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Norfolk Naval Shipyard Cleans Its
Act
SectorStar
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth, Virginia
The Story: From
Noncompliance to Excellence
Established in 1767,
Norfolk Naval Shipyard is the oldest U.S. shipyard devoted
exclusively to ship repair and overhaul. The shipyard, located
in Portsmouth, Va., near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay,
approximately 8,000 workers who repair and alter all classes
of Navy ships. Activities at the shipyard include: metal
forming, repair and installation of mechanical and electrical
equipment, metal fabrication, metal plating, and painting
operations.
In the past decade NNSY has significantly
improved its environmental performance, transforming from a
facility that often failed to meet environmental regulations
to a model of environmental excellence. In 1992, the shipyard
received a special order from the Virginia State Water Control
Board, demanding that NNSY comply with water quality limits at
drydock outfalls. The shipyard immediately set to improve its
pollution-prevention practices. Ten years later, the shipyard
meets state environmental regulations and has begun managing
operations according to ISO 14001 standards -- and it has
participated in a NAVSEA working group to develop
VOC-emissions reduction strategies for painting and coating
operations.
Naturally, these efforts have been
noticed. In 1999, the shipyard won the Secretary of the Navy
Environmental Quality Award and the Secretary of the Navy
Pollution Prevention Award in the industrial-installation
category. It also won the Navy Energy Conservation Award for
Industrial Activities in 1998 and 1999. Through a variety of
water pollution-prevention measures, NNSY has reduced
water-pollution environmental costs by about $1 million
annually. Its wastewater minimization project has reduced
wastewater discharge in the shipyard's power plant by 86%.
Energy-conservation activities have cut energy consumption by
2.1% per square foot, saving approximately $1.4 million
annually.
Persistence: The Key to Success
NNSY's initial attempts in 1992 to reduce water
pollution from its drydocks were disappointing. The shipyard
had determined that water pollution from drydocks resulted
when ship cooling water, rainwater, and hydrostatic leakage
entered the Elizabeth River through the drydock drainage
system. This brought significant amounts of contaminants into
the river, especially copper, zinc, lead, chromium, and
cadmium. The shipyard concluded that cleaner drydocks would
mean less sediment to be washed into the river, and the
management established a system for cleaning drydocks
regularly. But workers resisted pollution managers' attempts
to keep drydocks up to new "residue free" cleanliness
standards; the managers didn't have the authority to take the
steps necessary to clean them. And it proved difficult to
motivate employees to cleaning the drydocks frequently.
NNSY tried another tack. Identifying abrasive blasting
and painting as the primary contributors to water pollution
from drydocks, the shipyard enclosed painting and blasting
operations. Because new closed-loop equipment was
prohibitively expensive, NNSY opted to build temporary
enclosures to prevent the spread of blasting debris and limit
the size of the cleanup area. The winner: Herculite, a heavy
plastic-coated canvas material used for lining drydock floors
and erecting temporary enclosing walls. The process worked,
although it slowed down the blasting and painting processes.
Management Support: The Missing Link
According to NNSY environmental staff, employees
needed constant supervision to clean drydocks properly and use
the new enclosure system. The environmental team went back to
square one, with a two-week environmental review of shipyard
operations. From this study, the team standards to be followed
by all NNSY employees. The team also assigned new
responsibilities to drydock pollution managers: they were to
inspect drydocks daily and document deficiencies; and they
were empowered to assign actions for the correction of drydock
environmental problems. An organized environmental plan and
the delegation of responsibilities proved to be the missing
links in NNSY's environmental initiatives. By the summer of
1993, these determined efforts launched NNSY to full
environmental compliance.
Continued Commitment Pays
Off
Since achieving compliance, NNSY has kicked
off a series of ambitious beyond-compliance initiatives aimed
at solving costly wastewater and pollution problems. NNSY
estimates its wastewater pollution prevention measures have
saved the shipyard $1 million annually.
Moreover, the
yard has replaced its abrasive blasting systems with two
closed-loop high-pressure water-jet blasting operations. The
new equipment cuts pollution and the time needed for setup and
cleanup operations. NNSY also treats drydock wastewater,
filtering out contaminants and drydock storm water runoff
before they enter the Elizabeth River.
In the Yard's
Wastewater Minimization Project, NNSY recycles wastewater,
returning it to the shipyard's steam and
electricity-generating plant. The recycling system cost
$600,000 and paid for itself in one year.
Energy
Conservation through Communication
Yard managers
report they have cut energy consumption -- and costs -- simply
by improving methods of communication between employees and
management. NNSY hosts awareness training for its coordinators
and monitors, informing them of important energy-conservation
measures. The shipyard has a 24-hour e-mail and phone hotline,
through which employees can report energy problems or seek
guidance on energy issues. Checklists help managers ensure
that equipment runs efficiently. One nice touch: the shipyard
gives incentive awards employees who make significant
contributions to energy conservation or awareness.
Lessons Learned:
- Don't be discouraged by failure. NNSY made
several attempts to improve its environmental performance
before getting it right. The shipyard learned that a failed
initiative is a learning experience. NNSY simply stepped
back, reassessed the situation, and tried again from a
different direction.
- Adopt a holistic approach. NNSY learned that
changing procedures required a facility-wide policy. This
meant creating a single document that addressed standards of
performance, materials used in the work, drydock work ethic,
organizational support, analytical methods, resource
availability, water treatment technology, and dedication to
continuous improvement.
- Communicate and cooperate. Employees need to be
informed of new initiatives and trained in new procedures.
This means establishing communication systems and delegating
authority. Once empowered, employees get things done. Capt.
Mark Hugel, commander of NNSY, explains: "It takes the
collective efforts of all of our employees, working in all
shipyard departments."
- Be wary of shortcuts. NNSY found that cheaper
options aren't necessarily cost effective or quicker.
Attempts to form an abrasive-blasting enclosure system with
shrink-wrap plastic, which was an inexpensive material, were
time-consuming, and in this case just didn't work. An
initial investment in water-jetting technology, though more
expensive initially, could have saved time and money over
the long haul.
Contact
Information
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Code 106.3
Portsmouth, VA 23709
Phone:
757-396-5381
Fax: 757-396-4826
Web site:
http://www.nnsy1.navy.mil/
Contact: Mike Host, head, environmental division
E-mail: HostPM@nnsy.navy.mil
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