U.S. Coast Guard veterans face mesothelioma exposure risk comparable to Navy veterans. Coast Guard cutters, buoy tenders, and shore stations built before 1980 contained extensive asbestos in boiler rooms, engine rooms, pipe insulation, and ship structures. Coast Guard veterans serving aboard high-endurance cutters, medium-endurance cutters, buoy tenders, icebreakers, and at light stations have significantly elevated mesothelioma risk. The VA recognizes mesothelioma as service-connected for Coast Guard veterans with documented service aboard asbestos-laden vessels.
Coast Guard Asbestos Exposure Sources
The U.S. Coast Guard operates a fleet of cutters and shore facilities that historically used asbestos in many of the same applications as the Navy. Specific exposure sources include:
- Cutter boiler rooms — high-endurance and medium-endurance cutters built 1940s-1980s used asbestos for boiler insulation, pipe lagging, and gaskets
- Cutter engine rooms — diesel and steam engineering spaces with asbestos-insulated equipment
- Buoy tenders — extensive asbestos use in machinery spaces and crew quarters
- Icebreakers (POLAR-class) — heavy asbestos in propulsion machinery and hull insulation
- Shore stations — older Coast Guard stations contained asbestos in building insulation, pipe lagging, and ceiling tiles
- Light stations — historical lighthouses and crew quarters with extensive asbestos
- Aircraft maintenance — Coast Guard helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft had asbestos in brake systems, gaskets, and engine components
- Coast Guard yards — Curtis Bay (Baltimore), the Coast Guard Yard, used asbestos in cutter construction and maintenance
Higher-Risk Coast Guard Ratings
- Machinery Technician (MK) — engine and machinery space work with asbestos-insulated equipment
- Damage Controlman (DC) — firefighting and damage control equipment with asbestos
- Electricians Mate (EM) — cable and switchgear with asbestos insulation
- Boatswains Mate (BM) — shipboard work in asbestos-laden compartments
- Coast Guard yard civilian workers — pipefitters, insulators, machinists at Curtis Bay
VA Benefits for Coast Guard Veterans
Coast Guard veterans qualify for the same VA benefits as other military branches when diagnosed with mesothelioma. The VA typically rates mesothelioma at 100% disability. Benefits include monthly disability compensation, healthcare through VA facilities, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses. As with Navy veterans, VA benefits are completely separate from and compatible with legal claims against asbestos manufacturers and trust fund claims.
Legal Claims for Coast Guard Veterans
Coast Guard veterans can pursue claims against the private companies that manufactured asbestos products used on cutters and at Coast Guard facilities — including Babcock & Wilcox boilers, Foster Wheeler boilers, Garlock gaskets, Crane Co. packing, and many others. The 60+ asbestos trust funds holding over $30 billion include funds where Coast Guard veterans typically qualify for 8-12 trusts simultaneously based on documented exposure to specific products.