Johns-Manville's plant at Pittsburg, California, was begun in 1925, according to J-M's employee magazine, The J-M Circle, which wrote in June 1928 that "Construction of the first two units of the Pittsburg Factory was started in September, 1925, and completed in January of the following year."1 In 1990, the fund that answered lawsuits for Manville Corporation dated the plant "1926 to 1980s" in its sworn answers.2
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What the plant made
The first units made "Rigid asbestos shingles, steam and cold insulating materials, and insulating and refractory cements," the 1928 Circle article said, and it listed what the factory would make "When completed": asbestos paper and board, asbestos roofings, asphalt roofings, slate-surfaced shingles, deadening felts, roofing cements and coatings, brake band linings and packings.1 In August 1928 the magazine reported a special train of "10 carloads of roll roofings and shingles" leaving Pittsburg for Oakland on July 10, showing "that Johns-Manville was shipping goods from its new plant at Pittsburg."3
J-M reported in 1954 that "new facilities for Flexboard and corrugated Transite sheets at Pittsburg, Calif., completed in 1953."4 A former J-M employee, Hugh Jackson, remembered it differently in 1978: he said the "Pittsburg plant got out of cement and shingle business and started Flexboard around the late 50's."5 Flexboard was an asbestos-cement sheet; Manville's description of it, reported to the EPA and published in a 1990 notice, gives it "asbestos fiber, 40 to 70%" and production from 1934 to 1987, figures that describe the product in general, not Pittsburg's output in particular.6,7 A J-M dust survey of November 10-14, 1969 names a Flat Transite saw station at the Pittsburg plant; the same notice gives Flat Transite "asbestos fiber, 25 to 35%," again for the product in general.7,8
In 1990 the Manville fund's sworn answers listed the "Pittsburgh Plant" products, among them numbered cements and semi-refractory cements, asbestos felts for pipe covering and pipe line, asbestos jackets, Asbesto-Sponge, Asbestocel, asbestos papers, millboard, Corrugated Transite, Flexboard, Glasal Asbestos Cement Sheet and Insulkote coatings.2
The people who worked there
The same J-M survey of November 1969 lists the Flexboard Dept. at Pittsburg among its "stations over TLV."8 Manville's 1990 answers name the doctors who served the Pittsburg plant, beginning with Doctor D. C. Wise and Doctor Edith Wise, "1926 to 1964," and ending with Doctor D. W. Smith, "1973 to 1985."2
Location
Pictures of products made here
Labels, packages, photographs and catalog pages from our library of products documents say were made at this plant. Each picture has its own page and library number.
Product photograph: SERVICE Asbestos Sheet Packing, Style No. 60 (Johns-Manville)Service Style No. 60 (Johns-Manville)Product photograph · ACL Doc 15180
Catalog page: FLAT TRANSITE (Johns-Manville)Flat Transite (Johns-Manville)Catalog page · ACL Doc 15206
Data sheet: Transite Insulated Roof (Johns-Manville) and 3 other products (1941)Transite Insulated Roof (Johns-Manville); Corrugated Transite (Johns-Manville); Roofinsul (Johns-Manville); J-m Built-up Roof (Johns-Manville)Data sheet or specification · ACL Doc 15249
Product photograph: Transite Insulated Roof and 3 other productsTransite Insulated Roof (Johns-Manville); Corrugated Transite (Johns-Manville); J-m Built-up Roof (Johns-Manville)Product photograph · ACL Doc 15187
Label: J-M Asbestile Fibrous Mineral tag (H. W. Johns-Manville Co.)Asbestile (Johns-Manville)Label or package · ACL Doc 20401
Label: J-M Asbestile Liquid Cement (H. W. Johns-Manville Co.)Asbestile (Johns-Manville)Label or package · ACL Doc 20403
Label: Asbestile Cement, 55-gallon container (Johns-Manville)Asbestile (Johns-Manville)Label or package · ACL Doc 20227
Label: "S" Asbestoment cable fireproofing, 100 lb. (Johns-Manville)Asbestoment (Johns-Manville)Label or package · ACL Doc 20190
Asbestos products made here
The products documents say were made at this plant, with the years a document gives for the product here. Each product's page has what the documents say about it, including its asbestos content.
- #55 Asbestos Base Felt (Johns-Manville)2
- 0352 Cement (Johns-Manville)2
- 15# Pipeline Felt (Johns-Manville)2
- 15A Asbestos Jacket (Johns-Manville)2
- 23-1/2# Pipe Line Felt (Johns-Manville)2
- 301 (Johns-Manville)2
- 302 (Johns-Manville)2
- 319 Semi-refractory (Johns-Manville)2
- 400 Cement (Johns-Manville)2
- 450 (Johns-Manville)2
- 45A Asbestos Jacket (Johns-Manville)2
- 50 Weatherproofing (Johns-Manville)2
- 500 (Johns-Manville)2
- 6# Asbestos Felt Saturated for Pipe Covering (Johns-Manville)2
- 678 Semi-refractory (Johns-Manville)2
- 9# Asbestos Felt for Pipe Line (Johns-Manville)2
- Aerite (Johns-Manville)2
- Anti-sweat (Johns-Manville)2
- Asbestile (Johns-Manville)2
- Asbestocel (Johns-Manville)2
- Asbestoment (Johns-Manville)2
- Asbestos Millboard (Johns-Manville)2
- Asbestos Sponge (Felted, Sectional, Molded) (Johns-Manville)2
- Commercial Grade Asbestos Paper (Johns-Manville)2
- Corrugated Transite (Johns-Manville)2
- D C Flexstone (Johns-Manville)2
- Fibroid (Johns-Manville)2
- Fibrous Adhesive (Johns-Manville)2
- Flat Transite (Johns-Manville) · 19698
- Flexboard (Johns-Manville) · from 19532,4,5,8
- Glasal Asbestos Cement Sheet (Johns-Manville)2
- Insulkote ET (Johns-Manville)2
- Insulkote SG (Johns-Manville)2
- Insulkote ST (Johns-Manville)2
- Kearsarge (Johns-Manville)2
- Laptite (Johns-Manville)2
- Saturated Asbestos Felts for Ply and Pipe Covering (Johns-Manville)2
- Service Style No. 60 (Johns-Manville)2
- Transhield Asbestos Felt (Johns-Manville)2
Asbestos claims
If you or a family member worked at this plant, lived with someone who did, or worked with its products, and later developed mesothelioma or another asbestos disease, a claim may be paid by the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust. Free case review.
What each document says
Every statement about this plant in the documents, in each document's own words.
The J-M Circle, 1928, June 1928
- Opened: “Construction of the first two units ... was started in September, 1925, and completed in January of the following year” (Johns-Manville), said by The J-M Circle, as recorded by The J-M Circle, p. 21
- Products made: “asbestos paper and board, asbestos roofings, asphalt prepared roofings, slate-surfaced shingles, deadening felts, roofing cements, and coatings, brake band linings, packings” (Johns-Manville), said by The J-M Circle, as recorded by The J-M Circle, p. 21
Manville Fund's Responses to Plaintiffs' Interrogatories in Moore v. H.K. Porter (1990)
- Operated: “P. O. Box 591, Pittsburg, California 94565 (1926 to 1980s)” (Johns-Manville), p. 192
- Products made: “0352 Cement; 6# Asbestos Felt Saturated for Pipe Covering; 9# Asbestos Felt for Pipe Line; 15A Asbestos Jacket; 15# Pipeline Felt; 23-1/2# Pipe Line Felt; 301 Cement; 302 Cement; 319 Semi-Refractory Cement; 400 Cement; 45A Asbestos Jacket; 450 Cement; 50 Weatherproofing Felt; 500 Cement; #55 Asbestos Base Felt; 678 Semi-Refractory Cement; Aertite Coating; Anti-Sweat; Asbestile; Asbestocel; Asbestoment Type "S"; Asbesto-Sponge; Commercial Grade Asbestos Paper; Corrugated Transite; D.C. Flexstone; Fibroid Asbestos Paper; Fibrous Adhesive; Flexboard; Glasal Asbestos Cement Sheet; Insulkote ET; Insulkote SG; Insulkote ST; Kearsarge; Laptite Cement; Millboard; Saturated Asbestos Felts for Ply and Pipe Covering; Service Sheet No. 60; Transhield Asbestos Felt” (Johns-Manville), p. 252
- Dust and health: “Pittsburg, CA Plant: 7 physician entries” (Johns-Manville), p. 582
The J-M Circle, 1928, August 1928
- Operated: “Johns-Manville was shipping goods from its new plant at Pittsburg” (Johns-Manville), said by The J-M Circle, as recorded by The J-M Circle, p. 63
Other names
Documents call this plant “Pittsburg Plant”, “Pittsburgh Plant”, “Pittsburg, California”, “Pittsburg, CA Plant”, “Pittsburgh”, “Pittsburg”.
See also
- Johns-Manville: the company's history, documents, people, products and plants
- Asbestos exposure sites in California
References
- The J-M Circle, 1928, June 1928 (June 1, 1928), p. 2.
- Manville Fund's Responses to Plaintiffs' Interrogatories in Moore v. H.K. Porter (February 15, 1990), pp. 19, 25, 58.
- The J-M Circle, 1928, August 1928 (August 1, 1928), p. 6.
- Asbestos Magazine, 1954, February 1954 (February 1, 1954), p. 46.
- Notes of Dennis Markusson and Barbara Diemer's Interview of Hugh Jackson on J-M Health and Safety History (November 3, 1978), p. 2.
- The Borel v. Fibreboard Case File (1969-1972), Answers to interrogatories with exhibits (March 27, 1970), p. 21.
- Asbestos; Publication of Identifying Information (February 13, 1990), p. 15.
- E. M. Fenner's Report of the Environmental Control Subcommittee Meeting on Electron Microscope Counts and a New Fiber Limit (January 1, 1970), pp. 9, 11.
Mentioned on this site
- A. C. Pennewell's Pittsburg Plant Memo on Not Informing Former Employees of Hazards (1971)
- Asbestos History
- Asbestos Timeline
- C. L. Bates to D. C. Renton on the Pittsburg Dust Exhaust System (1933)
- D. C. Renton to C. L. Bates on Pittsburg Dust Exhaust Estimates (1933)
- D. C. Renton to S. A. Williams on Pittsburg Dust Exhaust Layouts (1933)
- Deposition of Wilbur L. Ruff in Browner v. Johns-Manville on Not Telling Workers Their Findings (1978)
- E. C. Lindstrom on Caution Labels for High Temperature Insulations (1964)
- E. C. Lindstrom to J-M Plant Managers on Caution Labels for High Temperature Insulations (1964)
- E. M. Fenner's Report of the Environmental Control Subcommittee Meeting on Electron Microscope Counts and a New Fiber Limit (1970)
- N. T. Amarino on a Wall Street Journal Inquiry About Vella v. Wise (1975)
- Notes of Dennis Markusson and Barbara Diemer's Interview of Hugh Jackson on J-M Health and Safety History (1978)
- The Johns-Manville Knowledge Chronology
- Transcript of Dr. Kenneth W. Smith's Taped Message to Kent Wise on Who Decided What J-M Employees Were Told (1975)
- W. B. Reitze to Dr. Paul Kotin, Review of the Health Picture at the Pittsburg Plant (1978)
- W. B. Reitze to J. W. Cook on the Redwood City Clinic for the Pittsburg Plant (1974)
- W. B. Reitze to R. B. Von Wald on Pittsburg Workers' Compensation Liability (1977)
Cite this page
“Johns-Manville plant at Pittsburg, California.” AsbestosClaims.Law Library. https://asbestosclaims.law/library/plants/pittsburg-ca-johns-manville.
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