I025 - Submission for Russell Egnor Media Awards - Writing - Feature - Kristi Britt, NNSY Public Affairs Specialist - Striving For Minimum Impact - Released 4/1/14

1. 6 Service to the Fleet, April 2014
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENT
New pipes leading from the plating shop inside
Building 1516 to the Industrial Waste Water
Treatment Plant (Photo by Michael Johnson,
Code 106 Environmental Engineer).
By Kristi Britt, Code 1160 Public Affairs Specialist

2. Service to the Fleet, April 2014 7
Minimum
IMPACT
IMPACT
Striving For
Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Ma-
bus outlined five aggressive energy goals to
reduce the Department of Navy’s consump-
tion of energy, decrease its reliance on for-
eign sources of oil, and significantly increase
its use of alternative energy. The purpose of
these energy goals is to improve our combat
capability and to increase our energy security
by addressing a significant military
vulnerability -- dependence on foreign oil.
In an effort to meet those energy goals and
to minimize the environmental impact of
operations, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY)
and other installations throughout the region
have launched “green” initiatives.

3. 8 Service to the Fleet, April 2014
Solar Power
In December of 2012, Navy Facilities Command (NAVFAC) completed
installation of the single largest ground mount photovoltaic (PV) array in
the Eastern United States at Naval Station Norfolk. At 10 acres, it is also the
largest PV project in Virginia.
The solar farm contains more than 8,600 panels, each bolted onto steel
stilts in a marshy field called Monkey Bottom, just outside the fence line of
Norfolk Naval Station. “Together, they can generate up to 2.1 megawatts
of electricity— enough to power 200 homes,” said Michelle Perry, project
manager for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC). That’s
only about 2 percent of the electricity required to run the Naval Station Nor-
folk, the largest of its kind in the world, “but you have to start somewhere,”
Perry said.
The project works towards SECNAV’s goals that by 2020, at least 50 per-
cent of shore-based energy requirements will be met by alternative sources;
50 percent of Department installations will be net-zero. Solar power doesn’t
lead to any harmful emissions during operation unlike fossil fuel based tech-
nology so it is often considered a more efficient method to power. Though
there are chances of pollution with solar power, it is more environmentally
sound.
Part of a Navy-wide initiative, solar power has made its stand all over the
world including the east coast and plan
into a huge part of the everyday for all
information on this project, visit the Ze
zeroenergyconstruction.blogspot.com/2
ia.html.
Biodiesel
In the FY13 heating season, the Navy
St. Julien’s Creek Annex in Portsmouth
80 percent No. 2 fuel oil blend, instead
petroleum-based fuel oil. This convers
making it the only military plant to use
The biodiesel blend burns cleaner tha
burns an average 200,000 gallons of oi
impacts for the entire annex. And it is p
so it remains cost neutral for use.
The Steam Plant at Building 283 feed
ed steam pipe to 16 office buildings an
the heating season of October to April
is approximately 95 percent above grou
shipyard leading to the various facilitie
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENT
A part of the 10-acre solar panel array outside
of Naval Station Norfolk capable of generating
2.1 megawatts of electricity - enough to power
200 homes.
In 2013, Norfok
Naval Shipyard
completed
installation of high
efficiency LED
lights in I-lot.

4. Service to the Fleet, April 2014 9
ns are in place to continue its growth
l civilians and military. For more
ero Energy Construction blog at http://
2012/12/largest-solar-farm-in-virgin-
y began fueling its steam plant at the
h with B20, a 20 percent biodiesel /
d of using a conventional 100 percent
sion was one-of-a-kind for the military,
e biodiesel fuel.
an traditional diesel, so as the plant
il annually, it improves environmental
priced competitively with other fuels
ds steam through 3.2 miles of insulat-
nd 13 warehouses and operates during
the following year. The pipe system
und and can be seen throughout the
es.
Environmental Impacts
NNSY received the Sustained Distinguished Performance at Model Level
Award from the Elizabeth River Project (ERP) in 2014. The award is cur-
rently featured hallway heading to the Shipyard Commander’s office in
Building 1500.
Notable reasons for the award were the new electroplating facility, which
has been performance tested and proven to fall below the regulatory emis-
sions limits for chrome plating by a factor of 10; dust covers on containers
which are used to temporarily cover volatile organic materials, preventing
excess emissions and extending material integrity; changes to freeze pro-
tection practices which instead of using running potable water to prevent
freezing, systems have now been installed with heat tape, reducing water
consumption and chlorine discharged to river; LED lighting in the parking
lots reducing energy demand/consumption; and the growing of 6,000 more
oysters to be placed on the Paradise Creek Oyster Reef this year.
This is a annual reward that has been given to NNSY for years and actions
are being taken for the 2015 grant as of now.
What Can You Do?
Be sure to turn off any unused
electrical appliances and turn off the light when
leaving a room.
Email correspondence rather than
sending a fax or hard copy. Proofread
documents on screen before printing, make
double-sided copies, and make sure your of-
fice is recycling properly. Additionally, instead
of recycling that old one-sided printout, use the
blank side for scratch paper or cut into pieces to
use for notes.
Think before you throw away. Recycling diverted
85 million tons of material from disposal in 2010
alone.
Shopping bags - Do you opt for paper or plastic
when at the grocery store? Neither is a good choice.
Twelve million barrels of oil were used to make the
88.5 billion plastic bags consumed in the United
States last year. Try using reusable shopping
bags.