Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure in California

If your family is here, someone you love either grew up, lived, or worked in California during the years asbestos was everywhere — Naval shipyards from San Francisco to San Diego, aerospace and industrial trades across Los Angeles, oil refineries, and the construction boom that built post-war California. Now you’re trying to make sense of how that history connects to a mesothelioma diagnosis decades later. The sections below cover where exposure most often happened in California, what treatment centers your family may want to know about, and how to navigate VA, workers’ compensation, and other claims that may be available to you.

California has one of the longest-running asbestos exposure histories in the country, tied to its shipyards, military installations, oil refineries, construction boom, and even Hollywood studio infrastructure. From Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco to Long Beach Navy Yard, from Richmond’s Kaiser shipyards to San Diego’s Naval Station, tens of thousands of California workers were exposed to asbestos during the twentieth century. Mesothelioma continues to be diagnosed in California residents decades later — often in people whose working years ended long ago.

Where asbestos exposure happened in California

• Shipyards. Kaiser Shipyards (Richmond), Bethlehem Steel Shipyard (San Francisco), Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, Mare Island Naval Shipyard (Vallejo), Long Beach Naval Shipyard, and National Steel and Shipbuilding (San Diego) together employed hundreds of thousands of workers exposed to asbestos insulation and products.
• Oil refineries. California’s major refineries — Chevron Richmond, Shell Martinez, Phillips 66 Wilmington, Tesoro Carson, and others — historically used asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and packing throughout their process units.
• Military installations. Travis AFB, Edwards AFB, Camp Pendleton, the Presidio of San Francisco, Naval Base San Diego, Naval Air Station Lemoore, and many others exposed service members to asbestos in buildings, ships, aircraft, and vehicles.
• Construction. California’s postwar population boom fueled massive residential and commercial construction through the 1970s using asbestos-containing joint compound, plaster, roofing, and flooring.
• Hollywood and entertainment. Motion picture studios used asbestos for fire protection, insulation, and even in “artificial snow” scenes. Set decorators, carpenters, and electricians were among those exposed.

A note on time-sensitive considerations for California families

California has specific time limits on certain compensation claims related to mesothelioma — generally two years from diagnosis, with separate rules for wrongful-death claims (typically one year from a loved one’s passing). The rules are complicated and depend on each family’s situation. Right now, your family’s priority should be your loved one’s care team and treatment plan. When you’re ready, a licensed California attorney can walk you through the time-sensitive parts of any compensation claim, and our starting-point overview of claims can help you get oriented.

Mesothelioma treatment in California

When your family is choosing where to seek care for your loved one, second opinions matter — especially with a rare cancer like mesothelioma. California is large enough that many families travel within the state to a high-volume specialist program. Travel grants and lodging assistance are available through several patient-advocacy organizations for families managing long-distance care.

California hosts several NCI-designated cancer centers with mesothelioma experience, including UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope in Duarte, and Stanford Cancer Institute. Multiple Northern and Southern California programs offer multidisciplinary mesothelioma care including surgical, medical, and radiation oncology.

California-specific resources

• California Division of Workers’ Compensation: workers’ comp information for occupational exposure
• California Department of Public Health: environmental health resources
• State Bar of California — Find Legal Help

Get answers about your next steps

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may have questions about treatment, support, or legal options. MesoCare.org compiles information from federal health agencies and established cancer centers so families have a starting point — we are not a medical provider or a law firm. Start with these resources:

• Understanding mesothelioma — symptoms, types, diagnosis
• Treatment options — surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, clinical trials
• Support resources — financial assistance, caregiver help, mental health
• Legal information — trust funds, compensation claims, VA disability, workers’ comp

MesoCare.org is sponsored by Danziger & De Llano, LLP and is informational only. Nothing on this page is medical or legal advice. Speak with your clinical team about treatment and a licensed attorney about legal questions.