The Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska transits the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington state escorted by U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft on May 6, 2024. Exhaust fumes from a backup diesel generator aboard the Nebraska sickened 64 sailors last week while the submarine was at port in Washington state. (Gwendelyn Ohrazda/U.S. Navy)
The Navy is investigating a recent generator malfunction aboard the ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska that sickened dozens of sailors.
The incident occurred last week when crew members operated the submarine’s backup diesel generator as part of a routine pier shift at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Washington state, Lt. Zachary Anderson, a spokesman for Submarine Group 9, said in a statement Monday.
As a result, sailors and contractors were exposed to diesel exhaust fumes, sending 64 service members to local medical centers for treatment of symptoms that included coughing, headaches, dizziness, nausea and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, Anderson said in the statement.
Six sailors were hospitalized and later released, according to the statement. The submarine’s nuclear reactor, which is unrelated to the generator, was not affected, the Navy said.
During the June 22 incident, crew members cleared the atmosphere inside the submarine, provided medical assistance and returned the unit to normal operations, according to the statement.
Officials are working to identify the cause of the incident and will take corrective action as appropriate, Anderson said.
Nebraska is among eight Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines homeported at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, which is on Puget Sound west of Seattle.
In May, the Navy said the base would be the homeport for up to eight Columbia-class submarines by the early 2030s, eventually replacing their Ohio-class predecessors.
The USS District of Columbia, the first of 12 planned Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, is under construction.
The submarines will be 560 feet long and have a displacement of 20,810 tons, making them the largest submarines ever built by the United States.
Last year, the service posted a notice on its procurement site to gauge contractor interest in $250 million in planned upgrades to extend and modernize a pier at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor to serve new ballistic missile and attack submarines coming into the fleet in the next decade.
Stars and Stripes reporter Gary Warner based in the Pacific Northwest contributed to this report.
