The Dow Chemical Company — Plants in California

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that they were exposed to asbestos while working at The Dow Chemical Company plants in California. This page documents the California portion of The Dow Chemical Company’s multi-state operations. For the full corporate summary and plants in other states, see the The Dow Chemical Company manufacturer page.

Premises Description

The Dow Chemical Company (founded 1897, headquartered Midland, Michigan; today operating as Dow Inc.) was through the 20th century one of the largest U.S. petrochemical and specialty chemical manufacturers. Dow operated major U.S. asbestos-era manufacturing complexes at:

  • Midland MI — the historic corporate headquarters and original specialty-chemicals complex
  • Freeport TX — Dow Texas Operations, one of the largest petrochemical complexes in the world
  • Plaquemine LA — Dow Louisiana Operations, major chlor-alkali and ethylene production
  • Pittsburg CA — West Coast specialty chemicals
  • Carrollton KY, Hahnville LA, Russellville AR, and numerous specialty sites

Each of Dow’s major complexes operated continuously through the asbestos era with extensive asbestos-containing materials specified across process units, utility systems, and plant infrastructure.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Dow Chemical — as premises owner of its U.S. petrochemical and specialty chemical complexes — exposed contractor pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, and trade workers, as well as Dow’s own operating and maintenance employees, to asbestos through:

  • Asbestos pipe covering on miles of plant steam mains, hot-oil lines, and process piping
  • Asbestos refractory and block insulation on process heaters, furnaces, and reformers
  • Asbestos gaskets and packing at process flanges, manways, and pump and valve seals
  • Spray-applied asbestos fireproofing on plant structural steel
  • Asbestos ceiling and partition board in plant control rooms, office buildings, and lab facilities

Dow Chemical Company has been named as a Premises Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

  • Refinery and petrochemical pipefitters (UA Local members) working Dow turnarounds and capital projects
  • Insulators (HFIAW Local members) on Dow construction crews
  • Boilermakers (IBB Local members) building Dow process units
  • Dow’s own operating and maintenance workforce (USW Local representation)
  • Construction-trade workforces on Dow EPC projects (Brown & Root, Fluor, Bechtel-built Dow units)

If You Worked at a Dow Chemical Complex

If you worked at a Dow Chemical Company petrochemical or specialty chemical complex during the asbestos era — at Midland MI, Freeport TX, Plaquemine LA, Pittsburg CA, or any other Dow facility — as a Dow employee or as a dispatched contractor pipefitter, insulator, boilermaker, or trade worker — and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related illness, you may have legal rights.

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

Named Plants and Operating Era

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that specific named Dow Chemical plants in California allegedly involved asbestos-containing materials during their principal operating eras. Documented plant footprint in California:

  • Dow Chemical Pittsburg Plant — Pittsburg CA, Contra Costa County chemical complex on the San Joaquin River producing agricultural chemicals, chlorinated solvents, and specialty chemicals, principal asbestos-era operations approximately 1938-1980s, complex still operating (sold to various successors)
  • Dow Chemical Torrance Plant — Torrance CA, Los Angeles-area specialty chemicals and Styrofoam / polystyrene operations, principal asbestos-era operations approximately 1950s-1980s
  • Dow Chemical Seal Beach / Long Beach Terminal — Seal Beach CA, Southern California distribution and specialty operations, principal asbestos-era operations approximately 1950s-1980s

Plant-Era ACM Narrative

At Dow Chemical’s California operations, plaintiffs allegedly encountered the following plant-era asbestos exposure pathways during the U.S. asbestos era (approximately 1930s-1980):

  • Asbestos pipe covering on process piping, steam headers, and utility lines throughout the reaction and distillation buildings
  • Asbestos sheet gaskets at reactor, distillation column, heat exchanger, and process-piping flanges
  • Asbestos-block hot-side lagging on catalytic reactors, distillation column reboilers, and process heaters
  • Asbestos-refractory converter linings on catalytic conversion units (e.g., chlorinated solvent reactors, styrene monomer processes)
  • Asbestos-fabric expansion joints on process piping and reactor overheads
  • Asbestos-packed control valve stems, pump shaft seals, and compressor shaft seals throughout the plant
  • Asbestos sprayed fireproofing on structural steel throughout multi-story process buildings
  • Asbestos-fabric electrical arc chute plates in plant switchgear and motor control centers

Trades and Local Union Coverage

Plaintiffs alleged that California Dow Chemical plant work was allegedly performed by tradesmen from the following unions and Locals during the asbestos era:

HFIAW Insulators Local 16 (Bay Area) and Local 5 (Los Angeles) for pipe covering; UA Pipefitters Local 342 (Concord) and Local 250 (Los Angeles) for flange work; IBB Boilermakers Local 549 (Pittsburg) and Local 92 (Los Angeles) for process vessel and reactor work; IBEW Electricians Local 302 (Martinez) and Local 11 (Los Angeles) for switchgear; BAC Bricklayers Locals in the Bay Area and Los Angeles for refractory relining; and USW / OCAW operating crews at Pittsburg and Torrance.

Documented ACM Product Vectors Named in Litigation

Products from AP defendant manufacturers that plaintiffs allegedly identified as supplied to or specified at California Dow Chemical plants during the asbestos era: