Utility Steam Generators Manufactured by Combustion Engineering

Product Description

Utility steam generators were large-scale industrial boiler systems designed to produce high-pressure steam for power generation, process heating, and related applications across electric utilities, heavy manufacturing plants, and marine installations. Combustion Engineering, Inc. — commonly known as C-E — was one of the foremost manufacturers of these systems in the United States throughout much of the twentieth century. The company built utility steam generators for coal-fired and oil-fired power plants, naval vessels, and commercial marine applications, supplying equipment that formed the backbone of industrial energy infrastructure across the country.

Combustion Engineering’s utility steam generators were engineered to operate under extreme thermal and pressure conditions, requiring materials capable of withstanding sustained high-temperature environments. The company’s steam generator product lines were used extensively at electric utility stations, industrial processing facilities, and aboard oceangoing vessels. C-E held a prominent market position in this sector for decades, and its equipment was installed across hundreds of facilities nationwide. Because of the long service lives typical of large boiler systems — often spanning thirty to fifty years or more — workers encountered Combustion Engineering steam generators well into the late twentieth century, long after asbestos use in industrial applications had come under serious regulatory scrutiny.

Asbestos Content

Utility steam generators manufactured by Combustion Engineering incorporated asbestos-containing materials as a fundamental part of their construction and insulation systems. Asbestos was widely recognized in the industrial boiler industry as an effective thermal insulation material, a fire-resistant component, and a practical sealing agent for high-pressure steam environments. In Combustion Engineering’s steam generator systems, asbestos-containing materials appeared in multiple forms and locations throughout the equipment.

Asbestos insulation was applied to the exterior surfaces of steam drums, headers, and connecting piping to prevent heat loss and protect nearby workers and equipment from extreme surface temperatures. Asbestos-containing refractory materials lined the interior furnace chambers and combustion zones where temperatures could reach thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. Asbestos rope, tape, and cloth were used to seal expansion joints, access hatches, and inspection ports throughout the generator assembly. Gaskets and packing materials — which were routinely replaced during maintenance cycles — commonly contained compressed asbestos fiber. In marine-grade installations, additional asbestos-containing materials were often used in compliance with shipboard fire protection and insulation standards that were in force during the mid-twentieth century.

The Trust Fund documentation associated with the Combustion Engineering 524(g) Asbestos PI Trust recognizes the company’s utility steam generator product line as a source of asbestos exposure for workers, consistent with the documented use of these materials throughout C-E’s manufacturing practices.

How Workers Were Exposed

Workers who installed, operated, maintained, repaired, or ultimately demolished Combustion Engineering utility steam generators faced repeated and often prolonged exposure to asbestos fibers released from the equipment’s insulation and sealing systems. Industrial workers across a broad range of trades and job classifications encountered these steam generators throughout their working lives.

Installation and construction workers handled large quantities of asbestos insulation block, blanket, and cement during initial plant construction and steam generator commissioning. Cutting, fitting, and applying insulation to steam drums, headers, and connecting piping generated visible asbestos dust in enclosed work areas.

Boilermakers and pipefitters who constructed and connected steam generator components worked directly alongside insulation work and frequently handled asbestos-containing gaskets and packing during assembly. The confined nature of boiler rooms and turbine halls meant that airborne fibers generated by one trade were inhaled by workers throughout the area.

Maintenance and repair workers experienced some of the highest potential exposures associated with these systems. Routine maintenance required the removal and replacement of asbestos insulation surrounding steam drums, headers, and piping. Gasket replacement — a frequent maintenance task at high-pressure steam connections — required workers to scrape old compressed asbestos gasket material from flange faces, a process that released concentrated asbestos dust directly at the worker’s breathing zone. Asbestos rope and packing around valve stems and access ports required periodic replacement under similar conditions.

Marine workers, including those in naval shipyards and commercial shipping facilities, encountered Combustion Engineering steam generators installed aboard vessels. Shipyard workers performing overhauls, refits, and repairs in the confined spaces of engine rooms and boiler rooms faced intensified exposure conditions due to restricted ventilation and the cumulative work of multiple trades in close proximity.

Plant operators and utility workers who worked in proximity to Combustion Engineering steam generators on a daily basis faced ongoing background exposure from deteriorating insulation surfaces, particularly in older installations where asbestos-containing materials had begun to degrade over time.

The occupational health risks associated with this type of industrial asbestos exposure — including mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related diseases — are well documented in the scientific and medical literature, and are recognized by OSHA’s asbestos standards and AHERA documentation as foreseeable consequences of repeated occupational contact with friable asbestos-containing materials of the type used in large industrial steam generator systems.

Combustion Engineering, Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection in part because of the substantial volume of asbestos personal injury claims filed against the company by workers who alleged exposure to asbestos-containing products it manufactured, including utility steam generators. As part of that reorganization process, the Combustion Engineering 524(g) Asbestos PI Trust was established pursuant to Section 524(g) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to provide a mechanism for compensating individuals with qualifying asbestos-related claims against Combustion Engineering.

Filing Eligibility

Individuals who were exposed to asbestos-containing materials associated with Combustion Engineering products — including utility steam generators used in boiler, power generation, and marine applications — and who have been diagnosed with a qualifying asbestos-related disease may be eligible to file a claim with the Trust. Eligible claimants include directly exposed workers as well as, in certain circumstances, secondary or household exposure claimants.

Qualifying Disease Categories

The Combustion Engineering 524(g) Asbestos PI Trust recognizes claims in standard asbestos disease categories, which typically include:

  • Mesothelioma (malignant, all anatomical sites)
  • Lung cancer (with qualifying asbestos exposure history)
  • Other cancers attributable to asbestos exposure
  • Asbestosis and other non-malignant asbestos-related pulmonary conditions
  • Other significant asbestos-related diseases as defined under Trust Distribution Procedures

Next Steps

Workers or surviving family members who believe they have a qualifying claim related to exposure from Combustion Engineering utility steam generators should consult an attorney experienced in asbestos trust fund litigation. Documentation of work history, exposure locations, job classifications, and medical diagnosis records will generally be required to support a Trust claim filing. Because statutes of limitations apply to asbestos personal injury and wrongful death claims, timely consultation with qualified legal counsel is strongly advised.