Are Nimitz CVN-68 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?

Yes. Nimitz CVN-68 is documented in the public U.S. Navy asbestos litigation record. U.S. Navy vessels of her service era were built to BUSHIPS specifications that required asbestos insulation throughout engineering spaces, on steam lines, around boilers and turbines, and in gasket and packing materials.

Which shipboard components on Nimitz CVN-68 contained asbestos?

Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Nimitz CVN-68's era include: boiler insulation and lagging, steam-line pipe insulation, turbine and reduction-gear casings, valve packing, gaskets, brake and clutch friction materials, electrical wire insulation, overhead pipe coverings in berthing and mess spaces, and Navy-issue boiler cement and refractory in fireboxes.

What ratings were exposed to asbestos serving on Nimitz CVN-68?

Navy ratings with the highest documented asbestos exposure include Machinist's Mate (MM), Boiler Technician (BT), Hull Maintenance Technician (HT), Engineman (EN), Electrician's Mate (EM), Interior Communications Electrician (IC), Damage Controlman (DC), and Pipefitter / Shipfitter. Officers in engineering departments also encountered asbestos in normal duty. Shipyard workers performing overhaul, repair, or refit work had concentrated exposure during yard periods.

What equipment manufacturers are documented on Nimitz CVN-68?

Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Nimitz CVN-68 include: ASCO, American Standard, Aqua-Chem, Aurora Pump, Aurora Pump Co., Automatic Sprinkler Co., Babcock & Wilcox. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.

Do Nimitz CVN-68 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?

Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Nimitz CVN-68 veterans generally need medical records showing the current disease, service records supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a doctor's statement connecting the two. Veterans may file at VA.gov, call 1-800-827-1000, or seek free help from an accredited Veterans Service Organization such as DAV, VFW, or the American Legion.

USS Nimitz (CVN-68) — Equipment Reference & Asbestos Exposure Record

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Did you serve aboard the USS Nimitz? This aircraft carrier carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Nimitz, hull number CVN-68, was an aircraft carrier, built by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. and commissioned in 1975. She served through Cold War Mediterranean deployments, Cold War Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf operations. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Nimitz, CVN-68 — insulated and sealed with asbestos. 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 Nimitz from makers such as General Electric allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Nimitz 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 Nimitz (CVN-68) is a documented U.S. Navy nuclear aircraft carrier. The equipment reference below was extracted from the publicly-available Wikipedia article on this vessel, which cites the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) — the U.S. Navy’s official ship-history publication maintained by the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Equipment Reference

Equipment Manifest — USS Nimitz (CVN-68). 126 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.

Equipment	Manufacturer	Qty	Notes
Electronics cooling water pump	Buffalo Pumps		Hull-specific record: driven by motor; location ER; temp max 200 F; material copper-nickel
Motor Controllers	Cutler-Hammer	2	Hull-specific record: driven by electric; location ER
Turbo Generators	DeLaval	2	Hull-specific record: location ER
Packing for pumps	John Crane		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Priming Pumps	Nash Engineering		Hull-specific record: location ER; GPM 35
Steam Traps	Velan		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Valves (unspecified type/service)	Velan	2	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Standby Lube Oil Pump	DeLaval		Hull-specific record: driven by turbine; location ER; psi 13
Main Propulsion Turbines	General Electric	2	Hull-specific record: driven by motor (Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company); location ER; GPM 250
Turbine Generator	Westinghouse	1	Hull-specific record: driven by motor; location ER; GPM 450
Fire Pump Turbine	Terry Steam Turbine Co.	1	Hull-specific record: driven by motor; location ER (lower platform); psi 32 + 3; size 250 ft-lbs; GPM 10
Guarding Valve Emergency Lube Oil Pump	Reliance Electric	1	Hull-specific record: driven by motor; location ER
Liquid Oxygen and Nitorgen Producing Units	Reliance Electric		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Filter Seperator	Keene Corp.	1	Hull-specific record: psi Support skirt - 70,000 Pad for Inlet and Outlet- 38,000; material steel, CU-NI; size 7'-8 5/8" height, 9,534 dy weight, 19,000 lb. wet weight; GPM 2000
Sheet Packing	Garlock		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Sheet Packing	Johns-Manville		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Static Elevator Controls	Cutler-Hammer	2	Hull-specific record: GPM 600
Solenoid Valves	Tenneco		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Emergency Diesel Generator Sets	General Motors Corp		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Air Conditioning Purge Units	Reliance Electric		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Blackmer Pumps	Reliance Electric		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Alernating Current Motor	Reliance Electric		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Air Conditioning Sea Water Circulating Pumps	Buffalo Pumps		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Air Compressors	Worthington		Hull-specific record: psi 125
Air Ejectors	Graham Manufacturing Co		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Anchor Windlass	Jered Industries		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Automatic Bus Transfer Switches	Ward Leonard		Hull-specific record: size 100
Auxiliary Boiler	Frederick Cowan		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Auxiliary Boiler Burner Controls	Frederick Cowan		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Auxiliary Boiler JP-5 Service Pump	DeLaval	1	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Auxiliary Codensate Pump	Warren Pumps	1	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Auxiliary Boiler	Babcock & Wilcox	1	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Axial Flow and Tube Axial Fans	Buffalo Forge Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Motors	Peerless Electric Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Automatic Back Pressure Regulating Valve	Cla-Val		Hull-specific record: size 150 Ilb
Ball Valves	EFCO Hydraulics, Inc		Hull-specific record: size 3 and 4 inch
Bronze Gate Valves	M. Greenberg's Sons, Inc.		Hull-specific record: psi 40 PSI
Bronze Relief Valves	Kunkle Valve Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Bronze Steam Traps	Coe Mfg. Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Bus Transfer Switches	ASCO		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Butterfly Valves	Demco Inc		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Cooling Pumps	Aurora Pump	3	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Inline Check Valves	Pump Valve Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Circuit Breaker	I-T-E Circuit Breaker		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Control Air Compressors	Nash		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Control Air Compressors	Reliance		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Control Air Compressors	American Standard		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Control Air Compressors	C-H Dwg		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Controllers and Brakes for Airplane Elevator Automatic Stanchions	Cutler-Hammer		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Auxiliary Boiler Forced Draft Blower	Cutler-Hammer		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Controllers For Unit Cooler Fan Motors	General Electric		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Motors and Controllers for low Pressure Air Compressors	Ward Leonard Electric		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Coolers	American Standard		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Disconnect Switches	ASCO		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Distiller Feed Heater Drain Pump	Buffalo Pumps		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Duplex Strainers	Zurn Industries		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Eductors	Derbyshire Machine & Tool Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Bronze Eductors	Derbyshire Machine & Tool Co.	7	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Turbine Driven Generators	Westinghouse		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Electronics Cooling Pump	Aurora Pump		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Emergency Diesel Generator	NavShips		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Exciter	General Electric Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Rectifiers	General Electric Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Semiconductors	General Electric Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Fire Pumps	Aurora Pump Co.	4	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Fire Pumps	Buffalo Pumps	5	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Gate Valves	Eastern Industries		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Stainless Steel Gate Valves with Crane Asbestos	Velan Valve Corporation		Hull-specific record: size 150 Ib.
Gate Valves	Crane	3	Hull-specific record: size 150 Ib.
Gate Valve	Walworth Company	3	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Globe Valve	M. Greenberg's Sons Inc		Hull-specific record: psi 250 PSI
Heat Exhangers	Young Radiator Company		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Heaters	McQuay		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Electric Duct Heaters	Edwin L. Wiegand Co.	2	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Convection Heaters	The Trane Company		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Hydraulic Cooler	Aqua-Chem	4	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
JP-5 Service Pump	Aurora Pump Co.	1	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
JP-5 Purifiers	DeLaval		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Lift Check Valve	Crane		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Lift Check Valve	Rockwell Manufacturing Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Emergency Diesel Generator Sets	General Motors Corporation		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Transfer Pump for Catapult Cylinder	Blackmer Pump Company		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Machinery Cooling Pump	Buffalo Pumps		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Distiller Circulating Water Pump	Buffalo Pumps	2	Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Magazine Sprinkling Control Valve	Automatic Sprinkler Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Main Circulating Water Pumps	Warren Pumps		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Main Condensers	Newport News		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Main Ejectors	Graham Manufacturing Company		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Main Elevator Pumps	Denison		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Main LO Coolers	American Standard		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Heat Exhangers	American Standard		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Main Propulsion Turbines	General Electric		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Main Reduction Gears	General Electric		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Main Turbines	General Electric		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Motor for Cooling Pumps	Reliance Electric of Cleveland		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Motors and Brakes	Reliance Electric of Cleveland		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Motor for Cooling Systems	NTDS/I.O.I.C		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Potable Water Booster Pumps/Motor Driven Potable Water Pump	Aurora Pump Co.		Hull-specific record: driven by motor
Pressure Reducing Valves	Leslie Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Motors for Priming Pumps	Nash Engineering		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Decay Heat Removal Pump	Warren Pumps		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Main Circulating Pump	Warren Pumps		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Stripping Pump	Warren Pumps		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Generator Condensate Pump	Warren Pumps		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Rotary Hand Pump	Eastern Industries of LFE		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Rotary Selector Switches	J. & H. Smith Mfg. Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Centrifugal Air Compressors	Elliot Company	3	Hull-specific record: location MMR 1 + 2, RAR 2
Refrigeration Plant Air Compressor	York		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Stop	Henry Valve Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Cond. Water Regualting Valve	Marsh Instrument Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Steam Seporator	Wright-Austin Company		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Emergency Diesel Gnerator Salt Water Ciculating Pumps	Aurora Pump Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Turbine Driven Standby Lube Oil Pumps	DeLaval		Hull-specific record: driven by turbine
Temperature Regulating Valves	Fulton-Syphlon		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
TG Circulating Water Pump	Ingersoll-Rand Company		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Thermostatic Temp Reg. Valve	Lawler		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Trap and Stop Check Valves for Service Steam System	Sarco		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Main Turbine Gland Exhausters	Buffalo Forge Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Centrifugal Turbine Driven Cargo Pumps	Bingham Pump Company		Hull-specific record: driven by turbine
Air Regulating Valves	Leslie Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Carbon Steel Plug Cock Valve	Homestead Valve Mfg. Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Carbon Steel Gloe Stop Valves	Velan Valve Corporation		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Ventilation Fan	Buffalo Forge Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Shutoff Valves	Norris Wafer Valve and Operator		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Demineralized Water Cooling Pumps	Aurora Pump Co.		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).
Fresh Water Regulating Valve	Fulton-Syphlon		Hull-specific record (CVN-68 machinery equipment record).

Source: this equipment reference was extracted from public Wikipedia/DANFS records for USS Nimitz (CVN-68). These are secondary-source records — not primary BUSHIPS design documents. For litigation purposes, this data is a starting point; a ship-specific BUSHIPS Material Inspection Report or commissioning book would provide gold-standard verification.

Source on Wikipedia ›

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:

Boilerman (BT) — boiler-room operations, refractory work, burner maintenance
Machinist’s Mate (MM) — main propulsion turbines, reduction gears, condensers, pumps
Engineman (EN) — auxiliary diesel and gasoline engines, gland packing
Electrician’s Mate (EM) — cable runs through asbestos-insulated chases, motor-generator sets
Hull Maintenance Technician (HT) / Pipefitter — piping system maintenance, gasket replacement, valve repacking
Damage Controlman (DC) — firefighting equipment, fire-stops, bulkhead penetrations
Fireman (FN) — engineering-plant tending across boiler and engine rooms

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.