Ask most people about Kentucky work and they will say coal, but for asbestos the bigger story is what Kentucky did with its coal, its rivers, and its cheap power. Ohio River towns refined oil and rolled steel, Louisville built a wartime synthetic-rubber district and the nation's appliances, and the Tennessee Valley Authority's power drew chemical plants and a uranium enrichment plant to the state's western tip. Coal-fired generating stations went up from the Big Sandy to the Green River. Boilers, furnaces, coke ovens, and steam lines ran through every one of those plants, and asbestos insulated, lined, and sealed them. On the trusts' lists, five parts of the state stand out:
- the Ashland–Catlettsburg corridor in the northeast — Ashland Oil's Catlettsburg refinery, the worksite most trusts recognize in Kentucky, Armco's Ashland Works, and the Allied Chemical coke plant;
- Louisville and Rubbertown — DuPont's neoprene works, General Electric's Appliance Park, and Louisville Gas & Electric's power stations;
- the far west — the B.F. Goodrich and Airco chemical plants at Calvert City and the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant;
- the coal-fired power stations — TVA's Paradise plant in Muhlenberg County and Kentucky Power's Big Sandy plant at Louisa; and
- the Bluegrass — IBM's Lexington plant, Corning Glass Works at Harrodsburg, and Kentucky Utilities' E.W. Brown station.
When these companies went bankrupt, the trusts set up to pay their asbestos claims each published a list of locations where its products were proven to be present. For Kentucky, those lists hold more than 1,500 entries across 229 communities, from 29 asbestos trusts. One plant can appear many times, under different names or on different trusts' lists. Dozens of our clients worked at Kentucky job sites.
Every asbestos trust claim has to prove two things: that a company's asbestos-containing product was present at a job site, and that the worker handled that product, or worked close enough to it, to breathe its dust. If you or your loved one worked at a site on those lists during the applicable years, the first half is already established, because the trust has acknowledged its products were there.
We help workers who are alive and recently diagnosed, adult children and spouses researching on behalf of someone who is sick, and families of workers who have already passed away from mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis. If you are a worker who has just been diagnosed, calling early keeps more options open for your family. There is still a claim to be made for families of workers who have already passed; we handle wrongful death cases routinely.
You don't need the product names or old records. No fee unless we recover compensation for your family.
Kentucky filing deadlines and trust eligibility, in brief
Kentucky gives a diagnosed worker one year to file a personal-injury claim, among the shortest in the country. Exactly when the clock starts varies, so to be safe, count from the date of diagnosis. An earlier diagnosis of asbestosis does not start the clock for a later mesothelioma in Kentucky: the year runs from the cancer's own diagnosis. But other early findings and an earlier lawsuit can matter, so call us right away. After a death, the estate's personal representative usually has one year from being appointed, and the wrongful-death claim must be filed no more than two years after the death. If your loved one is alive and diagnosed, calling early keeps more options open.
Kentucky deadlines, the wrongful-death rule, and how they apply to your family
Most workers exposed before 1983 can also file against the Johns-Manville Settlement Trust independently of anything documented at a specific site. How trust eligibility works.
We help families of workers who have already passed away. Kentucky preserves loss-of-consortium recovery for surviving spouses and allows the personal representative to consolidate the injury and death claims in a single action.
Free family asbestos health screening. Our representation includes free asbestos health screening for family members of every client who may have been exposed at home through a worker's clothing, hair, or vehicle. The screening is a chest X-ray read by a B-reader, with a CT scan if needed; it looks for asbestos-related changes in the lungs and isn't a diagnosis or a reliable way to find mesothelioma early.
The sites profiled below show confirmed asbestos products based on the asbestos trusts established for companies that did business there. Those trusts exist because Clarence Borel, a Gulf Coast insulator, chose to sue in 1969 — not for himself, but because he realized his coworkers would die the same way he was dying. His decision created the legal framework that produced the trust system you're about to scan.
Today the choice is yours. You can file trust claims based on the documented exposure at your loved one's worksite — paper claims, no courtroom. Or you can follow Clarence Borel and also sue the manufacturers and premises owners directly, which allows us to build a full exposure profile for every site your loved one worked at and recover from defendants the trust system doesn't reach. Read his story.
Asbestos trust coverage across Kentucky
The Johns-Manville Settlement Trust is open to most workers exposed before 1983, regardless of which specific worksite the exposure occurred at. Johns-Manville supplied so much asbestos and so many asbestos products across so many American industries that the trust does not require site-specific documentation. For mesothelioma claims, even one day of asbestos exposure before December 31, 1982 (at work or through a family member's work clothes brought into the home) can qualify a worker for Johns-Manville Settlement Trust compensation.
For lung cancer, asbestosis, and other non-mesothelioma asbestos diseases, the threshold is 60 months of total asbestos exposure with at least 6 months occurring before December 31, 1982. The one-day-of-exposure threshold for mesothelioma reflects how the disease actually develops (even brief exposure can cause it) and most major asbestos trusts apply similarly low-threshold eligibility for mesothelioma claims.
Because Johns-Manville keeps no site list of its own, every worksite on another trust's list also qualifies for Johns-Manville. Twenty-eight other trusts list Kentucky worksites. The number of Kentucky entries on each trust's list:
- Johns-Manville: no list of its own; every site on the other trusts' lists qualifies
- Babcock & Wilcox: 465 entries (industrial and utility boilers)
- Owens Corning: 451 entries (Kaylo and high-temperature pipe and block insulation)
- A.P. Green: 190 entries (refractory brick, castables and cements)
- Fibreboard: 139 entries (Pabco pipe and block insulation)
- Eagle-Picher: 105 entries (insulating cements and pipe covering)
- DII Industries (Halliburton): 73 entries (pumps, compressors and oilfield equipment)
- Combustion Engineering: 66 entries (boilers and refractory)
- Armstrong World Industries: 55 entries (insulation contracting and floor products)
- Owens-Illinois: 55 entries (Kaylo pipe and block insulation)
- Plibrico: 26 entries (refractory plastics and castables)
- U.S. Gypsum: 22 entries (joint compound, plaster and acoustical products)
- GAF: 16 entries (roofing and building products)
- Flintkote: 12 entries (roofing, flooring and building products)
- NARCO: 12 entries (refractory gun mixes and castables)
- ABB Lummus: 11 entries (refinery and petrochemical engineering)
- DII Industries (Harbison-Walker): 7 entries (refractory brick and castables)
- Kaiser Aluminum: 7 entries (refractory and insulating products)
- Pittsburgh Corning: 6 entries (Unibestos pipe insulation)
- Burns & Roe: 5 entries (power-plant engineering and construction)
- Raytech: 4 entries (friction products)
- ACandS: 3 entries (insulation contracting)
- ASARCO: 3 entries (asbestos mining and smelting)
- J.T. Thorpe (Texas): 3 entries (insulation and refractory contracting)
- W.R. Grace: 3 entries (Monokote spray fireproofing and Zonolite)
- J.T. Thorpe (California): 2 entries (insulation and refractory contracting)
- Turner & Newall: 2 entries (Limpet sprayed asbestos and asbestos textiles)
- A-Best: 1 entry (asbestos safety clothing)
- Yarway: 1 entry (steam traps and valves)
Trust coverage at this depth means most Kentucky workers with significant industrial exposure histories will trigger filings against multiple trusts simultaneously — typically Johns-Manville plus the site-specific trusts documented at their worksites.
Kentucky cities and their industries
Open a city to see the worksites there that the asbestos trusts recognize, grouped by industry, with why each industry used asbestos.
LouisvilleLouisville holds the most entries in the state: the Rubbertown chemical plants built during World War II, DuPont's neoprene works among them, General Electric's Appliance Park, Ford's assembly plants, and the bourbon distilleries.
Chemical plants. Chemical plants combined high heat with corrosive service: furnaces and reactors lined with asbestos refractory, steam lines wrapped in asbestos insulation, and acid-resistant asbestos gaskets and packing at every flange.
- DuPont Louisville Works (neoprene plant)
- Girdler Corporation
- Rohm & Haas plant
Steel, metals, and metalworking. Steel mills, foundries, tool works, and aluminum plants used asbestos wherever metal was melted, poured, or heat-treated: refractory brick and cement, insulation on furnaces and ladles, and asbestos protective clothing.
- Reynolds Metals plant
Paper mills and manufacturing plants. Paper mills, glass plants, lumber mills, and factories ran their own boilers and steam systems, insulated with asbestos pipe covering and sealed with asbestos gaskets. A paper mill's recovery boilers were among the most asbestos-intensive equipment anywhere.
- General Electric Appliance Park
Food plants, breweries, and sugar mills. Sugar mills, breweries, corn and flour mills, and packing houses ran on steam: boilers, cookers, evaporators, and dryers, with miles of insulated pipe, all built with asbestos insulation, gaskets, and packing.
- Brown-Forman distillery
Power plants and utilities. Power plants' boilers, turbines, and high-pressure steam lines were insulated, lined, and sealed with asbestos products, and every overhaul released dust across the plant.
- Louisville Gas & Electric power stations
Calvert CityCalvert City's chemical plants, B.F. Goodrich, Airco, and Pennsalt among them, followed the cheap power of TVA's Kentucky Dam, finished nearby in 1944.
Chemical plants. Chemical plants combined high heat with corrosive service: furnaces and reactors lined with asbestos refractory, steam lines wrapped in asbestos insulation, and acid-resistant asbestos gaskets and packing at every flange.
- Air Reduction (Airco) chemical plant
- B.F. Goodrich Chemical plant
- Pennsalt chemical plant (later Elf Atochem)
AshlandAshland was an Ohio River steel town, built around Armco's Ashland Works and the Allied Chemical coke plant beside it.
Chemical plants. Chemical plants combined high heat with corrosive service: furnaces and reactors lined with asbestos refractory, steam lines wrapped in asbestos insulation, and acid-resistant asbestos gaskets and packing at every flange.
- Allied Chemical coke plant
Steel, metals, and metalworking. Steel mills, foundries, tool works, and aluminum plants used asbestos wherever metal was melted, poured, or heat-treated: refractory brick and cement, insulation on furnaces and ladles, and asbestos protective clothing.
- Armco Steel Ashland Works (American Rolling Mill Company)
PaducahPaducah's largest industrial employer was the Atomic Energy Commission's gaseous diffusion plant west of town; the city was also an Illinois Central railroad shop town.
Chemical plants. Chemical plants combined high heat with corrosive service: furnaces and reactors lined with asbestos refractory, steam lines wrapped in asbestos insulation, and acid-resistant asbestos gaskets and packing at every flange.
- Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Insulation contractors. Insulation contractors installed and tore out asbestos pipe covering, block, and cement: the most heavily exposed trade of all.
- Triangle Insulation Company
Other Kentucky communitiesOne worksite each in 13 more communities.
Power plants and utilities. Power plants' boilers, turbines, and high-pressure steam lines were insulated, lined, and sealed with asbestos products, and every overhaul released dust across the plant.
- East Kentucky Power Cooperative — John Sherman Cooper Station — Burnside
- Kentucky Power Big Sandy plant — Louisa
- Kentucky Utilities — E.W. Brown station — Burgin
- Owensboro Municipal Utilities — Elmer Smith station — Owensboro
- TVA Paradise Fossil Plant — Paradise
- TVA Shawnee Fossil Plant — West Paducah
Paper mills and manufacturing plants. Paper mills, glass plants, lumber mills, and factories ran their own boilers and steam systems, insulated with asbestos pipe covering and sealed with asbestos gaskets. A paper mill's recovery boilers were among the most asbestos-intensive equipment anywhere.
- Corning Glass Works — Harrodsburg
- IBM typewriter plant — Lexington
- Westvaco paper mill — Wickliffe
Military installations. Military bases ran boiler plants, steam distribution systems, and aircraft and vehicle maintenance shops, and built and renovated for decades with asbestos-containing materials.
- Fort Campbell — Fort Campbell
- Fort Knox — Fort Knox
Refineries and petrochemical plants. Refineries ran on heat: crude heaters, cat crackers, boilers, and miles of steam and process piping, all insulated, lined, and sealed with asbestos products into the late 1970s. Insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, and the contract crews who worked turnarounds carried the heaviest exposure.
- Ashland Oil Catlettsburg refinery (now Marathon) — Catlettsburg
Chemical plants. Chemical plants combined high heat with corrosive service: furnaces and reactors lined with asbestos refractory, steam lines wrapped in asbestos insulation, and acid-resistant asbestos gaskets and packing at every flange.
- Olin Mathieson chemical plant (Doe Run) — Brandenburg
Mesothelioma settlement values at Kentucky's most-documented worksites
These worksites appear on the approved-site lists of at least five trusts besides Johns-Manville. Trust counts are minimums: a trust may list a site under a name we haven't yet matched to it. The years are the exposure window the trusts' lists recognize at each site; most lists end at 1982.
Open a worksite to see each trust that lists it, with the mesothelioma values the trust publishes and its current payment percentage. "Trust values together" adds up those trusts' values at their payment percentages: the low figure uses each trust's scheduled value, the high figure each trust's published maximum, which Individual Review can reach. Most mesothelioma claims are paid above the scheduled value. But each trust sets its own eligibility rules — the years, the work, and the length of exposure it requires — so few people qualify for every trust on a list, some trusts publish no fixed schedule, and these figures are not a prediction of any recovery. All trust values and payment percentages.
Ashland Oil Catlettsburg refinery (now Marathon)
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| ABB Lummus | $1,000 – $400,000 | 9.5% | $95 – $38,000 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| NARCO | $75,000 – $1,379,580 | 100% | $75,000 – $1,379,580 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Pittsburgh Corning | $175,000 – $500,000 | 19% | $33,250 – $95,000 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Armco Steel Ashland Works (American Rolling Mill Company)
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| GAF | $155,000 – $450,000 | 5.0% | $7,750 – $22,500 |
| NARCO | $75,000 – $1,379,580 | 100% | $75,000 – $1,379,580 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Raytech | Not published | — | — |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
DuPont Louisville Works (neoprene plant)
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| Armstrong World Industries | $110,000 – $400,000 | 7.8% | $8,580 – $31,200 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| GAF | $155,000 – $450,000 | 5.0% | $7,750 – $22,500 |
| J.T. Thorpe (Texas) | $100,000 | 23% | $23,000 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
TVA Paradise Fossil Plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| Flintkote | $184,000 – $450,000 | 15% | $27,600 – $67,500 |
| GAF | $155,000 – $450,000 | 5.0% | $7,750 – $22,500 |
| NARCO | $75,000 – $1,379,580 | 100% | $75,000 – $1,379,580 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Kentucky Power Big Sandy plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| NARCO | $75,000 – $1,379,580 | 100% | $75,000 – $1,379,580 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Raytech | Not published | — | — |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
General Electric Appliance Park
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| Armstrong World Industries | $110,000 – $400,000 | 7.8% | $8,580 – $31,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Louisville Gas & Electric power stations
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Plibrico | $350,000 – $750,000 | 0.94% | $3,290 – $7,050 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Allied Chemical coke plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| NARCO | $75,000 – $1,379,580 | 100% | $75,000 – $1,379,580 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Olin Mathieson chemical plant (Doe Run)
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Air Reduction (Airco) chemical plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABB Lummus | $1,000 – $400,000 | 9.5% | $95 – $38,000 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
B.F. Goodrich Chemical plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| J.T. Thorpe (California) | Not published | — | — |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
IBM typewriter plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armstrong World Industries | $110,000 – $400,000 | 7.8% | $8,580 – $31,200 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| Flintkote | $184,000 – $450,000 | 15% | $27,600 – $67,500 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Kentucky Utilities — E.W. Brown station
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Pennsalt chemical plant (later Elf Atochem)
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Corning Glass Works
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| DII Industries (Harbison-Walker) | $144,897.50 – $610,000 | 60% | $86,938.50 – $366,000 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Girdler Corporation
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| Armstrong World Industries | $110,000 – $400,000 | 7.8% | $8,580 – $31,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Reynolds Metals plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Rohm & Haas plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armstrong World Industries | $110,000 – $400,000 | 7.8% | $8,580 – $31,200 |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| NARCO | $75,000 – $1,379,580 | 100% | $75,000 – $1,379,580 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Pittsburgh Corning | $175,000 – $500,000 | 19% | $33,250 – $95,000 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Owensboro Municipal Utilities — Elmer Smith station
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| NARCO | $75,000 – $1,379,580 | 100% | $75,000 – $1,379,580 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Triangle Insulation Company
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| GAF | $155,000 – $450,000 | 5.0% | $7,750 – $22,500 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
TVA Shawnee Fossil Plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABB Lummus | $1,000 – $400,000 | 9.5% | $95 – $38,000 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| GAF | $155,000 – $450,000 | 5.0% | $7,750 – $22,500 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
A closer look at major Kentucky worksites
The worksites below are among those recognized by the most asbestos trusts in Kentucky — seven or more, counting Johns-Manville — along with the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, the largest federal worksite in the western part of the state. Each profile draws on the trust signatures present at the site to identify the products workers handled, the trades most heavily exposed, and the asbestos types they likely encountered. Your specific worksite may be documented even if it doesn't appear here — call us.
Ashland Oil Catlettsburg refinery (now Marathon) — Catlettsburg
The Catlettsburg refinery, on the Big Sandy River just above its mouth at the Ohio, was the flagship of Ashland Oil, which Paul Blazer built from a small refinery there in the 1920s into one of the country's large independent refiners. It is Kentucky's largest refinery. Ashland and Marathon combined their refining in a joint venture in 1998, and Marathon took full ownership in 2005. The trusts list the refinery under Ashland Oil, Ashland Oil & Refining, Ashland Petroleum, and the Leach refinery and research lab; it is one facility. Ashland's synthetic-fuels project is listed separately.
Workers exposed. Refinery operations of this scale required pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, refractory workers (on the catalytic crackers and process heaters), mechanics, instrument technicians, and electricians, along with the contract crews who worked turnarounds.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 12 asbestos trusts — A.P. Green, ABB Lummus, Babcock & Wilcox, Combustion Engineering, DII Industries (Halliburton), Eagle-Picher, Fibreboard, NARCO, Owens Corning, Owens-Illinois, Pittsburgh Corning, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1936 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. A.P. Green and NARCO refractory lined the cat crackers, reformers, and process heaters, and Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering boilers carried pipe and block insulation, refractory, and gaskets and packing on access doors and steam connections. Because the Owens-Illinois trust signature is present, Owens-Illinois Kaylo high-temperature pipe insulation, an amosite (brown asbestos) product, was used at this site during the 1948–1958 manufacturing window, followed by Owens Corning's Kaylo line; Pittsburgh Corning's amosite-rich Unibestos covered the hottest lines, and Fibreboard pipe insulation and Eagle-Picher One-Cote insulating cement covered more of the process and steam piping. ABB Lummus did refinery engineering and construction here, and the Halliburton signature reflects pumps and compressors from Ingersoll, Dresser, Pacific, and Worthington. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories, and crocidolite (blue asbestos) appeared in the gaskets and packing of the refinery's acid service.
Armco Steel Ashland Works (American Rolling Mill Company) — Ashland
The American Rolling Mill Company of Middletown, Ohio, took over steelmaking at Ashland in the early 1920s, and the integrated mill on the Ohio River became one of eastern Kentucky's largest employers. The company renamed itself Armco Steel in 1948; the works later passed to AK Steel and then Cleveland-Cliffs. It ran coke ovens, blast furnaces, basic oxygen furnaces, casters, and rolling mills. The trusts list it under Armco Steel, the American Rolling Mill Company, the Armco coke plant, the Ashland Works, its Bellefonte furnace, and the West Works; it is one facility. The Armco Oil Refinery is listed separately.
Workers exposed. Integrated steel operations at this scale required coke oven workers, blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace operators, rolling mill operators, refractory workers (bricklayers), insulators, boilermakers, pipefitters, millwrights, mechanics, electricians, and laborers across the supporting infrastructure.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 10 asbestos trusts — A.P. Green, Babcock & Wilcox, DII Industries (Halliburton), Eagle-Picher, Fibreboard, GAF, NARCO, Owens Corning, Raytech, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1903 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. A.P. Green and NARCO refractory lined the coke ovens, blast furnaces, basic oxygen furnaces, and ladles, and was cut, fitted, and chipped out in reline after reline. Babcock & Wilcox boilers in the mill's steam plant carried pipe and block insulation, refractory, and gaskets and packing. Owens Corning's Kaylo line, its high-temperature grades made with amosite (brown asbestos), Fibreboard pipe insulation, and Eagle-Picher One-Cote insulating cement covered the steam and process piping. The Raytech signature reflects friction products on cranes, conveyors, and mill drives, the Halliburton signature reflects pumps and compressors from Ingersoll, Dresser, Pacific, and Worthington, and GAF documentation points to roofing felts and mastics across the mill buildings. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
DuPont Louisville Works (neoprene plant) — Louisville
DuPont built its Louisville Works during World War II to make neoprene, its synthetic rubber, and the plant became one of the anchors of Rubbertown, the cluster of wartime rubber and chemical plants in western Louisville. The trusts list it under DuPont, E.I. du Pont de Nemours, and the neoprene plant; it is one facility.
Workers exposed. Insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, refractory workers, millwrights, instrument technicians, chemical operators, and the construction crews who built and expanded the plant.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 10 asbestos trusts — A.P. Green, Armstrong World Industries, Babcock & Wilcox, Combustion Engineering, Fibreboard, GAF, J.T. Thorpe (Texas), Owens Corning, Owens-Illinois, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1942 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering boilers powered the plant's steam systems, with pipe and block insulation, A.P. Green refractory, and gaskets and packing on access doors and steam connections. Because the Owens-Illinois trust signature is present, Owens-Illinois Kaylo high-temperature pipe insulation, an amosite (brown asbestos) product, was used at this site during the 1948–1958 manufacturing window, followed by Owens Corning's Kaylo line; Fibreboard and Armstrong insulation covered more of the process and steam piping, much of it applied by insulation contractors such as J.T. Thorpe. GAF documentation points to roofing felts and mastics. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories, and crocidolite (blue asbestos) appeared in the gaskets and packing of the plant's acid and corrosive service.
TVA Paradise Fossil Plant — Paradise
The Tennessee Valley Authority's Paradise Fossil Plant in Muhlenberg County burned western Kentucky coal from the early 1960s; its third unit, among the largest TVA ever built, followed in 1970. The last coal unit was retired in 2020, and a natural-gas plant now runs on the site. The trusts file the plant under Paradise, Drakesboro, and Central City, and under TVA, the Paradise Fossil Plant, and the Paradise steam plant; it is one facility.
Workers exposed. Coal-fired power generation at this scale required boilermakers, pipefitters, insulators, refractory workers, turbine maintenance technicians, mechanics, and electricians, particularly during construction and the major overhaul cycles that followed.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 10 asbestos trusts — A.P. Green, Babcock & Wilcox, DII Industries (Halliburton), Eagle-Picher, Fibreboard, Flintkote, GAF, NARCO, Owens Corning, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1959 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. The Babcock & Wilcox signature reflects the station's boilers, with their pipe and block insulation, insulating cement, and gaskets and packing, and A.P. Green and NARCO refractory lined the furnaces and burner throats. Owens Corning's Kaylo line, its high-temperature grades made with amosite (brown asbestos), Fibreboard pipe insulation, and Eagle-Picher insulating cement covered the main steam lines and turbine piping. The Halliburton signature reflects pumps and compressors from Ingersoll, Dresser, Pacific, and Worthington across the feedwater and circulating-water systems, and Flintkote and GAF documentation points to roofing and building products across the powerhouse. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
Kentucky Power Big Sandy plant — Louisa
Kentucky Power, part of the American Electric Power system, built the Big Sandy coal-fired plant near Louisa on the Big Sandy River in the 1960s. The trusts list it under Kentucky Power, the Big Sandy plant and powerhouse, Kentucky Light & Power, and Louisa Power, and also file it under Big Sandy; it is one facility.
Workers exposed. Boilermakers, pipefitters, insulators, refractory workers, millwrights, mechanics, electricians, and power plant operators, along with the construction and overhaul crews.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 8 asbestos trusts — Babcock & Wilcox, DII Industries (Halliburton), Eagle-Picher, Fibreboard, NARCO, Owens Corning, Raytech, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1960 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. Babcock & Wilcox boilers carried pipe and block insulation, refractory, and gaskets and packing, and NARCO refractory lined the furnaces. Owens Corning's Kaylo line, its high-temperature grades made with amosite (brown asbestos), Fibreboard pipe insulation, and Eagle-Picher insulating cement covered the steam and turbine piping. The Halliburton signature reflects pumps and compressors from Ingersoll, Dresser, Pacific, and Worthington, and the Raytech signature reflects friction products on the coal-handling equipment. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
General Electric Appliance Park — Louisville
General Electric opened Appliance Park in Louisville in the early 1950s to build refrigerators, ranges, washers, and other household appliances, and it grew into one of the largest manufacturing complexes in the state. Haier bought GE's appliance business in 2016. The trusts list Appliance Park by its buildings, including Building 4, Building 5, and the central maintenance building; it is one facility.
Workers exposed. Production and assembly workers, millwrights, pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, electricians, maintenance mechanics, and the contractors who built and renovated the plant buildings.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 8 asbestos trusts — A.P. Green, Armstrong World Industries, DII Industries (Halliburton), Eagle-Picher, Fibreboard, Owens Corning, Owens-Illinois, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1950 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. Because the Owens-Illinois trust signature is present, Owens-Illinois Kaylo high-temperature pipe insulation, an amosite (brown asbestos) product, was used at this site during the 1948–1958 manufacturing window, followed by Owens Corning's Kaylo line; Fibreboard and Armstrong pipe and block insulation and Eagle-Picher One-Cote insulating cement covered the steam lines that served the plant's boilers and process ovens. A.P. Green refractory lined boiler furnaces and the plant's industrial ovens, and the Halliburton signature reflects pumps and compressors from Ingersoll, Dresser, Pacific, and Worthington. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
Allied Chemical coke plant — Ashland
Allied Chemical's coke plant at Ashland was part of the Ohio River industrial cluster around Armco's Ashland Works. The trusts list it under Allied Chemical, the Allied Chemical coke plant, and Allied's Wilputte coke oven division; it is one facility.
Workers exposed. Coke oven workers, refractory workers (bricklayers), pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, mechanics, instrument technicians, and electricians servicing the ovens, by-product recovery units, and process piping.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 7 asbestos trusts — Babcock & Wilcox, Combustion Engineering, DII Industries (Halliburton), Fibreboard, NARCO, Owens Corning, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1903 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. NARCO refractory lined the coke ovens and was cut and chipped out in repairs, and Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering boilers carried pipe and block insulation, refractory, and gaskets and packing. Owens Corning's Kaylo line, its high-temperature grades made with amosite (brown asbestos), and Fibreboard pipe insulation covered the steam and process piping, and the Halliburton signature reflects pumps and compressors from Ingersoll, Dresser, Pacific, and Worthington. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories, and crocidolite (blue asbestos) appeared in the gaskets and packing of the by-product plant's acid service.
B.F. Goodrich Chemical plant — Calvert City
B.F. Goodrich opened its Calvert City chemical plant in the early 1950s, one of the plants that gathered near TVA's Kentucky Dam for its cheap power, and made vinyl chloride and other plastics chemicals there. The trusts list it under B.F. Goodrich and B.F. Goodrich Chemical; it is one facility.
Workers exposed. Insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, refractory workers, millwrights, instrument technicians, chemical operators, and the construction crews who built and expanded the plant.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 7 asbestos trusts — A.P. Green, Combustion Engineering, DII Industries (Halliburton), J.T. Thorpe (California), Owens Corning, Owens-Illinois, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1953 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. Combustion Engineering boilers carried pipe and block insulation, refractory, and gaskets and packing, and A.P. Green refractory lined the boilers and cracking furnaces. Because the Owens-Illinois trust signature is present, Owens-Illinois Kaylo high-temperature pipe insulation, an amosite (brown asbestos) product, was used at this site during the 1948–1958 manufacturing window, followed by Owens Corning's Kaylo line, much of it applied by insulation contractors such as J.T. Thorpe during the plant's construction. The Halliburton signature reflects pumps and compressors from Ingersoll, Dresser, Pacific, and Worthington. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories, and crocidolite (blue asbestos) appeared in the gaskets and packing of the plant's acid and chlorine service.
Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant — Paducah
The Atomic Energy Commission built the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant west of Paducah in the early 1950s, on land near Kevil that had been part of the wartime Kentucky Ordnance Works, to enrich uranium. F.H. McGraw & Company built it, and Union Carbide ran it for the government for its first three decades. Enrichment ended in 2013. The trusts list it under the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, the AEC project, Union Carbide Nuclear, Carbide & Carbon Chemical, F.H. McGraw, and the old K.O.W. siding, and file it under both Paducah and Kevil; it is one facility.
Workers exposed. The construction crews who built the plant, then pipefitters, insulators, electricians, millwrights, mechanics, instrument technicians, and operators across the process buildings and the steam plant.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 6 asbestos trusts — Combustion Engineering, DII Industries (Halliburton), Fibreboard, Owens Corning, Owens-Illinois, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1951 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. Because the Owens-Illinois trust signature is present, Owens-Illinois Kaylo high-temperature pipe insulation, an amosite (brown asbestos) product, was used at this site during the 1948–1958 manufacturing window, which covers the plant's construction; Owens Corning's Kaylo line followed, and Fibreboard pipe and block insulation covered more of the process and steam piping. Combustion Engineering boilers in the steam plant carried insulation, refractory, and gaskets and packing, and the Halliburton signature reflects pumps and compressors from Ingersoll, Dresser, Pacific, and Worthington. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
Kentucky entries by city
The trusts' lists hold Kentucky entries in 229 communities. Open the list below for the number of entries in each. Call us for any specific worksite — whether or not the city appears here.
Entries on the trusts' lists, city by city
| City | Entries on the trusts' lists |
|---|---|
| Louisville | 492 |
| Ashland | 98 |
| Lexington | 95 |
| Paducah | 60 |
| Calvert City | 45 |
| Owensboro | 37 |
| Hawesville | 32 |
| Frankfort | 31 |
| Covington | 30 |
| Catlettsburg | 29 |
| Henderson | 29 |
| Paradise | 24 |
| Harrodsburg | 22 |
| Newport | 20 |
| Bowling Green | 18 |
| Louisa | 18 |
| Russell | 18 |
| Mayfield | 17 |
| Fort Knox | 16 |
| Carrollton | 15 |
| Hopkinsville | 15 |
| Central City | 14 |
| Bardstown | 13 |
| Richmond | 13 |
| Maysville | 12 |
| Morehead | 12 |
| Burnside | 11 |
| Danville | 11 |
| Florence | 11 |
| Leach | 11 |
| Russellville | 11 |
| Brandenburg | 10 |
| Ford | 10 |
| Kosmosdale | 10 |
| Drakesboro | 9 |
| Fort Thomas | 9 |
| Kevil | 9 |
| Raceland | 9 |
| Winchester | 9 |
| Elizabethtown | 8 |
| Campbellsville | 6 |
| Fort Campbell | 6 |
| Lawrenceburg | 6 |
| Lewisport | 6 |
| Madisonville | 6 |
| Olive Hill | 6 |
| South Shore | 6 |
| West Henderson | 6 |
| Brown | 5 |
| Burgin | 5 |
| Doe Run | 5 |
| Flatwoods | 5 |
| Franklin | 5 |
| Ghent | 5 |
| Latonia | 5 |
| Middlesboro | 5 |
| Millbrook | 5 |
| Prestonsburg | 5 |
| Sebree | 5 |
| Stone | 5 |
| Versailles | 5 |
| Wickliffe | 5 |
| Corbin | 4 |
| Inez | 4 |
| Morganfield | 4 |
| Owingsville | 4 |
| Pineville | 4 |
| Rabbit Hash | 4 |
| Robards | 4 |
| Wilder | 4 |
| Anchorage | 3 |
| Big Sandy | 3 |
| Burnaugh | 3 |
| Chiles | 3 |
| Clermont | 3 |
| Dix Dam | 3 |
| Hazard | 3 |
| Hickman | 3 |
| La Grange | 3 |
| Lothair | 3 |
| Maytown | 3 |
| Murray | 3 |
| Paintsville | 3 |
| Pikeville | 3 |
| Shelbyville | 3 |
| Siloam | 3 |
| Silver Grove | 3 |
| Stamping Ground | 3 |
| Wilton | 3 |
The trusts' lists also name 140 other Kentucky communities.
Search the asbestos trusts' Kentucky lists
Type any name the plant went by — the company, a later owner, or the city — to see every entry on the trusts' lists that matches, as the trusts wrote it, with each trust and the years it lists.
More than 1,500 entries, as the trusts list them.
Court decisions: 59 asbestos cases from Kentucky courts
Worksites named in court opinions
Court decisions in our library name these Kentucky workplaces as places where people were exposed to asbestos.
Letcher County High School
- Kentucky Employers'mutual Insurance v. Hall (2024): School employee and substitute teacher, 1976-2014
- Letcher County Board OF Education v. Hall (2023): Teacher, 1976-2003
- Letcher County Board OF Education v. Hall (2022): Teacher, 1976-2003
- Letcher County Board OF Education v. Hall (2019): Teacher, 1976-2003
- Letcher County Board OF Education v. Hall (2018): Teacher, 1976-2003
Smith Coal (surface mines)
- Papineau v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2022): Worked on brakes for his employer, 1984-1992
- Papineau v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2021): Class C oiler mechanic, 1984-93
- Papineau v. Brake Supply Company (2020): Employee of Smith Coal, 1984-1992
- Papineau v. Brake Supply Company (2020): Employee of Smith Coal, 1984 to 1992
- Papineau v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2020): Employee of Smith Coal (mining equipment work), 1984-1992
General Electric Appliance Park
- General Elec. Co. v. Cain (2007): Plumber/pipefitter, 1950s
- White v. Cardinal Industrial Insulation Co., Inc. (2007): Production worker, maintenance, and pipe-fitter, early 1950's through mid-1990's
Allied Chemical coke plant
- General Elec. Co. v. Cain (2007): Millwright, 1975-1982
Anaconda Aluminum plant
- Barnes v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. (2000): General laborer and maintenance machinist, 1963-1973
Armco Steel Ashland Works
- Bailey v. North American Refractories Co. (2001): Armco Steel employee, 1968-1993
B.F. Goodrich Chemical plant
- Dunkel v. Boetler (2009): Insulator (husband Ralph Dunkel), 1949
Barton Brands Distillery
- Barnes v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. (2000): Worker in the whiskey filtration department, 1959-1990
Big Rivers Sebree Powerhouse
- Dunkel v. Boetler (2009): Insulator (husband Ralph Dunkel), 1978-1979
Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company plant
- Hartfield v. 3M Company (2016): Pipefitter (plaintiff's father), 1941-1962
Brown-Forman distillery
- General Elec. Co. v. Cain (2007): Millwright, 1975-1982
Coleman Auto Parts plant
- Landreth v. Brake Supply Company, Inc. (2017): Auto parts store worker who handled and delivered new and used brake parts, 1969-1970
Commonwealth Building
- Capital Holding Corp. v. Bailey (1994): Removing pipes and ducts from the basement, August-November 1987
Cutler-Hammer plant
- Hunton v. City of Bowling Green (2006): Maintenance department worker, 1965-1977
Florida Tile plant
- RT Vanderbilt Company, Inc. v. Franklin (2009): Employee of Florida Tile, 1968-1973
11 more worksites
Ford Louisville Assembly Plant
- Rehm v. Ford Motor Company (2011): Millwright (an industrial construction worker), late 1970s to 1981 (dates disputed)
Fort Campbell
- Surita v. Arvinmeritor, Inc. (2017): Military truck maintenance, 1990-1993
Lorillard Louisville plant
- McGuire v. Lorillard Tobacco Company (2014): Employee at Lorillard's cigarette plant, 1953-1954
Louisville & Nashville Railroad (Seaboard System), southern Louisville
- Fleischman v. CSX Transportation, Inc. (2007): Machinist at the railroad, 1941-1983
Louisville Gas & Electric power stations
- Hedden v. CBS Corporation (2015): Mechanic's helper, insulator's helper, insulator/pipe fitter, foreman, 1967-1968; 1970-2001
Louisville Insulation Company (LISCO)
- Becht v. Owens Corning Fiberglas Corp. (1992): Insulator, 1953-1980
National Aluminum plant
- Sunbeam Corporation v. Dortch (2010): Maintenance worker
Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant
- Holland v. Union Carbide Corporation (2013): Worker at the gaseous diffusion plant, 1950s and 1960s
Pennwalt chemical plant (now Arkema)
- Dunkel v. Boetler (2009): Insulator (husband Ralph Dunkel), 1950-1952
Rohm & Haas plant
- Cardinal Industrial Insulation Co., Inc. v. Norris (2009): Rohm & Haas employee
William T. Watkins Memorial United Methodist Church
- Michals v. William T. Watkins Meth. Church (1994): Preschool and kindergarten attendee
Every worksite named in Kentucky court decisions, with all their decisions
Plants that made asbestos products
Companies' sworn answers in asbestos lawsuits, the asbestos industry's trade journal and company records in our library name these Kentucky plants as places where asbestos products were made. Each plant's page says who ran it and when, what was made there, and which document says so. People who worked in these plants, their families, and people who lived nearby may have been exposed.
- St. MatthewsPalmer Asbestos & Rubber Company · from 1930
- WilderZonolite Company, W. R. Grace & Co. · 2 products
Don't see your worksite?
Your worksite may be documented even if it doesn't appear on this page. If your loved one worked at a Kentucky facility not listed, call us. Johns-Manville requires no site list at all, and we can often document exposure through the products, contractors, and equipment at a site even when no trust lists it by name.
Smaller worksites, contract jobs, short-tenure employment, and exposures across multiple sites are all part of the case-building process.
Call 833-4-ASBESTOS for a free case review.
How a Kentucky case may work
Michael is a 76-year-old retired steelworker from Ashland. From 1968 to 2005 he worked at the Armco Steel Corporation at Ashland — through the corporate transitions to AK Steel — primarily in the maintenance and rolling mill departments. His work involved frequent contact with asbestos insulation on steam lines, valves, and process equipment across the integrated steel mill: refractory replacement in the coke ovens and basic oxygen furnaces, pipe insulation on high-temperature steam piping serving the steel-making process, gasket and packing maintenance on rolling mill and finishing equipment, and friction product handling on conveyor and brake systems across the mill. In late 2025, Michael developed persistent chest pressure and worsening shortness of breath. Cardiac workup at King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland revealed pericardial thickening with a moderate effusion, and a pericardial biopsy in February 2026 confirmed pericardial mesothelioma of the biphasic mesothelioma variety — a rare and aggressive form of mesothelioma arising from the lining around the heart, with both epithelioid and sarcomatoid components. Like many Kentucky steelworkers of his generation, Michael had no idea his decades of mill work could cause this kind of cancer years after retirement.
For Michael's family, the practical recovery picture rests on several parallel tracks. The trusts' lists recognize Armco's Ashland Works, under the Armco Steel and American Rolling Mill Company names, on the lists of at least nine site-specific trusts — A.P. Green, Babcock & Wilcox, DII Industries (Halliburton), Eagle-Picher, Fibreboard, GAF, NARCO, Owens Corning, and Raytech. Michael's pre-1982 work history also qualifies him for the Johns-Manville Settlement Trust, independent of the site-specific documentation. Civil claims against the still-solvent manufacturers of the products he worked with may also be available in Boyd Circuit Court. Recoveries from cases like Michael's routinely fund what insurance does not cover — travel to academic cancer centers, lodging during extended treatment, out-of-pocket medication costs, and home help. The nearest NCI-designated cancer center for an Ashland worker is the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center in Lexington (approximately 130 miles west), where advanced treatments and the latest immunotherapy combinations are available. When the written agreement and applicable law permit it, our firm can also advance the cost of travel and lodging when getting to the right treatment center matters. Our representation includes free asbestos health screening for Michael's wife and adult children, who may have been exposed at home through the work clothes Michael brought back from the mill across nearly four decades. How legal recovery funds mesothelioma treatment access →.
For the full doctrinal treatment of Kentucky's discovery rule, comparative fault framework, premises liability standard, and damages framework, see the Kentucky mesothelioma law guide.
This example is general. Every case depends on the diagnosis, exposure history, dates, defendants, applicable law, and available evidence.
What happens when you call
A staff attorney answers — not a screener. The first call usually runs 20 to 30 minutes. We listen to the work history, identify which Kentucky worksites and trust channels apply to your loved one's exposure, and explain the timeline and case structure for your family's specific situation.
We never pressure anyone to retain us during the first call. If you decide to move forward, we come to you — phone, video, or home visit, whichever works best. No travel to our offices is required at any point in the case.
You do not need to come to the call with product names, exposure dates, or work records. We reconstruct the exposure history using our worksite database, the trust documentation for each manufacturer, employment and union records, and coworker interviews. The conversation starts with what you remember; we handle the documentation work from there.
A spouse, adult child, or other family member can call for the worker. Many of our first calls are from a daughter or wife researching on behalf of a parent or husband. That is standard, and the family member can make the call without the worker on the line.
Call 833-4-ASBESTOS for a free case review.
Why families choose our firm
- $400M+ recovered and 200,000+ verified exposure sites nationally; all of the more than 1,500 Kentucky entries on the asbestos trusts' lists; dozens of clients with Kentucky job sites
- Worksite-specific knowledge — we operate from documented trust coverage at named Kentucky facilities, not generic intake scripts
- Trust + civil + federal benefits coordinated case by case with the trial team — we run every available compensation channel simultaneously
- Remote case handling — phone, video, home visit, whichever works for your family
- Free family asbestos health screening for spouses, adult children, and other household members
- No fee unless we recover compensation for your family
Frequently asked questions
Is my Kentucky worksite documented?
Probably yes. The asbestos trusts' approved-site lists hold more than 1,500 Kentucky entries in 229 communities — refineries, steel and aluminum mills, chemical plants, power stations, glass and paper plants, distilleries, railroad shops, federal facilities, and a wide range of smaller industrial and commercial operations across the state. You can search every entry on this page. Even if a specific facility isn't listed, we can often document exposure there through the products and contractors involved. Call us with the worksite name and we can confirm coverage during the first conversation.
What does "trust coverage" mean for my case?
Asbestos bankruptcy trusts are compensation funds set up by manufacturers that went bankrupt because of asbestos liability. Each trust pays claims to workers who can show they were exposed to that manufacturer's products, on a paper-claim basis (no courtroom). When we say a Kentucky site is "recognized by at least 10 trusts," we mean at least ten separate trusts have records establishing that their products were used at that location — ten separate compensation pathways available to qualifying workers. Recoveries from one trust do not reduce or offset recoveries from another.
Does my loved one qualify for the Johns-Manville trust?
Probably yes, if your loved one had asbestos exposure before 1983 and developed an asbestos-related disease. Johns-Manville does not require proof that its products were at a specific worksite, and for mesothelioma even one day of exposure can qualify. How Johns-Manville eligibility works.
Do I need to know which asbestos products my loved one handled?
No. We reconstruct product exposure from the trust documentation at each worksite, employment records, union records, and coworker interviews. Many of our clients come to us knowing they "worked around insulation and steam pipes" — that is enough to start. We handle the documentation work from there.
What if my loved one worked at multiple Kentucky sites?
That is common and often increases the recovery. Many Kentucky workers spent careers that moved across the Ashland industrial cluster (Armco Steel, the Armco Oil Refinery, Allied Chemical, and the Catlettsburg refinery), the Louisville plants, or contracted across many sites (insulation contractors, pipefitter union work). We build the exposure history for every documented site in the career and file every trust claim that applies.
What if my loved one's worksite has closed or been demolished?
It doesn't matter for trust claims. The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant ceased enrichment operations in 2013. The TVA Paradise Fossil Plant retired its last coal unit in 2020. Many of the historic mid-century chemical plants and refineries are long closed. The trust documentation is based on what was used at the site during operations, not whether the site is still standing. We routinely file claims for workers from facilities that no longer exist.
Does Kentucky's short filing deadline mean we have to act immediately?
The one-year personal injury filing deadline is one of the shortest in the country, and it is one of the central reasons to call quickly after a diagnosis. Exactly when the clock starts varies, so to be safe, count from the date of diagnosis. If your loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, the safest course is to call us within days, not months. The order of the trust claims, benefits, and lawsuit is decided case by case.
Can we file a claim if my loved one already passed away?
Yes. Kentucky preserves wrongful death recovery for the personal representative, and loss-of-consortium damages for the surviving spouse do not cease at the worker's death. The personal representative usually has one year from being appointed to file, and the wrongful-death claim must be filed no more than two years after the death. Call us — we handle wrongful death cases routinely and the trust filings continue to work in the same way.
What if my loved one worked at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant?
The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant — operated for the Atomic Energy Commission, the Department of Energy, and the U.S. Enrichment Corporation between 1952 and 2013 — is one of the historic DOE uranium enrichment facilities, alongside Oak Ridge K-25 in Tennessee and Portsmouth in Ohio. Paducah workers are eligible for a federal compensation program for DOE complex workers with occupational illness, in addition to the asbestos trust claims and any civil filings available at the site. The federal program runs alongside the trust filings, though some must be coordinated, because a few programs carry offsets or repayment rules. Call us and we will work through every eligibility pathway.
Talk with a Kentucky asbestos lawyer
Whether your family is dealing with a new mesothelioma diagnosis, a very sick loved one, or a death from asbestos disease, we are ready to help. Your loved one's worksite may already be on the trusts' lists — or we can help document it if it isn't.
You do not need to know the product names. You do not need to have all the records. You do not need to travel to our office. A spouse or adult child can call for the family.
Related resources
This page is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Every asbestos case turns on its own facts, exposure history, diagnosis, deadlines, available evidence, and applicable law. Reviewing this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, call 833-4-ASBESTOS for a free case review.