Original Date: 05/20/2002
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

The Maintenance and Logistics Command-Pacific has been successfully implementing various projects and programs for the protection of the environment.

The Maintenance and Logistics Command-Pacific (MLCPAC) has been successfully implementing various environmental programs and projects for Pacific Area Cutters in three categories: Work Practices, Pollution Prevention, and Compliance Training.

One of the Work Practices projects is MLCPAC’s Topside Maintenance Project, which has two main goals: development of environmentally sound topside work procedures, and the investigation of the use of new technology and best management practices for tools, containment systems, and procedures. Project deliverables include the development of a step-by-step procedure, bills of material, paint float, containment drawings, and a vacuum tooling survey. It was concluded that a hand-held rotopeeen (a rotating paint removal tool) and needle gun were best for low emissions. In addition, deliverables included a paint float containment redesign for paint removal of freeboard surfaces which focused on modifying a paint float design to include containment with aprons in the bottom that swing up to the hull. This design has wings that are attached to the ship via a series of magnets (Figure 2-1) and has an area for a diesel-operated vacuum ventilation system that removes 100% of the paint dust. As a result of this project, vacuum tooling and partial containments now result in near zero emissions from paint removal operations.

In the Pollution Prevention category, MLCPAC established Hazardous Materials Minimization (HAZMIN) Centers at Integrated Support Commands approximately 10 years ago. These HAZMIN Centers, located in Kodiak and Ketchikan, Alaska; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Seattle, Washington, are similar to a pharmacy of hazardous materials. If a cutter requires the use of hazardous materials in degreasing, the chemicals are taken from the HAZMIN Center, used as needed, and the unused hazardous material is returned to the HAZMIN Center. As a result, the cutters do not carry excess hazardous material on board which could turn into hazardous waste, and other cutters can use the balance of the hazardous material.

As part of its Compliance Training project, MLCPAC developed Unit Environmental Guides (UEGs). The UEGs provide afloat units with an overview of environmental protocols and cutters with best management practices to achieve environmental compliance. UEGs focus information to each cutter’s operation and area of responsibility, and all UEGs are listed on MLCPAC’s environmental Web site as an interactive document. As of December 2006, 70 of 71 cutters visited have hary copy UEGS formatted to 12 05 standard, and 57 of 71 have fully interactive guides on the MLCP Web site. The remaining 14 will have been added by the end of January 2007. The staff environmental section chief attempts to visit 25% of the cutters every year. MLCPAC also completed a video on opacity compliance, “Stack Emission Opacity Training.” This nine-minute video provides smoke density pictures for cutters and is distributed to all Pacific area cutters.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.