Mueller Company, headquartered in Decatur, Illinois, was a major manufacturer of valves, fire hydrants, and water distribution system components for municipal, industrial, and military applications. Mueller supplied the US Navy with valves and pipe fittings for shipboard fire main, fresh water, and auxiliary piping systems during the WWII and Cold War era. Mueller gate valves, globe valves, and check valves used asbestos-containing stem packing in the valve bonnet gland assemblies to seal valve stems against line pressure — a universal practice among valve manufacturers of the period. Navy Machinist’s Mates and Damage Controlmen performing valve repacking and maintenance operations on Mueller and other manufacturer valves accumulated asbestos exposure from the asbestos-containing stem packing materials during valve maintenance.

Asbestos in Mueller Naval Products

Mueller valve products incorporated asbestos stem packing and sealing materials:

  • Valve stem packing — Mueller gate valves, globe valves, and other valve types used asbestos rope packing and asbestos woven packing in the valve stem packing glands to seal valve stems against the pressure of the piping system fluid. Navy Machinist’s Mates and Damage Controlmen repacking Mueller valves during maintenance operations removed deteriorated asbestos packing from gland areas and installed new asbestos packing, releasing asbestos fiber during both removal and installation operations
  • Valve flange gaskets — Mueller valves installed in flanged piping connections used asbestos-containing compressed fiber gaskets at the valve inlet and outlet flange connections. Engineering ratings removing Mueller valves from piping systems encountered asbestos-containing flange gasket materials at each valve removal
  • Check valve seat materials — Mueller check valves used in ship service water and fire main systems incorporated valve seat and disk materials with asbestos-containing composition in the check valve closure elements

Mueller valves appeared in Navy ship fire main and service water systems:

  • Fire main and damage control system valves — Navy ships maintained extensive fire main systems for fire suppression and damage control applications, with Mueller and competitor manufacturer valves providing isolation and control functions in the fire main distribution systems
  • Fresh water and ship service system valves — the ship service fresh water systems aboard Navy vessels used isolation valves from Mueller and other manufacturers, with Damage Controlman and Machinist’s Mate ratings maintaining these valve systems

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to Mueller Products

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from valve maintenance in Navy engineering spaces. Machinist’s Mates and Damage Controlmen who performed valve repacking operations on Mueller and other manufacturer valves with asbestos packing materials and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.