Johns-Manville — Somerville NJ Textile Plant

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that they were exposed to asbestos while working at the Johns-Manville asbestos textile plant in Somerville, New Jersey (Somerset County, adjacent to the company’s namesake Manville NJ complex). For the full corporate summary, see the Johns-Manville manufacturer page.

Plant Description and Operating Era

The Johns-Manville Somerville NJ plant allegedly produced asbestos textile products — asbestos yarn, asbestos cloth, asbestos rope, asbestos gasket sheet, and asbestos packing — for use in high-temperature industrial applications, marine service, refinery service, powerhouse service, and gasket fabrication throughout the twentieth-century U.S. asbestos era. Somerville NJ was one of J-M’s principal asbestos textile mills. Operations wound down in the aftermath of J-M’s August 26, 1982 Chapter 11 filing.

Premises ACM Narrative

At the Johns-Manville Somerville NJ textile plant during the U.S. asbestos era (approximately 1920s-1985), plaintiffs alleged that asbestos was present through:

  • Raw asbestos fiber handling — receiving, weighing, opening, and blending of chrysotile fiber (and in early Manville lines, amphibole crocidolite/amosite fiber for high-temperature textile grades)
  • Asbestos textile production — asbestos yarn spinning, asbestos cloth weaving, asbestos rope braiding
  • Asbestos gasket sheet and packing manufacture — calendering and roll-finishing
  • Product finishing — cutting, spooling, and packaging of asbestos yarn, cloth, and rope generating airborne asbestos dust throughout the mill
  • Asbestos pipe covering on plant steam mains
  • Asbestos-block hot-side lagging on plant boilers
  • Asbestos sheet gaskets at mill-machinery flanges
  • Asbestos-fabric arc chute plates in plant switchgear
  • Asbestos sprayed fireproofing on structural steel (pre-1973 EPA ban)
  • Shipping and warehousing — packaging asbestos textile bales, spools, and packing coils

Workers Exposed

  • J-M asbestos mill workers — raw fiber receiving, weighing, opening, blending
  • Asbestos yarn spinners
  • Asbestos cloth weavers
  • Asbestos rope braiders
  • Asbestos gasket sheet calender operators and packing-manufacture workers
  • HFIAW Insulators — on pipe covering and Kaylo/Aircell installation
  • UA Pipefitters — flange bolt-up
  • IBB Boilermakers — plant boilers
  • IBEW Electricians — switchgear and motor control work
  • Millwrights — textile machinery installation
  • Shipping and receiving workers — handled asbestos textile bales, spools, and coils

If You Worked at Johns-Manville Somerville NJ

If you or a family member worked at the Johns-Manville Somerville NJ textile plant — or any other Johns-Manville site including Manville NJ, Waukegan IL, Corona CA, Pittsburg CA, Perth Amboy NJ, Norwood OH, Lompoc CA, Green Cove Springs FL, or Denver CO — and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim.

The Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust — established under Manville’s 1982 Chapter 11 reorganization, the landmark U.S. asbestos bankruptcy trust — provides compensation for J-M asbestos-injury claims.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956