Bethlehem Steel Asbestos Lawsuit [2025 Update]

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Bethlehem Steel’s Lackawanna, New York, facility relied on asbestos-containing products in many of its operations. Many workers, their families, and nearby residents were exposed to asbestos because of activities at Bethlehem Steel. People who were diagnosed with mesothelioma because of asbestos present at Bethlehem Steel are filing lawsuits against asbestos companies.

In this article, we explore the history of the Bethlehem Steel plant in Lackawanna, what departments and equipment contained asbestos, and which workers were most at risk. We also discuss the health risks associated with asbestos at Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna and who may be eligible to file a claim against companies that made asbestos products. We also provide settlement estimates and explain how to file a Bethlehem Steel asbestos lawsuit.

Timeline of Asbestos Use at Bethlehem Steel Lackawanna

October 24, 2024: Owner of Bethlehem Steel Complex Liable for Damages in 2016 Fire

A Bethlehem Steel complex in Lackawanna was destroyed in a devastating fire, which spewed soot, smoke, and asbestos particles onto nearby residences. Residents recall seeing signs and caution tape warning of asbestos, but these markers were taken down shortly after being posted. Lackawanna residents affected by the fire filed a lawsuit because of the extensive harm to their health and property from the fire and contamination. A jury awarded these residents a verdict, finding the owner of the Bethlehem Steel complex at fault.

May 18, 2021: New York Government to Hold Community Town Hall About Asbestos, Other Contamination at Bethlehem Steel Plant

Bethlehem Steel’s Lackawanna plant, which spanned several miles in its “glory days,” has heavily contaminated the air, water, and soil in Erie County. Some of this contamination included asbestos, which causes mesothelioma. Several New York agencies investigated the extent of the contamination, plans to clean it up, and the health risks to nearby residents. In May 2021, a town hall was held to notify Lackawanna residents about the Bethlehem Steel contamination and cleanup efforts.

June 30, 2009: Declaration Signed to Begin Bethlehem Steel Remediation in Lackawanna

New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation partnered with another organization to address the contamination at Lackawanna’s Bethlehem Steel site. Bethlehem Steel was one of the top steel plants in the nation. However, it had a devastating impact on the environment along Lake Erie in Lackawanna, and many steelworkers got sick because of asbestos exposure. Decades later, workers and their family members are being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases, like mesothelioma, from their time at Bethlehem Steel.

2001: Bethlehem Steel files for bankruptcy. Steelworkers who were diagnosed with mesothelioma because of asbestos exposure at Bethlehem Steel may still recover damages from asbestos trust funds.

1983: In June, steel operations stop at Bethlehem Steel’s Lackawanna complex.

1941: Bethlehem Steel becomes the most prolific shipbuilder of WWII, producing metal for ships, tanks, guns, shells, and aircraft engines.

1922: Bethlehem Steel purchases the Lackawanna Steel plant and begins operations. Bethlehem Steel pays $60 million for the site and invests another $40 million to restore the plant. The company used asbestos in many parts of its operations.

About the Bethlehem Steel Asbestos Lawsuit

Bethlehem Steel’s Wartime Production and Asbestos Use

Throughout Bethlehem Steel’s operational history, the company often relied on asbestos. Making steel requires high temperatures, and asbestos was used as insulation and fireproofing in buildings and materials.

Bethlehem Steel was an industrial powerhouse that produced ships and building materials for bridges and buildings. In fact, the company produced the steel used to make one ship per day in 1943 during World War II.

During the war, Bethlehem-Lackawanna Steel was the world’s largest steelmaking operation. At one point, the Lackawanna plant employed 20,000 people. Bethlehem Steel was also responsible for making the steel used for iconic American structures like the Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, and Madison Square Garden.

Risk of Asbestos Exposure for Bethlehem Steel Workers and Their Families

The Lackawanna Bethlehem Steel plant used asbestos in many of its operations. Asbestos was also found in furnaces, boilers, ships, shipyards, and insulation at the Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna. For example, a former Bethlehem Steel employee recalls plumbers manually cutting asbestos slabs for their piping and insulation work.

Bethlehem Steel workers from the Lackawanna plant are at a high risk of developing mesothelioma and other diseases because of exposure to asbestos. At one point, this plant was so large that it spanned upwards of 2 miles.

Although Bethlehem Steel went bankrupt in 2001, people who developed asbestos-related diseases can still file claims. People who developed mesothelioma because of the asbestos used by Bethlehem Steel can still seek compensation from this company and its trust funds.

History of Bethlehem Steel Company

Bethlehem Steel was founded in 1857 as the Saucona Iron Company and was a major player in shipbuilding for war efforts. Bethlehem Steel began in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and later expanded into Indiana, Maryland, and New York. Its Lackawanna, New York, location was acquired by Bethlehem Steel in 1922. The Lackawanna location was the third-largest steel production plant in the United States for many years.

When Did Bethlehem Steel Start Phasing Out Asbestos?

Some reports state that Bethlehem Steel started phasing out asbestos use around 1974. However, asbestos use at Bethlehem Steel’s Lackawanna facility did not stop in the 1970s. Instead, the company switched out some asbestos-containing materials when required.

The United States does not have a complete, permanent ban on asbestos use. Because of this, many companies, including Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna, continued using asbestos even after the EPA publicly cautioned against it in the 1970s. Additionally, asbestos in building materials is still present, because laws did not require the removal of asbestos materials.

Where Was Asbestos Used at the Lackwanna Plant?

Many departments at Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna used materials that contained asbestos. Asbestos was highly effective at insulating high-heat materials and fireproofing. So, it was used widely at the plant.

Here are some of the areas where asbestos was present at the Bethlehem Steel plant in Lackawanna:

• Boiler rooms
• Furnaces
• Pipes and plumbing
• Maintenance shops
• Piping and steam distribution corridors
• Shipyards
• Engine rooms
• Ventilation systems
• Machine shops

Asbestos was used in many of these operations at Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna because it would help insulate the area and stop fires from spreading.

What Equipment Contained Asbestos at Bethlehem Steel?

Equipment at the Bethlehem Steel plant was often exposed to high temperatures, and there was a consistent risk of fires. Sparks from furnaces, rolling mills, hydraulic systems, and electrical cable ducts could ignite flammable materials and liquids. Asbestos was used to insulate machinery and fireproof materials and the building.

Equipment that may have contained asbestos at Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna includes:

• Insulation
• Pipes
• Boilers
• Furnaces
• Gaskets and gasket packaging
• Valves and valve packaging
• Electrical wires and casing
• Pumps
• Gauges
• Cement baseboards
• Bricks
• Hearths
• Coke ovens
• Roofing, flooring, and siding

People who worked with or disturbed asbestos-containing materials at Bethlehem Steel may have breathed in harmful asbestos fibers. Working with these materials puts workers at risk of developing mesothelioma years after their initial exposure.

What Were the Asbestos Exposure Pathways and Working Conditions at Bethlehem Steel?

Workers at the Lackawanna Bethlehem Steel plant encountered asbestos through installing, removing, cutting, and moving insulation, pipes, valves, and other equipment with asbestos. Some workers worked directly with asbestos and cut slabs of it up with hand saws.

Bethlehem Steel workers also breathed in asbestos fibers in the air and dust in the facilities, particularly in boiler rooms and pipefitting areas. The high traffic in the many warehouses and factories at the Lackawanna site repeatedly disturbed asbestos fibers, releasing them into the air. The enclosed conditions meant that workers at Bethlehem Steel were continuously exposed to asbestos for long periods.

1970s Air Samples Showing Reality of Steelworker Asbestos Exposure

In the 1970s, the federal government stepped up air-sampling efforts at steel plants. Government agencies wanted to understand if steelworkers were exposed to asbestos on the job.

OSHA and other organizations found that air samples taken at steel mills and construction sites showed a heightened level of asbestos. Due to these test results, OSHA implemented several rounds of safety regulations aimed at lowering asbestos exposure at Bethlehem Steel and other facilities.

In 1971, for example, OSHA set an 8-hour exposure limit of 0.1 fibers of asbestos per cubic centimeter of air. These regulations have been modified over time. Because asbestos is not banned entirely, Bethlehem Steel and other organizations continued to use asbestos-containing equipment and materials, despite the known risks.

Bethlehem Steel Jobs and Trades Most at Risk of Asbestos Exposure

Bethlehem Steel jobs and trades that are most at risk of asbestos exposure and mesothelioma include:

• Pipefitters
• Welders
• Hearth workers
• Bricklayers and their helpers
• Boilermakers
• Insulators
• Plumbers
• Electricians
• Maintenance workers
• Machinists
• Crane operators
• Carpenters

People in these positions either worked directly with asbestos fibers or they breathed in particles or dust in their work environment. In most cases, Bethlehem Steel employees were not told the truth about how dangerous asbestos was. Workers at this plant may not have been given adequate protective equipment or any at all.

Health Risks Linked to Bethlehem Steel Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos used at Bethlehem Steel puts some workers and their families at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos fibers are extremely friable, and people may have inhaled and ingested the fibers, putting them at risk for disease.

Asbestos exposure from Bethlehem Steel is associated with many health risks, such as:

• Mesothelioma: A type of cancer of the lining of some of the organs, usually the lining (pleural) around the lungs or abdomen (peritoneal).
• Asbestos-based lung cancer: Cancer of the lungs caused by asbestos
• Asbestosis: A type of chronic lung disease caused by breathing in asbestos fibers.
• Chronic obstructive lung disease: Lung and breathing problems caused by inhaling asbestos fibers.
• Pleural plaques: A thickening of the lining of the chest cavity that is non-cancerous but can be an early sign of asbestos-related cancer.

It can take someone decades to develop mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease after asbestos exposure. So, people who worked at Bethlehem Steel should tell their doctors about their potential asbestos exposure.

Even relatively small amounts of asbestos can be harmful. Many Bethlehem Steel workers were exposed to high concentrations because of the facility’s busy, enclosed, and crowded conditions.

Erie County Mesothelioma Deaths Due to Asbestos Exposure

Bethlehem Steel is located in Erie County in Lackawanna, New York. Between 1999 and 2017, there were 1,417 asbestos-related deaths in Erie County, the highest of any county in New York. It is unknown how many of these are specifically due to asbestos exposure from Bethlehem Steel. However, the EPA designated Bethlehem Steel Lackawanna and surrounding areas as a Superfund site .

The Lackawanna plant spanned about 2.5 miles along Lake Erie, and the slag (stony waste runoff from steel smelting) extended across the land and is up to 90 feet deep in some places. To this day, people who worked at Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna are discovering that their present-day health challenges and diagnoses are from decades-old asbestos exposure at the facility.

Environmental Cleanup and Ongoing Remediation at the Lackawanna Site

The Lackawanna Bethlehem Steel facility is a heavily contaminated industrial site. Due to the heavy contamination, the state and federal government stepped in to protect human health and the environment.

The facility and surrounding areas are part of enormous cleanup efforts headed by the New York government and the EPA. Bethlehem Steel went bankrupt in the early 2000s. So, the government allocated millions of dollars to help clean up, remediate, and repurpose the site. After years of cleanup, part of the Bethlehem Steel Lackawanna site was approved for a wind farm to be installed in 2006. However, the massive plant is still heavily contaminated, and residents and former employees are still suffering health effects from Bethlehem Steel’s operations decades later.

Who Can File a Bethlehem Steel Asbestos Lawsuit?

If you worked at Bethlehem Steel and were diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may qualify to file a lawsuit. If your loved one worked at Bethlehem Steel and you were diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may have gotten sick because of asbestos fibers on your loved one’s work clothes. Talk to an attorney to learn about whether you can file a Bethlehem Steel asbestos lawsuit.

Our team can also help surviving family members file a wrongful death mesothelioma lawsuit. Similarly, we can help family members file an asbestos claim if their loved one is incapacitated.

How Can I File a Bethlehem Steel Asbestos and Mesothelioma Lawsuit?

Here are the steps to file a Bethlehem Steel asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuit:

1. Schedule a free consultation with an experienced asbestos claim attorney.
2. Your attorney reviews your history of working or living near the Bethlehem Steel facility in Lackawanna and being diagnosed with mesothelioma.
3. Your attorney and their team determine which products exposed you to asbestos and are at fault for your exposure.
4. Your attorney writes up and files a claim against the companies that made the asbestos products used at Bethlehem Steel.
5. Your attorney attempts to negotiate a fair settlement to compensate you for your losses from Bethlehem Steel.

Reputable mesothelioma attorneys can guide you through the entire legal process, so you can focus on your health. They can determine and pursue all possible legal options if you got sick because of asbestos exposure at Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna.

Is There a Deadline to File a Bethlehem Steel Asbestos and Mesothelioma Lawsuit?

The deadline to file a Bethlehem Steel asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuit depends on the type of claim you are bringing and where. For example, New York gives some asbestos patients three years from when they were diagnosed with mesothelioma  to file a claim.

However, there are exceptions that may give the person extra time to file. And, not all Bethlehem Steel asbestos claims are based on New York law. An attorney is best positioned to help you determine what your mesothelioma claim deadlines are and how to meet those.

Bethlehem Steel Asbestos Settlement Amounts

Some legal professionals believe that Bethlehem Steel asbestos settlements could reach up to $250,000 to $1,000,000 or more, depending on the person’s circumstances. Mesothelioma settlement amounts may be higher for people who have strong evidence to prove where their asbestos exposure came from and that they suffered severe losses. An attorney can provide a personalized estimate for people who developed mesothelioma because of asbestos at Bethlehem Steel.

King Law Is Accepting Bethlehem Steel Asbestos and Mesothelioma Claims

King Law is actively investigating and accepting Bethlehem Steel asbestos and mesothelioma claims. Our reputable team can determine who is at fault for your mesothelioma, and we can trace decades-old asbestos exposure from your time as a steelworker to a recent mesothelioma diagnosis. We do not charge any up-front legal fees to take on asbestos claims, and we provide free, transparent case reviews.

Our offices are located in Rochester and Geneva, so we can meet with people locally. Robert King has decades of experience in mesothelioma and asbestos litigation. Our team is ready to support you and your family as you pursue compensation and justice.

Contact a Bethlehem Steel Asbestos and Mesothelioma Lawyer Today

Individuals and families who were impacted by asbestos exposure at Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna are encouraged to contact a Rochester mesothelioma lawyer at King Law to schedule a free case evaluation. Our intake specialists can be reached at (585) 496-2648 or via an online contact form.

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