Documented Exposure Sites
| # | Facility | Industry | Active Period | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valero / Diamond Shamrock Refinery | Petroleum Refining | 1934–present | Critical |
| 2 | Koch Industries (Corpus Christi Refinery) | Petroleum Refining | 1960–present | Critical |
| 3 | Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD) | Military Aviation Maintenance | 1941–present | Critical |
| 4 | Naval Air Station Corpus Christi | Military Aviation Training | 1941–present | High |
| 5 | Celanese Chemical (Bishop, TX) | Petrochemical Production | 1944–present | High |
| 6 | ASARCO Corpus Christi (Smelter) | Metal Smelting & Refining | 1942–1975 | High |
| 7 | Port of Corpus Christi (Inner Harbor) | Port & Ship Operations | 1926–present | High |
| 8 | Corpus Christi Utilities (Power Plant) | Power Generation | 1937–1980 | Moderate |
Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD)
The Corpus Christi Army Depot is the U.S. Army’s primary helicopter and aviation component overhaul facility. Established during World War II, CCAD has employed thousands of civilian workers in aviation maintenance, component overhaul, and facilities management. Asbestos was used throughout CCAD’s hangars, maintenance buildings, and process equipment from the facility’s founding through the 1970s.
Civilian federal employees at CCAD have two compensation paths: Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) claims through the Department of Labor for occupational disease caused by federal employment, and civil lawsuits against the asbestos product manufacturers whose materials were used at the facility. These paths are independent and can be pursued simultaneously. Military veterans who trained or served at NAS Corpus Christi may also pursue VA disability claims.
Inner Harbor Refinery Row
The Corpus Christi Inner Harbor hosts a concentration of petroleum refineries second only to the Houston Ship Channel region among Texas coastal industrial districts. Valero Energy (which acquired the original Diamond Shamrock / Total refinery), Koch Industries, and others have operated facilities here since the 1930s. Refinery turnaround workers, pipefitters, insulators, and boilermakers who worked across the Inner Harbor complex have filed numerous mesothelioma claims.
Yes. Civilian CCAD employees who develop mesothelioma can file FECA claims through the Department of Labor for occupational disease benefits, and can separately file civil lawsuits against the asbestos product manufacturers whose materials were present at the facility. These are independent proceedings. Texas’s 2-year statute of limitations applies to civil lawsuits from the date of mesothelioma diagnosis. FECA claims have no statute of limitations for occupational disease once diagnosed.
The primary Corpus Christi refineries with documented asbestos exposure include the Valero Corpus Christi refinery (formerly Diamond Shamrock, Total), the Koch Industries (Flint Hills Resources) refinery, and the former ASARCO smelter complex. All major Corpus Christi refinery facilities built before 1975 used asbestos pipe insulation, boiler lagging, and equipment insulation extensively. Maintenance workers, pipefitters, and insulators at any of these facilities during the 1940s–1970s likely have significant asbestos exposure history.