The Simon Lake class submarine tenders — USS Simon Lake (AS-33) commissioned 1964 and USS Canopus (AS-34) commissioned 1965 — were purpose-built submarine tenders designed to provide comprehensive depot-level maintenance support for the Atlantic Fleet’s growing nuclear submarine force. Built at Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Company in Seattle, Simon Lake class tenders used two Babcock & Wilcox boilers providing steam to a single set of Westinghouse geared steam turbines. Simon Lake class tenders carried extensive workshop facilities, repair shops, electronic maintenance capabilities, and nuclear submarine support equipment to maintain the Atlantic Fleet’s Polaris SSBN force and nuclear attack submarine force from forward operating locations. The extensive workshop and repair facility spaces within the Simon Lake class hull were constructed using early 1960s construction materials incorporating asbestos-containing construction materials consistent with the period. Simon Lake class tenders also maintained and overhauled machinery and equipment from the submarines they supported — including asbestos-containing valve packing, gasket materials, and pipe insulation removed from submarines during maintenance — creating direct handling exposure for Machinery Repairmen and Machinist’s Mates working in the tender’s workshops.
Simon Lake Class Steam Plant Asbestos
Simon Lake class submarine tenders incorporated asbestos throughout their propulsion plant:
- Babcock & Wilcox boiler casing insulation — the two Babcock & Wilcox boilers aboard Simon Lake class tenders incorporated asbestos-containing insulation on boiler casings and steam drum surfaces consistent with the early 1960s boiler construction specifications. Boilermen performing boiler maintenance in Simon Lake class firerooms worked in proximity to the asbestos-containing boiler insulation throughout their engineering watch assignments
- Steam main and auxiliary steam pipe insulation — the steam main piping and auxiliary steam distribution piping throughout Simon Lake class engineering spaces incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation consistent with the early 1960s steam plant construction specifications
- Westinghouse propulsion turbine insulation — the Westinghouse geared steam turbine aboard Simon Lake class tenders incorporated asbestos-containing turbine casing insulation. Machinist’s Mates performing turbine maintenance worked in proximity to turbine casing insulation during maintenance operations
Simon Lake Class Workshop and Repair Facility Asbestos
Simon Lake class tender workshop operations created direct asbestos handling exposure:
- Submarine component maintenance in tender workshops — Machinery Repairmen and Machinist’s Mates in Simon Lake class tender workshops performed repair and overhaul work on valve assemblies, pump components, and mechanical parts removed from the submarines being supported. Submarine valve assemblies being overhauled in the tender workshop retained asbestos-containing stem packing and gasket materials from their submarine installations, with tender workshop personnel handling asbestos-containing valve packing and gasket materials during each overhaul cycle
- Workshop space hull construction — the machine shops, welding shops, hydraulic shops, and repair workspaces throughout the Simon Lake class hull were constructed within the tender hull using construction materials incorporating asbestos-containing pipe insulation and overhead insulation consistent with the early 1960s construction specifications
VA Claims for Simon Lake Class Veterans
VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Machinery Repairmen, Machinist’s Mates, and crew members who served aboard Simon Lake class submarine tenders and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.
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.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Simon Lake Class
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 Disability Claims for Asbestos-Related Disease
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates asbestos claims individually. A veteran generally needs medical evidence of a current asbestos-related disease, service evidence supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a medical opinion connecting the two. Ship assignments, Navy ratings, and equipment records can help document the exposure history but do not create automatic service connection.
Approved claims may provide monthly disability compensation and related benefits. Survivors may separately qualify for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation when the applicable requirements are met. Civil lawsuits and asbestos-trust claims use different standards; claimants should obtain individualized advice about how the processes interact.
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.
