USS Nimitz (CVN-68), commissioned May 3, 1975 at Newport News Shipbuilding (Newport News, Virginia), is the lead ship of the 10-vessel Nimitz class — the largest nuclear-powered aircraft carriers ever built. Powered by two Westinghouse A4W/A1W pressurized water reactors driving four shaft geared steam turbines, Nimitz has been homeported at NS Bremerton, Washington, and has served through multiple combat and contingency operations from the Iranian hostage crisis through the Global War on Terror. The lead Nimitz class ship was commissioned during the transitional period when Navy construction specifications were completing the phase-down of asbestos-containing materials.

A4W Reactor Steam Plant and Asbestos

USS Nimitz’s nuclear steam plant was built during the transitional period:

  • Main steam system insulation — as the lead Nimitz class ship commissioned in 1975, USS Nimitz’s construction may have included asbestos-containing materials in steam system pipe insulation in construction areas where the Navy’s phase-down had not yet been completed in the carrier specifications. Machinist’s Mates maintaining steam plant components in the carrier’s multiple engine rooms worked in proximity to any asbestos-insulated piping remaining in the original construction
  • Turbine thermal insulation — the four main propulsion turbines and ship’s service turbine generators used thermal insulation in the 1975 construction that may have included asbestos-containing materials in the transitional period specifications
  • Engineering space construction — the bulkhead and overhead construction in Nimitz’s engine rooms and engineering spaces may have included asbestos-containing materials in insulation systems present in the original 1975 construction

Carrier Superstructure and Interior Construction

USS Nimitz’s massive 1,092-foot hull was built during the transitional period:

  • Flight deck and hangar construction — the 1975 construction of the massive supercarrier hull used construction materials that included some transitional asbestos-containing components in areas where Navy specifications had not yet fully completed the asbestos phase-down
  • Accommodation and operational spaces — crew berthing, mess, and working spaces in the 1975 construction of this massive carrier used construction materials appropriate to the transitional period

Comparison to Later Nimitz Class Ships

USS Nimitz has a higher asbestos exposure profile than later Nimitz class ships:

  • Later Nimitz class ships commissioned in the mid-1980s and afterward (USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-69, USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 onward) were built to progressively more asbestos-reduced specifications as the Navy’s phase-down was completed in nuclear carrier construction specifications
  • The lead ship USS Nimitz (CVN-68), commissioned 1975, represents the highest asbestos exposure profile among the Nimitz class

VA Claims for USS Nimitz Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard nuclear aircraft carriers. Engineering ratings and crew members who served aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68) during the early service period 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

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.