Brayton Point Power Station — Somerset, Massachusetts

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that construction workers, plant operators, maintenance tradespeople, and contractor personnel at Brayton Point Power Station in Somerset, Massachusetts were exposed to asbestos-containing insulation and materials during the facility’s construction, operational, and outage maintenance periods.

Premises Description

Brayton Point Power Station was a major fossil-fuel generating facility located on Mount Hope Bay in Somerset, Massachusetts, near the Rhode Island border. At its peak, Brayton Point was the largest power plant in New England.

Operational history:

  • Construction — late 1950s through 1974; four generating units constructed in phases
  • Unit 1 (1963) — First unit online; 247 MW
  • Units 2 & 3 (1969, 1974) — Additional coal units; combined capacity over 1,100 MW
  • Unit 4 (1974) — Oil-fired unit; later converted
  • Operators — New England Electric System (NEES); later National Grid USA and Dominion Resources
  • 2017 — Permanent shutdown; demolition ongoing

Brayton Point was a major regional industrial employer throughout its operational life. Generating units of its era — 1950s through 1970s construction — incorporated asbestos extensively in thermal insulation systems.

Asbestos was used throughout Brayton Point in:

  • Boiler insulation and lagging on four large utility boilers and associated steam drums
  • Turbine insulation on high-pressure steam turbine casings and piping
  • Feedwater heater insulation throughout the steam cycle
  • High-pressure steam and condensate piping insulation throughout the plant
  • Pump and valve packing in high-temperature fluid systems
  • Refractory brick and castable in boiler furnaces and ash-handling equipment
  • Asbestos-containing gaskets on thousands of flange connections throughout the plant
  • Fireproofing on structural steel in the boiler and turbine buildings
  • Asbestos floor tile and adhesive in control rooms, offices, and auxiliary buildings constructed in the 1960s–1970s

New England Electric System, National Grid USA, and Dominion Resources Brayton Point LLC have been named in publicly filed asbestos litigation arising from this facility.

Workers Exposed

Workers allegedly exposed to asbestos at Brayton Point Power Station include:

  • Pipe coverers and heat-and-frost insulators (HFIAW) who applied and removed asbestos insulation on boilers, turbines, feedwater heaters, and piping systems
  • Boilermakers (IBB) who performed boiler maintenance, tube replacement, and overhaul work in asbestos-heavy environments
  • Pipefitters and steamfitters (UA Local 537, Boston; UA Local 398, Fall River/Taunton) on high-pressure steam system maintenance
  • Millwrights performing turbine and rotating equipment maintenance
  • Electricians (IBEW) who worked in asbestos-containing control buildings and switchgear areas
  • Operating engineers and plant operators who worked continuous shifts in boiler and turbine rooms over multi-decade careers
  • Laborers and maintenance workers in the plant’s industrial operations
  • Contract outage workers dispatched to Brayton Point for scheduled and emergency maintenance

Massachusetts Asbestos Law

Brayton Point claims are typically filed in Bristol County Superior Court (Taunton) or Suffolk County Superior Court (Boston). Massachusetts has a three-year statute of limitations (M.G.L. c. 260, § 2A) running from the date of diagnosis under the discovery rule.

Multiple asbestos trust funds are relevant to Brayton Point exposure claims, including those covering insulation product manufacturers (Owens Corning / Fibreboard, Armstrong, Manville, Unarco/Pittsburgh Corning) that supplied materials to utility construction contractors working at the plant.

If You Worked at Brayton Point Power Station

If you or a family member worked at Brayton Point Power Station in Somerset, Massachusetts — during construction, operation, or outage maintenance — and were diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have legal rights.

Free, confidential case evaluation: contact O’Brien Law Firm at (314) 237-3332. No fee unless a financial recovery is made.