Documented Exposure Sites

#FacilityIndustryActive PeriodRisk
1Boeing Seattle (Plant 2) & RentonAerospace Manufacturing1942–presentHigh
2Todd Shipyards Seattle (Harbor Island)Ship Repair & Construction1916–1990Critical
3Pacific Car & Foundry (PACCAR)Railroad Cars & Heavy Equipment1905–1970High
4Puget Sound Power & LightPower Generation1912–1985Moderate
5Seattle City Light (Skagit Project)Hydroelectric Power1929–1985Moderate
6Fishhook / Burlington Northern Railroad ShopsRailroad Maintenance1900–1975Moderate
7Crown Zellerbach (Georgetown)Paper Manufacturing1902–1980Moderate
8Lockheed ShipbuildingShipbuilding1959–1986High

Boeing and Asbestos Exposure

Boeing’s massive manufacturing plants in Seattle (Plant 2 in the Georgetown industrial district) and Renton used asbestos throughout their facilities from WWII through the early 1970s. Asbestos was used in building construction, insulation on steam systems, brake components, heat shields in jet engine test facilities, and gaskets throughout production machinery.

Maintenance workers, machinists, insulators, and construction crews at Boeing facilities have filed mesothelioma claims. Washington’s 3-year statute of limitations from diagnosis date — one of the longest in the country — provides Boeing workers more time to act than workers in most other states.

Yes. Boeing manufacturing facilities used asbestos in building construction and insulation throughout their plants from the 1940s through the early 1970s. Maintenance workers, machinists who worked on aircraft brake systems, and construction crews who worked in Boeing’s Georgetown and Renton facilities have documented asbestos exposure. Washington’s 3-year statute of limitations from mesothelioma diagnosis applies to civil claims against asbestos product manufacturers.