Goulds Pumps Asbestos Exposure: Gaskets, Packing & Claims
Goulds Pumps traces its pump-manufacturing history to 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York and became a major supplier of centrifugal and industrial pumps. Court records and former-parent SEC filings establish that some historical Goulds centrifugal pumps sold before approximately 1985 incorporated asbestos-containing casing gaskets and stuffing-box packing. The evidence does not support saying every Goulds pump contained asbestos, and historical asbestos components were often manufactured by third-party suppliers.
Goulds pumps appear in Navy, shipyard, pulp-and-paper, chemical and other industrial asbestos litigation. In 2021, ITT transferred InTelCo Management LLC—including ITT LLC and Goulds Pumps LLC, the entities holding the legacy asbestos liabilities and related insurance assets—to a buyer affiliated with Warburg Pincus. This was a corporate divestiture, not creation of a Goulds §524(g) asbestos trust. No dedicated Goulds asbestos personal-injury trust with a payment percentage or disease-value schedule was confirmed.
🏢 Goulds Pumps Company History
Goulds’ official history begins in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. The company developed from early wooden and all-metal pumps into a major industrial-pump manufacturer. Its timeline documents important developments including slurry pumps, self-priming centrifugal pumps, back-pull-out designs, the 3196 process pump and later API and engineered pump systems. ITT purchased Goulds Pumps in 1997.
Company Facts at a Glance
| Topic | Verified Information |
|---|---|
| Historical origin | 1848, Seneca Falls, New York |
| Core business | Industrial and engineered pumps |
| Key historical asbestos components | Some casing gaskets and stuffing-box packing |
| Asbestos component source | SEC filings describe relevant components as manufactured by third parties |
| Approximate cessation point | Court records state Goulds ceased selling asbestos-containing pump products around 1985 |
| ITT acquisition | 1997 |
| Legacy liability transfer | 2021 transfer of InTelCo, including Goulds Pumps LLC and related asbestos liabilities/insurance |
| Dedicated Goulds §524(g) trust | No dedicated trust confirmed |
Selected Goulds Timeline
| Year / Period | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1848 | Goulds pump business established in Seneca Falls, New York. |
| 1920 | Official history identifies introduction of a hard-metal slurry pump. |
| 1932 | First self-priming centrifugal pump and paper-stock pump introduced. |
| 1937 | Back-pull-out pump introduced, a predecessor of later ANSI process-pump designs. |
| 1961 | Goulds 3196 process pump introduced. |
| 1969 | 3196 adapted to ANSI standards. |
| Approx. 1985 | Published court records identify cessation of sales of Goulds pumps incorporating asbestos-containing packing/gaskets. |
| 1997 | ITT purchased Goulds Pumps. |
| 2021 | Legacy asbestos-liability entities transferred with InTelCo to a buyer affiliated with Warburg Pincus. |
⚙️ Goulds Pumps, Asbestos Gaskets & Packing
The product evidence is substantial but must be stated precisely. In Hughes v. A.W. Chesterton Co., the New Jersey Appellate Division stated that the majority of pumps Goulds manufactured until 1985 contained asbestos in their gaskets and packing. Other federal decisions quote Goulds as admitting that before approximately 1985 it sold some centrifugal pumps with asbestos-containing casing gaskets and stuffing-box packing. The safest conclusion is that asbestos components were historically common in Goulds pumps, but asbestos content still must be established for the particular pump and period.
Documented Historical Components
| Component | Documented Evidence |
|---|---|
| Casing gaskets | Federal decisions quote Goulds admitting some pre-1985 centrifugal pumps used asbestos-containing casing gaskets. |
| Stuffing-box packing | Federal decisions document asbestos-containing stuffing-box packing in some historical Goulds pumps. |
| Replacement gaskets | Routine pump maintenance required gasket replacement; manufacturer/supplier of later replacements may differ from Goulds. |
| Replacement packing | Packing required periodic replacement; source of replacement material is often a major litigation issue. |
| External insulation | Could be installed by plant/shipyard workers or third parties and should not automatically be attributed to Goulds. |
Historical Product Evidence
| Source | Finding |
|---|---|
| Hughes, N.J. App. Div. 2014 | Record states majority of Goulds pumps manufactured until 1985 contained asbestos in gaskets and packing. |
| Holland, N.D. Ala. 2016 | Quotes Goulds admission that before approximately 1985 it sold some centrifugal pumps with asbestos-containing casing gaskets and stuffing-box packing. |
| Sparkman, D.S.C. 2014 | Records Goulds admission regarding some asbestos-containing gaskets/packing and evidence that a 1963 bulletin specified blue African asbestos for packing/gaskets. |
| Pace, 4th Cir. 2016 | Emphasizes that the record established some—not all—Goulds pumps contained asbestos components. |
| ITT SEC filings | Describe pre-1985 products containing third-party asbestos components such as gaskets. |
Product Accuracy Rules
| Claim | Accurate Treatment |
|---|---|
| Some historical Goulds pumps contained asbestos gaskets/packing | Confirmed. |
| Asbestos-containing components were sold before approximately 1985 | Confirmed by court/SEC records. |
| Goulds manufactured all asbestos material incorporated into its pumps | Not supported; SEC filings identify third-party components. |
| Every Goulds pump before 1985 contained asbestos | Not supported as a universal statement. |
| Every replacement gasket/packing product was Goulds-supplied | Not supported. |
| External pump insulation was necessarily supplied by Goulds | Not supported. |
⚓ Navy & Industrial Workers Potentially Exposed
Goulds pumps were used across heavy industry and maritime settings. Goulds’ official history and ITT materials identify markets including oil and gas, chemical processing, mining, pulp and paper, power and general industry. Published asbestos cases add Navy vessels and shipyards, where mechanics worked on pump gaskets and packing.
Potentially Exposed Worker Groups
| Worker Group | Potential Historical Activity |
|---|---|
| Navy machinist’s mates | Maintaining pumps and replacing gaskets/packing. |
| Shipyard mechanics | Overhauling pumps removed from Navy vessels. |
| Pump mechanics / millwrights | Disassembling pumps, scraping gaskets and replacing packing. |
| Pipefitters / steamfitters | Disconnecting pumps and working around flanges/gaskets. |
| Pulp-and-paper workers | Maintaining process pumps in mills. |
| Chemical-plant workers | Servicing pumps used for process fluids. |
| Power-plant workers | Maintaining circulating, feedwater and utility pumps. |
| Refinery workers | Repairing pumps in petroleum-process systems. |
| Nearby trades | Potential bystander exposure during dusty gasket/packing removal. |
Documented / Relevant Settings
| Setting | Evidence |
|---|---|
| U.S. Navy ships | Federal appellate cases document Goulds pumps aboard vessels and alleged gasket/packing exposure. |
| Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard | Federal records identify Goulds among equipment suppliers alleged in Navy/shipyard asbestos litigation. |
| Norfolk Naval Shipyard | Pace addressed alleged exposure to Goulds pumps in shipyard shops. |
| Pulp-and-paper mills | Sparkman involved Goulds pumps at Westvaco. |
| Chemical manufacturing | Holland involved alleged Goulds pump exposure at Monsanto. |
| Power / industrial plants | Goulds has long supplied process pumps to industrial markets. |
See U.S. Navy Asbestos Exposure, High-Risk Jobs Asbestos Exposure and Job Site Asbestos Exposure.
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🔧 How Historical Goulds Pump Exposure Occurred
Maintenance is the central exposure pathway described in litigation. Workers opened pump casings, removed old gaskets, scraped gasket residue from metal surfaces, pulled packing from stuffing boxes and installed new sealing material. Courts repeatedly distinguish exposure to original Goulds-supplied components from exposure to later third-party replacements.
Potential Exposure Activities
| Activity | Potential Historical Mechanism |
|---|---|
| Opening pump casings | Could expose old casing gaskets. |
| Scraping gaskets | Removal of adhered gasket residue could generate dust. |
| Removing stuffing-box packing | Pulling aged packing could disturb asbestos-containing material. |
| Installing new packing | Cutting/handling historical asbestos packing could generate fibers. |
| Cutting replacement gaskets | Fabricating sheet gasket material could create dust. |
| Removing external insulation | Could create asbestos dust if third-party insulation was present. |
| Cleanup | Dry sweeping or compressed-air cleaning could redistribute dust. |
Asbestos-Related Diseases in Goulds Litigation
| Condition | Documented Context |
|---|---|
| Mesothelioma | Central disease in cases including Krauss, Sparkman and Lindstrom. |
| Lung cancer | May be alleged in occupational asbestos litigation subject to medical and causation evidence. |
| Asbestosis | Recognized occupational asbestos disease. |
| Pleural disease | May be associated with historical asbestos exposure. |
| Claim-specific causation | A diagnosis does not by itself establish exposure to asbestos from a Goulds pump. |
⚖️ Goulds Claims, ITT & InTelCo Legacy Liabilities
ITT historically disclosed substantial asbestos litigation involving ITT LLC and Goulds Pumps LLC. At December 31, 2020, ITT reported approximately 25,000 pending asbestos claims against subsidiaries including Goulds. At March 31, 2021, the figure was approximately 25,600. These are historical combined ITT-subsidiary figures—not a current Goulds-only claim count.
Effective July 1, 2021, ITT transferred 100% of InTelCo Management LLC to Sapphire TopCo, Inc., a subsidiary of Delticus HoldCo, L.P., described by ITT as a Warburg Pincus portfolio company. InTelCo owned ITT LLC and Goulds Pumps LLC and was the obligor for the transferred asbestos liabilities and policyholder for related insurance assets. ITT stated that after the transfer it had no subsequent obligation for those pending and future asbestos claims.
Historical Claims & Liability Facts
| Date | Verified Disclosure |
|---|---|
| September 30, 2019 | Approximately 24,000 pending claims against ITT subsidiaries including Goulds Pumps LLC. |
| September 30, 2020 | Approximately 25,000 pending claims against ITT subsidiaries including Goulds Pumps LLC. |
| December 31, 2020 | Approximately 25,000 pending claims. |
| March 31, 2021 | Approximately 25,600 pending claims. |
| June 30 / July 1, 2021 | ITT agreed to and completed transfer of InTelCo and legacy asbestos liabilities/insurance assets. |
| 2022–2023 ITT reporting | ITT reiterated that it no longer had obligations for transferred pending/future asbestos matters after divestiture. |
2021 InTelCo Transaction
| Issue | Verified Information |
|---|---|
| Transferred entity | InTelCo Management LLC |
| Included subsidiaries | ITT LLC and Goulds Pumps LLC |
| Buyer | Sapphire TopCo, Inc. |
| Buyer relationship | Wholly owned subsidiary of Delticus HoldCo, L.P., described as a Warburg Pincus portfolio company |
| ITT cash contribution | $398 million to InTelCo in connection with the transaction |
| Asbestos obligations | Transferred with InTelCo, together with related insurance assets |
| Effect on ITT | ITT stated it had no subsequent obligation for the transferred pending/future asbestos claims |
| §524(g) bankruptcy trust | The transaction was not a §524(g) trust creation |
Current Claim Structure
| Question | Status |
|---|---|
| Historical Goulds asbestos litigation? | Yes, extensively documented. |
| Dedicated Goulds §524(g) asbestos trust? | No dedicated trust confirmed. |
| Current Trust Payment Percentage? | Not applicable based on sources reviewed. |
| Scheduled disease values? | Not applicable based on sources reviewed. |
| Current Goulds-only pending claim total? | No reliable current primary-source total confirmed. |
| Historical combined claim figures? | Available in pre-divestiture ITT SEC filings and clearly dated above. |
📊 Documented Goulds Pumps Asbestos Cases
Published decisions show both strong evidence of historical asbestos components and the importance of claimant-specific product identification. Courts have allowed some claims to proceed while dismissing others where the plaintiff could not establish that the particular Goulds pump encountered contained asbestos or that Goulds supplied the replacement component.
Selected Published Cases
| Case | Documented Significance |
|---|---|
| Hughes v. A.W. Chesterton Co., N.J. App. Div. 2014 | States majority of Goulds pumps manufactured until 1985 contained asbestos in gaskets/packing; addresses liability for later replacement components. |
| Krauss v. Trane U.S. Inc., Pa. Super. Ct. 2014 | Former Goulds employee testimony supported that Goulds manufactured/sold asbestos-containing products, but claimant lacked sufficient worksite/exposure proof; summary judgment affirmed. |
| Sparkman v. A.W. Chesterton Co., D.S.C. 2014 | Documents evidence of Goulds asbestos gaskets/packing and 1963 bulletin specifying blue African asbestos; case turned on component-source/exposure evidence. |
| Holland v. Airco Inc., N.D. Ala. 2016 | Quotes Goulds admission that before approximately 1985 it sold some centrifugal pumps with asbestos-containing casing gaskets and stuffing-box packing. |
| Pace v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., 4th Cir. 2016 | Emphasizes that only some Goulds pumps contained asbestos and claimant must link asbestos-containing equipment to actual exposure. |
| Lindstrom v. A-C Product Liability Trust, 6th Cir. 2005 | Navy/maritime plaintiff identified Goulds pumps but replacement packing came from other manufacturers; summary judgment for Goulds affirmed. |
| Gorton, M.D. Pa. 2023 | Navy testimony identified “Blue Goulds” pumps aboard USS Blue amid gasket/packing maintenance and asbestos allegations. |
What the Cases Show
| Evidence Issue | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Goulds pump identification | Confirms the equipment manufacturer. |
| Model and manufacture date | Helps determine whether the pump may have originally contained asbestos components. |
| Original vs. replacement component | Critical because replacement packing/gaskets may have been made by others. |
| Asbestos content | Must be tied to the particular pump/component where required. |
| Frequency, regularity and proximity | Courts commonly evaluate claimant-specific exposure under jurisdictional causation standards. |
| External insulation | Should not be attributed to Goulds without supplier evidence. |
📋 Goulds Pump Claim Evidence & Product Identification
A Goulds asbestos investigation should identify the pump, model, approximate manufacture date, service location and sealing components involved. Because some Goulds pumps used non-asbestos components and replacement materials frequently came from other manufacturers, the source and date of each gasket or packing product can materially affect a claim.
Evidence That May Help Document Exposure
- Medical records confirming mesothelioma, lung cancer or another asbestos-related disease.
- Navy service records, ship assignments and occupational ratings.
- Goulds pump nameplates, model numbers and serial numbers.
- Navy machinery records and ship equipment lists.
- Historical Goulds manuals, bulletins, parts lists and specifications.
- Purchase orders and replacement-parts records.
- Maintenance and overhaul records.
- Employment, union and Social Security records.
- Coworker or shipmate testimony identifying Goulds pumps.
- Evidence describing gasket scraping, packing removal and cleanup.
Product-Identification Checklist
| Step | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Was the pump positively identified as Goulds? |
| 2 | What model and serial number were involved? |
| 3 | When was the pump manufactured and installed? |
| 4 | Did the original pump contain asbestos casing gaskets or stuffing-box packing? |
| 5 | Was the material original or a later replacement? |
| 6 | Who manufactured/supplied the replacement material? |
| 7 | How was the gasket or packing removed and installed? |
| 8 | How frequently and closely did the claimant encounter the work? |
Figures We Do Not Invent
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Current Goulds-only pending claim count | No reliable current primary-source total confirmed. |
| Nationwide number of workers exposed | No reliable total confirmed. |
| Dedicated Goulds trust percentage | No dedicated §524(g) trust confirmed. |
| Scheduled disease values | Not applicable without a dedicated trust. |
| Every pre-1985 Goulds pump contained asbestos | Not supported. |
| Guaranteed settlement value | None. |
Compensation is not guaranteed. Claim viability and value depend on disease, pump and component identification, exposure evidence, causation, responsible entity, jurisdiction, defenses and filing deadlines.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Did Goulds Pumps use asbestos?
Yes. Published court decisions establish that some historical Goulds centrifugal pumps contained asbestos-containing casing gaskets and stuffing-box packing. The evidence does not support saying every Goulds pump contained asbestos.
When did Goulds stop selling pumps with asbestos-containing components?
Published court records state Goulds ceased selling pumps incorporating asbestos-containing gaskets and packing around 1985.
Did Goulds manufacture the asbestos gaskets itself?
ITT’s SEC filings describe relevant asbestos-containing parts, such as gaskets, as manufactured by third parties. Product-specific records should be reviewed for the particular pump and component.
Were Goulds pumps used by the U.S. Navy?
Yes. Federal maritime and shipyard cases document Goulds pumps in Navy-related settings and allegations involving pump gasket and packing maintenance.
What happened to Goulds’ legacy asbestos liabilities?
In 2021 ITT transferred InTelCo Management LLC, including ITT LLC and Goulds Pumps LLC, to a buyer affiliated with Warburg Pincus. The transferred entities held the legacy asbestos obligations and related insurance assets.
Does Goulds Pumps have an asbestos bankruptcy trust?
No dedicated Goulds Pumps §524(g) asbestos personal-injury trust was confirmed from the primary sources reviewed.
Why does replacement-part identification matter?
Many Goulds pumps remained in service long enough for original gaskets and packing to be replaced. Courts therefore examine whether the asbestos-containing component was original to Goulds, supplied by Goulds as a replacement, or manufactured and supplied by another company.
What evidence may support a Goulds Pumps asbestos claim?
Useful evidence may include medical records, pump nameplates and model numbers, Navy or employment records, historical manuals, purchase orders, maintenance records and credible coworker or shipmate testimony identifying both the Goulds pump and asbestos-containing component.
🧾 Goulds Pumps Summary
| Detail | Confirmed / Carefully Qualified Information |
|---|---|
| Historical origin | 1848, Seneca Falls, New York |
| Primary equipment | Industrial centrifugal and process pumps |
| Documented asbestos components | Some casing gaskets and stuffing-box packing |
| Component manufacturers | SEC filings identify relevant asbestos parts as third-party manufactured |
| Approximate cessation | Around 1985 for Goulds pumps incorporating asbestos-containing sealing components |
| ITT acquisition | 1997 |
| Historical pending claims | Approximately 25,600 against ITT subsidiaries including Goulds at March 31, 2021; not Goulds-only |
| 2021 liability transaction | InTelCo/Goulds legacy liabilities and insurance transferred to buyer |
| Dedicated §524(g) trust | No dedicated Goulds trust confirmed |
| Current trust percentage / disease values | Not applicable based on sources reviewed |
| Guaranteed compensation | No |
📚 Confirmed Primary & Court Sources
- ITT Goulds Pumps — official 170 Years of Goulds Pumps history documenting the 1848 origin, product-development timeline and 1997 ITT acquisition.
- ITT Corporation SEC filings — asbestos disclosures documenting pre-1985 third-party asbestos-containing components, historical claim counts and Goulds Pumps LLC litigation.
- ITT SEC filings — 2021 InTelCo transaction transferring Goulds Pumps LLC, legacy asbestos liabilities and related insurance assets.
- New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division — Hughes v. A.W. Chesterton Co. (2014), documenting asbestos-containing gaskets and packing in historical Goulds pumps and replacement-part issues.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama — Holland v. Airco Inc. (2016), quoting Goulds’ admission regarding some pre-1985 centrifugal pumps with asbestos-containing casing gaskets and stuffing-box packing.
- U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina — Sparkman v. A.W. Chesterton Co. (2014), documenting historical Goulds gasket/packing evidence and the 1963 Goulds bulletin.
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit — Pace v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp. (2016), distinguishing some asbestos-containing Goulds pumps from the broader product population.
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit — Lindstrom v. A-C Product Liability Trust (2005), Navy/maritime product-identification and replacement-packing evidence.
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania — Gorton (2023), Navy testimony identifying Goulds pumps amid asbestos gasket/packing maintenance.
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Working on or near a Goulds pump does not automatically establish exposure to a Goulds-supplied asbestos component, disease causation, legal liability or compensation. The pump model, date, original and replacement components, suppliers, maintenance activity, exposure history and medical evidence must be evaluated individually. Compensation is not guaranteed.
⚕️ Legal & Medical Information Disclaimer
This page provides general educational information and is not legal or medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional about diagnosis and treatment and a qualified attorney about individual legal rights and filing deadlines.