Alabama’s robust industrial and military infrastructure boasts a rich history of economic progress that is thoroughly manifested in official records. The factories that powered manufacturing, as well as the shipyards and facilities that supported commerce, and the military installations that bolstered the country’s security, have all cemented a place in the state’s remarkable narrative.
Yet unknown to many, alongside these achievements exists another legacy that has received far less attention — the widespread use of asbestos. Once valued for its tremendous heat resistance, chemical bond, and low cost, such a natural mineral has become a mainstay in countless workplaces, especially throughout most of the 20th century.
Regrettably, what was initially celebrated as an industrial innovation later revealed a far more alarming reality: Decades of scientific research have linked asbestos to life-threatening diseases, many of which do not develop until years — or even decades — after initial contact…