Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) — Plants in Tennessee

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that they were exposed to asbestos while working at Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) plants in Tennessee. This page documents the Tennessee portion of Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa)’s multi-state operations. For the full corporate summary and plants in other states, see the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) manufacturer page.

Premises Description

Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa — founded 1888 as Pittsburgh Reduction Company; today Alcoa Corporation) was through the 20th century the dominant U.S. and global aluminum producer. Alcoa operated through the asbestos era a comprehensive vertically-integrated U.S. aluminum production network including bauxite mining, alumina refining (the Bayer process), aluminum smelting (the Hall-Héroult process — invented at Alcoa), rolling mills, and downstream fabrication. Major Alcoa asbestos-era U.S. sites included:

  • Alcoa TN — the company’s namesake smelter and rolling mill complex (Blount County)
  • Massena NY — historic St. Lawrence Seaway hydroelectric-powered smelter
  • Rockdale TX — lignite-powered Texas smelter
  • Wenatchee WA and Vancouver WA — Pacific Northwest hydroelectric smelters
  • Badin NC — Yadkin River hydroelectric smelter
  • Davenport IA — sheet and plate rolling mill
  • Lafayette IN and Logan County WV — additional operations
  • Point Comfort TX, Mobile AL, St. Croix VI, Bauxite AR — alumina refining

Aluminum smelting is one of the most asbestos-intensive industrial processes documented in U.S. occupational asbestos litigation. The Hall-Héroult electrolytic reduction cells (potlines) operate continuously at temperatures around 950°C with high-current electrical service — every reduction cell was specified with extensive asbestos refractory, asbestos electrical insulation, and asbestos thermal protection through the documented era.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Alcoa — as premises owner of its U.S. smelter, mill, and refining operations — exposed its aluminum-worker workforce (United Steelworkers Local representation) and contractor pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, and trade workers to extensive asbestos through:

  • Asbestos refractory and block insulation on Hall-Héroult reduction cells, anode-baking furnaces, holding furnaces, and reheat furnaces
  • Asbestos electrical insulation on potline bus bars, anode-bus connections, and rectifier-yard electrical systems
  • Asbestos pipe covering on plant steam, alumina, and process piping
  • Spray-applied asbestos fireproofing on smelter structural steel and crane runways
  • Asbestos gaskets and packing at process flanges, pumps, and valves

Aluminum Company of America has been named as a Premises Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

  • United Steelworkers Local members at Alcoa TN, Massena NY, Rockdale TX, Wenatchee WA, Badin NC, and Alcoa refineries
  • Refinery and mill pipefitters and millwrights working Alcoa capital projects
  • Insulators (HFIAW Local members) on Alcoa construction and turnaround crews
  • Boilermakers (IBB Local members) building Alcoa smelter and refinery pressure vessels
  • Electricians (IBEW Local members) working Alcoa potline and rectifier electrical systems
  • Construction-trade workforces on Alcoa EPC projects

If You Worked at an Alcoa Smelter, Refinery, or Mill

If you worked at an Alcoa aluminum smelter, alumina refinery, rolling mill, or fabrication plant during the asbestos era — as an Alcoa employee or as a dispatched contractor trade worker — and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related illness, you may have legal rights.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Named Plants and Operating Era

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that specific named Alcoa plants in Tennessee allegedly involved asbestos-containing materials during their principal operating eras. Documented plant footprint in Tennessee:

  • Alcoa South Plant (Tennessee Operations Potline) — in Alcoa TN (Blount County), primary aluminum reduction Hall-Héroult potline complex allegedly operating from 1914 through 2012 (potline curtailed 2012, subsequently demolished). Powered historically by Tapoco hydroelectric dams (Cheoah / Santeetlah / Calderwood / Chilhowee) on the Little Tennessee River.
  • Alcoa North Plant (Tennessee Fabricating Plant) — in Alcoa TN (Blount County), sheet, plate, and can-stock rolling mill and fabrication complex allegedly operating from the World War I era through the modern era (aerospace / can-body sheet still produced by Arconic successor). Company-town of Alcoa TN literally named for the works.
  • Alcoa Cast House / Rod Mill / Ingot Facilities — in Alcoa TN, downstream aluminum ingot casting and rod-mill operations co-located with the potline and fabrication complex.

Plant-Era ACM Narrative

At Alcoa’s Tennessee operations, plaintiffs alleged the following plant-era asbestos exposure pathways during the principal U.S. asbestos era (approximately 1930s-1980):

  • Asbestos-fabric potline hood cladding and asbestos-block busbar insulation across the South Plant Hall-Héroult reduction cells
  • Asbestos-refractory cathode collector bar insulation during pot rebuilds and reline campaigns in the South Plant potrooms
  • Asbestos-block hot-side lagging on the North Plant hot-mill reheat furnaces, homogenizing furnaces, and the cast house launder troughs and holding furnaces
  • Asbestos-cement bulkhead panels, asbestos wire insulation, and asbestos millboard in the rectifier buildings and electrical rooms serving the Tapoco-hydro-fed potline
  • Asbestos pipe covering on North Plant hot-mill hydraulic, steam, and process piping and South Plant potroom utility piping

Trades and Local Union Coverage

Plaintiffs alleged that Tennessee Alcoa plant work was performed by tradesmen from the following unions and Locals during the asbestos era:

  • HFIAW Insulators Local 90 — Memphis TN jurisdiction and traveling cards into East TN — asbestos pipe covering and block insulation on Alcoa potline and rolling mill turnarounds
  • UA Pipefitters Local 102 — Knoxville TN jurisdiction — flange bolt-up, gasket work, and process piping at Alcoa TN South and North Plants
  • IBEW Electricians Local 760 — Knoxville TN jurisdiction — potline rectifier, switchgear, and motor-control center work
  • BAC Bricklayers Local 5 TN — East TN jurisdiction — refractory relining of anode bake furnaces, hot-mill reheat furnaces, and holding furnaces
  • United Steelworkers Local 309 (historic Alcoa Aluminum Workers) — Alcoa TN production and maintenance workforce during the asbestos era

Documented ACM Product Vectors Named in Litigation

Products from AP defendant manufacturers that plaintiffs alleged were supplied to or specified at Tennessee Alcoa plants during the asbestos era: