Bayway Refinery — Linden, New Jersey

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that workers at the Standard Oil / Esso / ExxonMobil Bayway Refinery in Linden, New Jersey, sustained occupational asbestos exposure during decades of operations at one of the largest petroleum-refining complexes on the East Coast.

Facility Background

The Bayway Refinery, located along the Arthur Kill waterway in Linden, Union County, has continuously operated since 1909 under successive owners: Standard Oil of New Jersey, Humble Oil, Esso, Exxon, and ExxonMobil. The facility processes crude oil into gasoline, diesel, heating oil, jet fuel, and chemical feedstocks.

Plaintiffs alleged that the enormous scale of the refinery — spanning hundreds of acres with miles of process piping, heat exchangers, distillation towers, furnaces, and pressure vessels — required constant maintenance, repair, and construction activity throughout the mid-twentieth century, during which asbestos-containing materials were extensively used.

Alleged Asbestos Pathways

Plaintiffs alleged in litigation that asbestos exposure occurred through multiple pathways at the Bayway Refinery:

  • Pipe insulation: Plaintiffs alleged that pipefitters, insulators, and their helpers applied and removed asbestos block, wool felt, and preformed pipe covering on the refinery’s extensive process piping systems, generating respirable asbestos dust during installation, maintenance, and removal.
  • Boiler and furnace insulation: Plaintiffs alleged that boilermakers, burner mechanics, and maintenance workers encountered asbestos refractory cements, block insulation, and rope gaskets during boiler overhauls, tube replacements, and refinery turnarounds.
  • Gaskets and packing: Plaintiffs alleged that workers disturbing flanged connections, valve stems, and pump seals on high-temperature process lines encountered asbestos compressed-fiber gaskets and braided packing.
  • Heat exchangers and columns: Plaintiffs alleged that craft workers cutting, scraping, and fitting asbestos-insulated vessel heads and column sections on distillation units created airborne fiber hazards.

Trades and Occupations Identified in Litigation

Publicly filed lawsuits named workers in the following occupations as allegedly sustaining exposure at Bayway:

  • Pipefitters and steamfitters (UA Local 14, UA Local 696)
  • Boilermakers (Boilermakers Local 28)
  • Insulators and asbestos workers (HFIAW Local 32)
  • Refinery maintenance mechanics and operators
  • Electricians and instrument technicians
  • Construction laborers employed by outside contractors during turnarounds

Defendants Identified in Litigation

Plaintiffs in publicly filed litigation alleged that asbestos-containing products were supplied by numerous manufacturers and distributors. Commonly named defendants in Bayway-related litigation included manufacturers of pipe insulation, boiler insulation, gaskets, and refractory products, as well as the refinery owner/operator itself on premises liability theories.

New Jersey asbestos personal-injury claims are governed by a two-year statute of limitations under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2, running from the date of mesothelioma diagnosis under the discovery rule. Wrongful death claims carry a two-year limit under N.J.S.A. 2A:31-3. The Superior Court, Law Division, Middlesex County, serves as New Jersey’s primary asbestos litigation venue.

Workers who were employed at the Bayway Refinery and who have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos-related disease may have legal remedies available. Contact O’Brien Law Firm at (314) 237-3332 to discuss your work history and legal options at no cost.