Conservation Order M-79

Conservation Order M-79 was a wartime directive issued by the U.S. War Production Board in 1942 that restricted and prioritized the use of asbestos during World War II. Because asbestos was classified as a critical war material, the order channeled supply toward military and defense applications (especially shipbuilding, naval insulation, and munitions) while limiting civilian uses. It is one of the clearest pieces of evidence that the federal government and asbestos producers treated asbestos as essential to the war effort.

Origin

Issued by the War Production Board (WPB) in 1942 under the authority of the Second War Powers Act, M-79 was one of many "M-series" conservation orders the WPB used to allocate scarce strategic materials. It was repeatedly amended throughout the war as asbestos shortages worsened, particularly for amosite used in Navy ship insulation.

Significance in Asbestos Context

For patients whose exposure occurred during or shortly after World War II (especially Navy veterans, shipyard workers, and merchant mariners), M-79 helps explain why asbestos was used so heavily and in such specific products during that era. It documents that the federal government directed asbestos into shipbuilding insulation, gaskets, packings, and pipe coverings, which supports occupational exposure claims and VA benefit applications. The order is also frequently cited in litigation to address the "government contractor defense," where manufacturers argue they were merely following federal specifications; understanding M-79 helps your legal team respond to that argument by showing what the government required versus what the companies independently knew about asbestos hazards.

Example Sentence

His attorney introduced Conservation Order M-79 to show that the amosite insulation aboard his destroyer escort was supplied under wartime federal allocation, not by the sailor's choice.

Related Terms

War Production Board, Government Contractor Defense, Navy Asbestos Exposure, Amosite, Shipyard Exposure, Military Specifications (MIL-SPEC)

Notes

• If you or a family member served in the Navy, Merchant Marine, or worked in a shipyard between 1941 and 1945, gather service records (DD-214), ship assignments, and rating/MOS information. These tie your exposure to vessels insulated under M-79 allocations.
• Ask your legal team whether M-79 and related WPB records are part of the exposure history file; these documents can rebut the government contractor defense raised by insulation and gasket manufacturers.
• VA claims for asbestos-related disease benefit from documentation showing asbestos use was federally mandated during your service; request your complete military personnel and medical records (OMPF) early in the process.
• Preserve any family records, letters, photographs, or discharge papers that describe work assignments aboard ship or in a yard. They help reconstruct exposure decades later when corporate records are incomplete.