Orange Industrial Park Exposure Map
● Critical ● High ● Moderate
Major Asbestos Exposure Sites — Orange Industrial Park
| Facility | Industry | Risk Level | Active Period | Est. Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DuPont – Orange Industrial Complex | Chemical manufacturing / neoprene | Critical | 1940s–present (asbestos use 1940s–1985) | ~3,000 peak |
| Orange Industrial Park – Chemical / Fabrication | Mixed chemical / industrial fabrication | Critical | 1950s–present (asbestos use through 1985) | ~2,500 peak |
| Firestone / BF Goodrich – Orange Operations | Rubber / chemical manufacturing | High | 1940s–1980s | ~1,500 peak |
| Sabine River Marine Terminal | Marine bulk cargo | High | 1930s–present | ~600 peak |
| Industrial Canal / Chemical Docks | Chemical marine terminal | Moderate | 1940s–present | ~400 peak |
The Sabine River Border Labor Market
Orange County, Texas and Calcasieu/Jefferson Davis Parishes in Louisiana formed a single labor market for industrial maintenance workers throughout the mid-20th century. Workers crossed the Sabine River regularly — Orange-based workers traveled to Lake Charles refineries; Sulphur and Westlake workers traveled to Orange facilities. This cross-border exposure history means that workers with mesothelioma diagnoses may have claims subject to both Texas law (2 years from diagnosis) and Louisiana law (1 year from diagnosis).
Critical: If you worked on the Louisiana side of the Sabine River — at Lake Charles, Sulphur, Westlake, or Baton Rouge facilities — Louisiana’s 1-year prescription period may apply to those claims. Contact an attorney immediately after diagnosis if you have cross-border exposure history.
Industrial Fabrication Workers
In addition to the major chemical plants, the Orange Industrial Park area housed numerous smaller metal fabrication shops that built and repaired process equipment for the regional chemical corridor. Workers in these shops fabricated pipe assemblies, heat exchangers, vessel components, and structural steel — often in direct contact with asbestos materials used to insulate the equipment before delivery to the plant sites. Fabrication shop workers represent a less-frequently-documented exposure category that experienced attorneys will recognize and investigate.