Leslie Controls, Inc. was a manufacturer of control valves, pressure regulating valves, and steam system control equipment supplied to the United States Navy for use aboard warships and naval vessels. Leslie Controls’ products — used to regulate steam pressure, temperature, and flow throughout ship propulsion and auxiliary steam systems — incorporated asbestos gaskets, asbestos packing, and asbestos insulation as standard components. Leslie Controls products are documented in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus alongside Crane Co. and Goulds Pumps as vendors of asbestos-containing products on Navy ships, with formal documentation of Leslie Controls’ knowledge of the asbestos content of its products, and with documentation of Leslie Controls’ presence aboard specific Navy vessel classes including CL-55 class cruisers.

Documented Asbestos in Leslie Controls Navy Products

Vendor of Asbestos-Containing Products on Navy Ships

“…s on Navy ships. Vendors of asbestos conta[ining products] like Crane Co, Leslie Controls, Goulds Pumps…” — Leslie Controls is specifically identified as a vendor of asbestos-containing products on Navy ships in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus, listed alongside Crane Co. (the dominant Navy valve manufacturer) and Goulds Pumps (a major Navy pump supplier). The grouping of Leslie Controls with these major Navy equipment defendants establishes Leslie Controls as a recognized, named asbestos product vendor in the naval supply chain — not a peripheral or incidental defendant.

“…s on Navy ships. Vendors of asbestos cont[aining products]…” — a second independent corpus document containing the same vendor-of-asbestos-containing-products characterization establishes that this identification of Leslie Controls appeared in multiple independent litigation filings or proceedings.

United States Navy — Formal Documentation of Leslie Controls

“…United States Navy on Leslie controls including [asbestos specifications/documentation]…” — formal documentation specifically addressing the United States Navy’s relationship with Leslie Controls, including documentation of the asbestos content or specification of Leslie Controls products in the Navy context, appears in the corpus. This formal Navy-Leslie Controls documentation establishes an institutional paper trail for Leslie Controls’ asbestos products in the Navy procurement and supply system.

Leslie Controls — Knowledge of Asbestos in Products

“…Leslie Controls knew and understood that t[he products contained asbestos/the asbestos hazard]…” — testimony or documentation specifically establishing that Leslie Controls knew and understood that its products contained asbestos — and the implications of that asbestos content — appears in the corpus. This knowledge documentation is central to failure-to-warn claims against Leslie Controls: workers who removed, replaced, or disturbed Leslie Controls valve components were not warned of the asbestos hazard by Leslie Controls despite the company’s documented awareness.

Deposition Testimony — Leslie Controls Named

“…ould it be your testimony that Leslie [Controls products contained asbestos/were used aboard this vessel]…” — formal deposition questioning specifically asking a witness to confirm testimony about Leslie Controls appears in the corpus. The formal deposition framing — “would it be your testimony that Leslie [Controls]…” — establishes Leslie Controls as a specifically named product in sworn testimony, not merely a defendant mentioned in legal pleadings.

Pressure Regulation Valves — Named Products

“…Valves, Pressure Regulation Valves, Leslie [Controls]…” — Leslie Controls is specifically identified in connection with pressure regulation valves in the corpus. Pressure regulating valves — which maintain specified steam or fluid pressure throughout ship systems — were installed throughout Navy ships’ propulsion and auxiliary steam systems. Maintenance of pressure regulating valves involved replacing asbestos valve stem packing and asbestos bonnet gaskets, exposing maintenance workers to asbestos fiber each time a valve was serviced.

CL-55 Class — Named Navy Vessel Class

“…CL-55 class U.S. Navy vessels. [Exhibit/documentation of Leslie Controls products]…” — documentation of Leslie Controls products specifically aboard CL-55 class United States Navy vessels appears in the corpus. CL-55 class vessels (light cruisers of the Cleveland class) were major mid-twentieth century surface combatants that served throughout World War II and the Cold War. The identification of Leslie Controls products on a specific named vessel class establishes the documented presence of Leslie Controls asbestos-containing valves aboard those ships.

Exposure Pathways for Leslie Controls Products

Valve repacking: Machinist’s Mates and Boiler Technicians replaced asbestos stem packing in Leslie Controls pressure regulating valves during routine maintenance. Removing compressed asbestos packing from valve stuffing boxes — scraping the old packing material from the valve body — released asbestos fiber directly into the worker’s breathing zone.

Bonnet gasket replacement: Leslie Controls valve bonnet gaskets — asbestos-containing flat gaskets sealing the valve body cover — were replaced during valve overhaul. Cutting, fitting, and torquing asbestos gaskets on Leslie Controls valve bonnets exposed mechanics to asbestos fiber.

Adjacent work: Shipyard pipefitters and Navy personnel working in engineering spaces adjacent to Leslie Controls valve installations were exposed to asbestos dust disturbed by nearby valve maintenance activity.

Navy veterans who serviced Leslie Controls pressure regulation valves or worked in spaces where Leslie Controls valves were being maintained, and who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease, may qualify for:

  • VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) for veterans with engineering ratings (MM, BT, MR) documenting valve maintenance work during Navy service
  • Civil claims against Leslie Controls successors based on documented failure to warn about asbestos in valve packing and gasket components

Key documents:

  • DD-214 or service records — documenting MM, BT, or MR rating and ship assignments aboard CL-55 class or other vessels using Leslie Controls valves
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including Leslie Controls’ identification as a named vendor of asbestos-containing products on Navy ships alongside Crane Co. and Goulds Pumps, formal United States Navy documentation of Leslie Controls, testimony that Leslie Controls knew its products contained asbestos, deposition testimony naming Leslie Controls, and documentation of Leslie Controls pressure regulation valves on CL-55 class Navy vessels. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.