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Navy Region Hawaii Develops New Technology In Hazardous Waste Disposal

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060729-07
Release Date: 7/29/2006 5:52:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Devin Wright, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Navy Region Hawaii, in partnership with Naval Facilities Engineering Command Hawaii and Naval Facilities Engineering Command Service Center, is developing new technology to biologically treat expired shelf life solvent-based paint.

The Navy in Hawaii has been innovative in the concept of eliminating hazardous paint through bioremediation because of its remote location.

“Anything we generate that is hazardous waste, that we have to dispose of, typically has to be transported to the mainland,” said Steven Christiansen, Navy Region Hawaii Environmental O’ahu storefront division head. “With any type of hazardous waste, we are responsible for it from cradle to grave.”

Bioremediation uses naturally occurring bacteria to break down the hazardous elements in the paint. In the end, inorganic and non-hazardous components are all that is left of the solvent-based paint and can be disposed of as non-hazardous waste.

In many cases, the disposal process is far more expensive than the cost of the paint itself. With biologically treated paint, the Navy will not only treat hazardous paint to be environmentally safe, but will reduce cost and liability, as well. The Navy not only pays the purchase price of the paint, but also is responsible for the tracking and labeling, proper handling and storage, transportation, treatment and final disposal of expired paint.

“Even if the Navy were to pay to have this hazardous paint disposed of at a landfill and later on the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) determines that process or that particular site was not adequate, we (the Navy) would be partially responsible for that financially. So when you look at it in those terms, we have responsibility for it (hazardous material) forever,” Christiansen explained.

The bioremediation program was established in January 2004. The bioremediation system is currently housed at Navy Public Works Center Industrial Waste Treatment Center at Pearl Harbor.

The projected cost of biodegraded paint is 50 percent less than what is currently paid for disposal by the Navy. An on-site bioremediation center is expected to pay for itself in less than two years.

The hope is that in the future, bioremediation centers will not only be used Navywide, but throughout the Department of Defense.

The DoD uses 8,000 pounds of hazardous paint annually.

For related news, visit the Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cnrh/.