Shipyards, Paper Mills, and Vermiculite: Washington Mesothelioma by the Numbers

Washington’s mesothelioma burden traces to a specific and well-documented set of industries. Puget Sound shipbuilding, Cowlitz County pulp and paper mills, Pacific Northwest aluminum plants, and an asbestos-contaminated vermiculite processing operation in Spokane together account for most of the state’s exposure history. Like Pennsylvania, Washington is a shipyard state with decades of latent exposure still producing diagnoses today.

The age-adjusted incidence rate of 0.9 per 100,000 in 2021 sits above the broad national pattern. The CDC’s MMWR analysis placed Washington among the states with the highest age-adjusted mesothelioma death rates for women 25 and older from 1999 through 2020, a tier that also includes Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, and Wisconsin.

Where Exposure Happened

Washington’s asbestos burden traces to four primary sectors, each documented in court filings, federal reports, or state agency oversight.

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, also known as PSNS, used asbestos extensively in ship construction, repair, and insulation from the yard’s establishment through the 1980s. Kitsap County, home to the shipyard, has the highest mesothelioma mortality rate in Washington. A 1970 U.S. Navy report documented that 21% of pipe coverers and insulators at PSNS had asbestos-related pulmonary findings, a figure that appears in the public health literature on the facility.

The pattern parallels the exposure story at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and other East Coast shipyards. Below-deck work in enclosed compartments, where pipe insulation and boiler lagging released fibers in confined spaces, produced some of the most intense exposures.

Pulp and Paper Mills in Cowlitz County

Cowlitz County has a concentration of known asbestos exposure sites, including pulp and paper mills such as the former Longview Fibre mill. Asbestos-containing insulation and gasket products from suppliers including Union Carbide were delivered to these mills for use on the high-temperature equipment that runs throughout a paper plant. Maintenance workers, pipefitters, and millwrights at these facilities faced decades of exposure.

King County Industrial Corridor

King County, Washington’s most populous, contains a long list of documented exposure sites. These include Todd Pacific Shipyards, Lake Union shipyards, Lockheed shipyards, Boeing facilities, refineries, and paper mills. Workers who moved between Seattle-area industrial employers often accumulated exposure from multiple products and multiple sites across a single career.

W.R. Grace Vermiculite in Spokane

W.R. Grace shipped asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from its mine in Libby, Montana to an exfoliation plant in Spokane, Washington operated as Vermiculite Northwest, Inc. EPA Region 10 and the Washington State Department of Ecology confirmed asbestos contamination in soil at the Spokane Vermiculite Northwest site through environmental assessments and cleanup oversight. The Spokane operation was one node in the W.R. Grace vermiculite network that produced contamination at dozens of processing sites across the United States.

Washington at a Glance

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

Who Is Most at Risk

• Puget Sound Naval Shipyard workers and Navy personnel exposed to pipe insulation, gaskets, and boiler lagging
• Todd Pacific, Lake Union, and Lockheed shipyard workers in the King County corridor
• Pulp and paper mill workers at the former Longview Fibre mill and other Cowlitz County operations
• Aluminum plant workers at Kaiser Aluminum and other Pacific Northwest smelters
• Former Vermiculite Northwest workers and residents near the Spokane exfoliation site
• Pre-1980 construction tradespeople, particularly insulators, pipefitters, and electricians

Legal Context

Washington’s concentration of shipyard, paper mill, aluminum, and construction exposure produces an active litigation profile. Washington verdicts and settlements include eight-figure outcomes tied to paper mill and drywall exposure. Recovery for many Washington workers also comes through asbestos trust fund claims, which are national bankruptcy trusts that accept claims on a rolling basis. A parallel Pacific Northwest verdict involving a Portland, Oregon shipyard worker produced a $34.2 million judgment against John Crane Inc. in 2025.

For a broader view of 2026 treatment options for people with mesothelioma, see the mesothelioma treatment landscape for 2026.