Bonney Forge Corporation, headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania (including predecessor operations under the Phoenix Manufacturing name), was a major manufacturer of forged steel gate valves, globe valves, check valves, and pipe fittings for industrial and marine applications. Bonney Forge supplied forged steel valves and pipe fittings to the US Navy for installation in shipboard steam, seawater, fuel oil, and hydraulic piping systems, and for use in naval shore facility mechanical systems. Bonney Forge valves used asbestos-containing stem packing in valve gland assemblies and asbestos body gaskets between valve body sections consistent with mid-century industrial valve construction standards. Navy Machinery Repairmen and Boiler Tenders repacking Bonney Forge valve glands and replacing valve body gaskets during valve maintenance operations in naval vessel engineering spaces released asbestos fiber from the valve packing and gasket materials during removal and replacement operations.

Forged Steel Valve Products and Asbestos

Bonney Forge valve products incorporated asbestos-containing materials:

  • Gate and globe valve stem packing — Bonney Forge forged steel gate valves and globe valves in Navy piping service used asbestos-containing braided packing material in valve stem stuffing boxes. Navy Machinery Repairmen performing valve repacking operations on Bonney Forge valves in naval vessel steam, seawater, and fuel piping systems removed old asbestos packing and installed new packing material, with the packing removal and cutting operations releasing asbestos fiber from the disturbed asbestos valve packing
  • Valve body gasket materials — Bonney Forge valve bodies used asbestos-containing gasket materials in bonnet-to-body joints and other valve body flange connections. Machinery Repairmen performing valve overhaul operations on Bonney Forge valves replaced asbestos body gaskets during valve disassembly and reassembly, encountering asbestos fiber from the disturbed gasket materials during overhaul
  • High-pressure steam service applications — Bonney Forge forged steel valves were used in high-pressure Navy steam piping systems where the operating conditions — high pressure, high temperature, thermal cycling — accelerated valve packing and gasket degradation, increasing the frequency of valve maintenance and the corresponding asbestos exposure events during repacking and overhaul operations

Pipe Fitting Products and Asbestos

Bonney Forge forged steel pipe fittings incorporated asbestos-containing thread sealant:

  • Threaded forged steel fittings — Bonney Forge threaded forged steel pipe fittings used in Navy piping systems were assembled with pipe thread compounds and joint sealants that in some applications used asbestos-containing thread sealing materials, with the thread sealing compounds releasing asbestos fiber during fitting assembly and disassembly

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to Bonney Forge Products

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy valve and piping products. Machinery Repairmen and Boiler Tenders who repacked Bonney Forge valves in naval vessel engineering spaces and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.