W.R. Grace & Co. was a major American chemical and specialty materials company whose product lines included asbestos-containing fireproofing, insulation, and specialty construction materials. W.R. Grace’s Zonolite division produced vermiculite-based insulation that was contaminated with asbestos from the Libby, Montana vermiculite mine — one of the most significant asbestos contamination events in American industrial history. W.R. Grace also manufactured and sold other asbestos-containing products used in construction and industrial applications, including at naval installations and aboard Navy ships. W.R. Grace’s asbestos liability is formally documented through an asbestos trust established as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document W.R. Grace as a named defendant in naval asbestos proceedings, in indexed Navy asbestos reference works, in the Brooklyn Navy Yard asbestos litigation, and through the W.R. Grace asbestos trust.

Documented Asbestos — W.R. Grace in Naval Litigation

W.R. Grace Products in Naval Applications

Fireproofing compounds: W.R. Grace manufactured asbestos-containing fireproofing materials applied to structural steel and bulkheads — materials used in the construction and renovation of naval shore facilities and shipyard buildings.

Zonolite vermiculite insulation: Grace’s Zonolite vermiculite insulation, contaminated with naturally occurring asbestos from the Libby, Montana mine source, was sold as an insulating material for construction applications. Naval shore facilities renovated or insulated during the period of Zonolite sales may have incorporated asbestos-contaminated vermiculite.

Specialty construction materials: W.R. Grace’s specialty construction materials division produced asbestos-containing products for industrial and marine applications used at Navy facilities.

VA Claims and Legal Options — W.R. Grace & Co.

Navy veterans and shipyard workers who were exposed to W.R. Grace asbestos-containing products at naval installations or aboard Navy vessels, and who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease, may qualify for:

  • W.R. Grace Asbestos Trust claims — the formal trust fund established through Grace’s bankruptcy reorganization compensates individuals who developed asbestos disease from exposure to Grace’s asbestos-containing products
  • VA service connection under VA asbestos-claim guidance for veterans with documented duty at naval shore facilities where Grace asbestos products were used
  • Civil claims based on documented Grace product identification in the naval asbestos exposure record

Key documents:

  • DD-214 or service records — documenting duty at naval shore facilities or service aboard ships where W.R. Grace products were installed
  • Employment records — documenting work at naval shipyards or shore installations during the relevant period
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. as a named defendant in multiple asbestos proceedings, W.R. Grace indexing in Navy asbestos reference works, the W.R. Grace asbestos trust documentation, and W.R. Grace’s presence in the Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Litigation. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.