Port Arthur West Side Exposure Map
● Critical ● High ● Moderate
Major Asbestos Exposure Sites — Port Arthur West Side
| Facility | Industry | Risk Level | Active Period | Est. Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Oil / Chevron – West Side Refinery Complex | Petroleum refining | Critical | 1920s–present (asbestos use through 1988) | ~4,000 peak |
| DuPont – Port Arthur Chemical Plant | Chemical manufacturing | Critical | 1940s–present (asbestos use through 1984) | ~2,500 peak |
| Huntsman / Texaco Chemical – Port Arthur | Petrochemical manufacturing | Critical | 1940s–present (asbestos use through 1985) | ~2,000 peak |
| Gulf States Utilities – Port Arthur Power Plant | Electric power generation | High | 1920s–present (asbestos use through 1985) | ~800 peak |
Integration with the Port Arthur Refinery Labor Market
Port Arthur’s west side facilities drew from the same pool of union hall craft workers as the main Port Arthur refinery district (Texaco, Mobil, and Gulf east side operations). Jefferson County pipefitters, boilermakers, and insulators routinely worked turnarounds at both the east and west side facilities, accumulating exposure from asbestos products used throughout the Golden Triangle refinery corridor.
For comprehensive documentation of Port Arthur industrial exposure including main refinery district operations, see the Port Arthur overview page.
Chemical Plant Exposure vs. Refinery Exposure
Workers at DuPont and Huntsman Chemical on Port Arthur’s west side had exposure patterns somewhat different from refinery workers. Chemical plant operations involved higher-temperature process equipment with more concentrated use of refractory materials in addition to pipe insulation. The specific asbestos products used in chemical plant heat exchangers, cracking furnaces, and reactor vessel insulation represent a distinct set of manufacturer defendants compared to refinery pipe and vessel insulation — meaning chemical plant workers may have claims against different or additional trust funds than workers who worked exclusively in petroleum refineries.