Shipboard Waste Mgmt

Abstract

Navy ships and submarines must routinely operate in U.S., international, and foreign waters, and visit numerous U.S. and foreign ports. No body of water is without environmental restrictions that impact the movements and operations of Navy vessels. Environmental requirements tend to be most restrictive in port and in coastal waters, where the Navy's increasing littoral presence places ships and submarines in discharge-restricted waters for longer periods of time. Growing international cooperation in addressing global environmental concerns is resulting in expanding areas of ocean considered environmentally susceptible, where special prohibitions on ship discharges and operations are imposed. Navy vessels must comply with applicable environmental legal requirements while maintaining continued access to all waters for operations, exercises, training, and port access. The large crews and limited on-board space of Navy ships and submarines severely constrain their ability to hold wastes for return to port for shore side disposal. Many environmental laws, regulations, and policies impose restrictions on Navy training and testing, vessels, aircraft, and facilities that interfere with operations and/or increase the cost of operations. The Navy must be able to conduct its national security mission in compliance with applicable environmental requirements in the U.S. and abroad without compromising performance, safety, or health, while simultaneously minimizing the cost of compliance. The projects for this Program Element (PE) support the Navy's compliance with the (a) Clean Water Act, (b) Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, (c) International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, (d) DoD Manual 4715.06, "Regulations on Vessels Owned or Operated by the Department of Defense," Vol 1-4, (f) Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, (g) National Invasive Species Act of 1996, (h) Ballast Water Management for Control of Nonindigenous Species in Waters of the United States, (i) Clean Air Act, (j) Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, (k) Marine Mammal Protection Act, and (l) Endangered Species Act, (m) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, and (n) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. References (a) through (n) establish Level I environmental protection requirements. Project 0401, Shipboard Waste Management, supports efforts that enable Navy ships and submarines to comply with laws, regulations, and policies in six major areas: (1) Technical Authority (TA), (2) Liquid Wastes, (3) Hazardous Material Control and Management, (4) Ballast Water Management, (5) Solid Waste Management, and (6) Non-Copper Antifouling. The Afloat Environmental Quality Program supports the designated Technical Warrant Holders for Environmental Systems & Materials Engineering, with responsibility and accountability for ensuring that ships and submarines are designed and upgraded, and can be operated, in compliance with existing and anticipated environmental requirements while minimizing total ownership cost and manning. This responsibility encompasses legacy platforms and new vessel designs, as well as Fleet operations exercises, and training.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2022
• Source ID: 0401_0603721N_4_1319_PB_2022

Tags

Fields of Study

• Environmental science

Readers

• Environmental Engineering.
• Government and Public Administration Law.
• Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

Technology Areas

• Space