Operating two yards, Kearny and Newark, this shipyard was founded in 1917 and was active until 1948. The main purpose of Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company was constructing steel ships - destroyers, cutters, cruisers, frigates, gunboats, torpedo boats, battleships, and carriers. The shipyard was located in Kearny, New Jersey. People who were employed at Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company experienced severe asbestos exposure on the job, as they were not provided with protective equipment to shield them against the inhalation and ingestion of toxic fibers. For this reason, a lot of former shipyard workers are now struggling with awful diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.