Environmentally Sound Ships of the 21st Century

Naval ships operating in the 21st century will be expected to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations. The U.S. Navy has a comprehensive shipboard pollution abatement program underway that will enable ships of the 21st century to be environmentally sound. The goal is to enable ships to operate worldwide with minimal potential for regulatory constraints, without inappropriate dependence on shore facilities, and without unreasonable costs imposed by environmental regulations. The basic strategy is to (1) design and operate ships to minimize waste generation and optimize waste management, and (2) develop shipboard systems that will destroy or appropriately treat the wastes generated on board. If wastes are unavoidable and cannot be destroyed or retained on board for recycling ashore, they must be sufficiently treated so that overboard discharges are not considered environmentally significant. Although the ultimate solution for on board destruction has not been achieved for any shipboard wastestream, considerable progress has been made toward developing onboard capabilities for treating or processing solid wastes, oily wastes, hazardous materials, and medical wastes. Satisfactory interim or long-term solutions for treating blackwater and greywater are still being sought. International cooperation efforts directed toward achieving environmentally sound ships are underway among NATO navies to share information and technologies, and to save time and money.