DVIDS – News – Norfolk Naval Shipyard Wins Two Environmental Awards for 2021

Woodsy Owl, America’s original environmental icon, celebrated his 50th Birthday recently. Woodsy Owl has taught both children and adults to give a hoot, don’t pollute. Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), Woodsy Owl would be proud if he visited the shipyard today.

NNSY received recently the Sustained Outstanding Performance River Start Award presented by Elizabeth River Project and Hampton Roads Sanitation District’s 2020 Pollution Prevention Partner Award. This is not a new award for the shipyard.

“There are 143 River Stars in this program. There are 47 awardees this year. 32 of them are being awarded Sustained Outstanding Performance. This is a recognition that the recipient has demonstrated significant new results without moving up to another level. Pam Boatwright, the Elizabeth River Project’s Deputy director administrative and River Star Business Program manager, said that there are 47 awardees. NNSY is the top River Star and has won 19 awards. Two other River Stars have also won 20. NNSY also won the Inside Business River Star Hall of Fame Award in 2017.

NNSY’s achievements include the maintenance of wildlife habitats in former shipyard landfills along river and its tributaries, cultivation of oysters for placement on a state maintained reef at the Elizabeth River, energy conservation projects implemented by the command, and pollution prevention initiatives that reduced the amount toxic materials released into the environment.

Matt Peppers, acting head of the Environmental Division (Code 106.3), stated that the shipyard is improving its interactions with river by reducing pollution, using less water and restoring areas along waterfront to a cleaner and more natural state. He also stressed that the shipyard is educating its employees about the importance of these actions at work. NNSY employees volunteer at the Elizabeth River Project cleanup events and serve on the Elizabeth River Project Advisory Committee reviewing potential star sites based upon their efforts to protect Elizabeth River.

Norfolk Naval Shipyard must submit a project, program, or technology effort that focuses more on the reduction of waste or its toxicity at the source than traditional treatment, control, disposal, in order to receive the Hampton Roads Sanitation District Pollution Partner Award. Multimedia pollution prevention efforts can be submitted for water, land, and air.

“NNSY won the award by maintaining strict permit compliance, preventing excessive pollution from being imported, despite discharging an average of over 1,000,000 gallons per day into HRSD’s system,” said Occupational Safety and Health and Environment Office (Code 106D), Deputy Director John Briganti.

The shipyard’s day to-day activities include pollution prevention and restoration of the Elizabeth River. This is in addition to its mission to repair, modernize, and inactivate warships and training platforms.

Capt. Dianna Wolfson, Shipyard Commander, stated that it gives her goosebumps to know that the NNSY team works with our community to create a cleaner future for many generations. Dianna Wolfson. “Taking care of the environment is everyone’s responsibility. Together as One Team, not just as a shipyard but as a community as whole, we will continue our efforts to improve the environment for our employees, families, and the communities that surround America’s Shipyard.