The SS James Eagan Layne was a Liberty Ship built by the Delta Shipbuilding Corporation, in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1944. The ship was on a mission carrying equipment for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the convoy BTC-103, sailing from Barry, Wales to Ghent, Belgium when it was spotted and torpedoed, suffering heavy damage which rendered it unable to continue its trip. It was taken in tow and beached in Whitsand Bay Cornwall where it eventually sunk and it was declared a total loss, with no human casualties. Asbestos is a material made using a blend of natural, fibrous minerals that are fire, water, electricity, and heat resistant. Asbestos was widely used in the construction of Navy vessels for over four decades - from the mid-’40s all through to the mid-’80s. When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed, they release the fibers into the air. Asbestos presents a very real health hazard when these fibers are released into the air and breathed. Once inhaled, asbestos fibers lead to often fatal diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. The effects of asbestos inhalation are usually felt many years and even decades later.
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