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Did you serve aboard the USS Trepang? This submarine carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Trepang, hull number SSN-674, was a submarine, built by Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation and commissioned in 1970. She served through Arctic operations, North Atlantic deployments, and Mediterranean Sea deployments. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Trepang, SSN-674 — insulated and sealed with asbestos. Each shipyard overhaul and major repair meant asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced — peak-exposure work for the yard workers and the crew aboard. Exposure was worst in the engineering spaces, where the snipes worked — but asbestos lined the whole ship, so all hands were exposed. The companies that made the asbestos equipment aboard — not the Navy — are who asbestos claims are brought against. According to asbestos litigation records, the equipment aboard the USS Trepang from makers such as Garlock, and Garlock, Inc. allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Trepang and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim against the companies that made the asbestos products used aboard your ship. This is educational information from an independent publisher — not a law firm — and is not legal advice.
USS Trepang (SSN-674) is a documented U.S. Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine with asbestos-exposure evidence in the public litigation record. The equipment manifest below was assembled from depositions, expert reports, and manufacturer interrogatory responses filed in U.S. asbestos litigation that reference equipment installed aboard this vessel.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packing (Teflon impregnated asbestos, Style 5880) | Garlock, Inc. | 22 | Seven rings per set, installed in Valves 8, 9, 24, 25, 15, 14. PO dated 6/12/70 for USS Trepang (SSN-674). |
| Packing Teflon impregnated asbestos, Style 5880 | Garlock | 22 | 22 sets, seven rings per set; for Valves 8, 9, 24, 25, 15, 14 |
| Gasket Number 900, commercial | Garlock | 6 | Compressed asbestos sheet |
| Packing Style 5880 (Teflon impregnated asbestos) | Garlock | 32 | 22 sets of 7 rings + 10 sets of 5 rings for Valves 8, 9, 24, 25, 15, 14 |
| Gasket Number 900 (compressed asbestos sheet) | Garlock | 6 | Commercial gasket per Electric Boat division drawing |
| Material per Federal Stock No. 1H5330-064-7671 | CRANE CO. | 6 | Reconsignment to USS TREPANG SSN-674, delivery by 27 DEC 1974 |
| Material (Federal Stock No. 1H5330-064-7671) | Crane Co. | 6 | Shipped to USS Trepang SSN-674, contract modification N00104-74-7P-L070 |
Note: this manifest is derived from public asbestos litigation records (depositions, expert reports, manufacturer interrogatories) rather than primary BUSHIPS construction documents. Entries reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed legal records.
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 Trepang
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.
