The Nimitz class nuclear aircraft carriers — USS Nimitz (CVN-68) through USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), commissioned between 1975 and 2009 at Newport News Shipbuilding — are the largest warships in naval history. The Nimitz class uses two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors generating steam through a secondary circuit that drives four steam turbine sets producing approximately 260,000 shaft horsepower. The secondary steam circuit — isolated from the primary reactor coolant — operates at pressures and temperatures requiring thermal insulation on steam-carrying components throughout the engineering plant.

Nuclear Secondary Steam Circuit and Asbestos

Early Nimitz class hulls — USS Nimitz (CVN-68) through USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), commissioned between 1975 and 1986 — were built and fitted out during the period when asbestos remained in widespread use for steam system insulation in naval shipbuilding. Newport News Shipbuilding installed asbestos-containing insulation on secondary steam circuit components in these early hulls:

  • Steam generators and secondary steam piping connecting the steam generators to the main turbines, with asbestos block insulation and lagging in the engineering spaces of the early hulls
  • Main propulsion turbine casings with asbestos block insulation on high-temperature turbine surfaces and exhaust connections
  • Turbo-generator sets and auxiliary turbines in the engineering spaces, with asbestos insulation on operating steam equipment
  • Auxiliary steam systems serving the carrier’s hotel loads for 5,000+ man crews using asbestos-insulated pipe in early hull construction

Interior Construction in Early Hulls

USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and the first several hulls of the class were built with asbestos-containing materials in interior construction — crew berthing, compartment overhead lagging, bulkhead insulation — in the same pattern as the conventionally powered carriers they supplemented. Later hulls of the class, commissioned after the early 1980s Navy phase-down of asbestos in shipbuilding, used substitute insulation materials.

Engineering Rating Exposure

Machinist’s Mates (Nuclear) — MM(N) — and Electrician’s Mates (Nuclear) — EM(N) — who served aboard early Nimitz class hulls in the engineering plant stood watches in the engine room compartments where asbestos-insulated steam components were present in the original construction. Nuclear-qualified engineering ratings had continuous watch station presence in engineering spaces where asbestos insulation was intact or aging.

VA Claims for Nimitz Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy carriers. Veterans who served in engineering ratings aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), or USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) during their early commission periods and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

Product & Manufacturer Reference

The asbestos-containing products documented on U.S. Navy vessels and at shipyards are catalogued by manufacturer on AsbestosIndex. These records cross-reference which companies supplied which materials and to which facilities.

Pipe Covering & Block Insulation Thermal insulation applied to steam lines, valves, and equipment in engine rooms and fire rooms Marine Products Insulation, gaskets, and packing products specified for naval and commercial marine applications Boilers & Steam Equipment Boiler manufacturers and insulation products — central to the fire room exposure pathway Gaskets & Packing Sheet and ring gaskets used throughout piping flanges, valve bonnets, and pump housings Electrical Products Wire insulation, switchgear arc chutes, and panel liners used throughout electrical spaces Full Product Index Search all 200+ manufacturers and 1,500+ documented asbestos products on AsbestosIndex™

Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Nimitz Class Carriers (CVN)

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the public asbestos litigation record document that the following Navy ratings worked routinely in spaces where ACM was installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced:

VA Presumptive Benefits — No Filing Deadline

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions presumed to be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). No statute of limitations applies to VA disability compensation claims.

Available benefits may include monthly disability compensation, Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses, priority VA healthcare enrollment, and Special Monthly Compensation for severe cases. Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products do not reduce VA compensation.

How to file a VA disability claim: VA claims are filed directly with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — not with a law firm. Start at VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or get free help filing from a Veterans Service Organization: DAV, VFW, or American Legion.

VA Claims Guide on This Site › Compare: VA vs. Civil Lawsuit

Source notes: equipment-manifest entries (where shown) are sourced from public-record BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation, NARA archives, and the public asbestos litigation record. Manufacturer attributions link to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Nothing on this page constitutes medical or legal advice.