, Mills, and Mesothelioma: Massachusetts by the Numbers

Massachusetts sits above the national average for mesothelioma. Per CDC data covering 2018 to 2022, the state’s rate is approximately 0.8 per 100,000, compared with a national average of roughly 0.6 per 100,000. The state recorded 2,004 mesothelioma diagnoses and 1,642 mesothelioma deaths between 1999 and 2020.

The reason is industrial. Massachusetts built ships, insulated mills, and ran paper plants along the Merrimack River, and every one of those industries relied on asbestos. Workers at Fore River in Quincy, Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, and textile mills in Lowell, Lawrence, Fall River, and New Bedford inhaled asbestos fibers across decades of daily work. Those exposures are producing diagnoses now, 30 to 50 years later.

State Rankings

For a full comparison of all 50 states, see our mesothelioma rates by state rankings.

Where Exposure Happened

Massachusetts’s asbestos burden traces to four primary sectors.

Fore River Shipyard in Quincy

Fore River Shipyard on Quincy’s waterfront was one of the most significant shipbuilding operations in the Northeast. Founded in Braintree in 1884, relocated to Quincy in 1901, and active through the 1980s (the last ship launched in 1982, with the yard closing in 1986), Fore River employed more than 15,000 workers during World War I and reached a peak of more than 32,000 workers in 1943 at the height of WWII production. General Dynamics later operated the yard, building nuclear submarines, naval vessels, Apollo tracking ships, and LNG tankers there.

Asbestos was embedded throughout the ships: pipe insulation, boiler lagging, gaskets, turbine wrapping, fireproofing cements, electrical equipment, and fireproof bulkheads. Shipyard workers, insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, and riveters faced the highest exposure, producing elevated mesothelioma rates in the Quincy and South Shore region.

Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston

The Charlestown Navy Yard, also known as Boston Naval Shipyard, operated from 1801 to 1974 and employed roughly 50,000 workers during World War II. Like the Philadelphia Navy Yard and the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, Charlestown built and repaired warships in conditions where asbestos was built into pipe covering, boiler insulation, fireproofing, and gaskets. Below-deck work in enclosed compartments created particularly concentrated exposure.

Textile and Paper Mills Along the Merrimack

The textile mills of Lowell, Lawrence, Fall River, and New Bedford ran on steam, and steam ran through asbestos-insulated pipes. Paper mills along the Merrimack River shared the same exposure profile. Mill workers handled asbestos gaskets, insulation, and steam fittings across long careers. Latency periods of 20 to 60 years mean many workers from the 1950s through the 1970s are receiving diagnoses today.

Pre-1980 Construction Trades

Pre-1980 commercial and public buildings throughout Massachusetts were constructed with asbestos-containing materials. Insulation, floor tiles, roofing, and fireproofing all contained asbestos. Construction tradespeople, especially insulators, pipefitters, and electricians, faced daily exposure.

Who Is Most at Risk

• Shipyard workers at Fore River in Quincy and Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston
• Textile mill workers in Lowell, Lawrence, Fall River, and New Bedford
• Paper mill workers along the Merrimack River corridor
• Pipefitters and insulators in industrial and commercial construction
• Boilermakers at power plants and industrial facilities
• Construction tradespeople working in pre-1980 buildings

The EPA has flagged Superfund sites with asbestos contamination in the state, including Blackburn and Union Privileges in Walpole.

Legal Options for Massachusetts Workers

For an overview of all current treatment options, see the 2026 mesothelioma treatment landscape.

Massachusetts’s asbestos trust fund claims are relevant for workers across the shipbuilding, textile, paper, and construction industries. The companies that manufactured asbestos-containing products used in these facilities have established bankruptcy trusts that continue to accept claims.

Verdicts and settlements in Massachusetts reflect the state’s industrial profile, including the $42.6 million Lovell v. Johnson & Johnson talc verdict in Middlesex County and the $8 million Paluzzi v. Johnson & Johnson verdict in Suffolk County.