Construction Project Fuels Environmental Protection in Japan
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS090823-06
Release Date: 8/23/2009 4:33:00 PM
By Blake Vives, Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- A recent environmentally friendly project constructed by Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC) Yokosuka enhanced Hakozaki Fuel Terminal's ability to safely and efficiently clean up in the event of an oil spill.
The FISC Yokosuka team strives to protect the local environment near the terminal, which is located on Azuma Island across from the Yokosuka Naval base.
If a spill occurs, it is standard operating procedure to place floating oil containment booms around vessels during fueling operations to facilitate clean up. The Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) funded project provided the fuel terminal with an oil containment boom maintenance pad, enabling them to safely clean oil booms after a spill.
Lia Walton, FISC Fuel Facilities engineer and a member of the construction project team, serves as spokeswoman for the collaborative efforts of FISC and DESC.
"Our maintenance personnel noted that they needed an area to clean the oil booms after they are used during a spill event," said Walton. "Without this project, they would have to carefully wash and clean the oil booms, which can be longer than 300 feet, and keep the contaminated water from reaching the bay."
The civil engineer-approved construction project included installation of a steel-reinforced concrete slab, or pad, with raised edges for containment. The entire slab slopes toward drains leading to a new oil-water separator. Additional enhancements were made to surrounding structures to ensure containment of fuel as booms are brought ashore for cleaning. The pad is multi-purposed and can also be used for routine maintenance and repair of an oil spill containment boom, such as replacement of floatation devices and pressure washing.
"This is just one of the many projects DESC funds to ensure our personnel are safely operating, maintaining and repairing our fuel systems for the fleet," said Walton. "Over the last 10 years, DESC has provided FISC Yokosuka with more than $95 million in project funding for 456 sustainment, restoration and maintenance projects."
From conception to completion, different aspects of the project helped guarantee environmental compliance during boom cleaning operations.
"The initial project did not include an oil-water separator, and the location of the project was in the way of existing electrical pole tie-downs," said Walton. "We had to move the location of the pad away from the security gate, and we had to install an oil-water separator to ensure proper water treatment before release to the bay."
According to Walton, the project is not only good for environmental compliance it also supports good relations between the United States and Japan.
"In Hakozaki, we work right next to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF); we share Azuma Island with JMSDF. Any spills or releases to the environment not only reflect badly on FISC Yokosuka but on the U.S. Navy and the U.S. presence in Japan," said Walton. "We enjoy a very good relationship with the Japanese government, and we wouldn't want to jeopardize that by giving the appearance that we don't take environmental protection very seriously."
As the 2007 American Petroleum Institute's Best Navy Bulk Fuel Terminal, leaders say it is apparent Hakozaki Fuel Terminal puts safety and the environment first. Despite having no automated fuel handling equipment, in 2008 alone, the terminal staff performed 4,679 high-risk fuel handling evolutions for a total of 519 million gallons dispersed with no spillage incidents.
FISC Yokosuka supports the National Defense Strategy by providing around-the-clock logistics solutions for Navy, Marine Corps, joint and allied forces operating in the 7th Fleet Area of Operations.
FISC Yokosuka, one of seven supply centers under Commander, FISC (COMFISCS), is the Western Pacific region's largest Navy logistics command. The FISC Yokosuka enterprise is comprised of more than 20 detachments, fuel terminals and sites from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to Guam and from Misawa, Japan, to Sydney, Australia.
COMFISCS is comprised of more than 7,500 military and civilian logistics professionals operating as a single cohesive team to provide global logistics services from more than 135 locations worldwide. A component of the Naval Supply Systems Command, headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pa., COMFISCS is part of a worldwide logistics network of more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel providing combat capability through logistics.
For more news from U.S. Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Yokosuka, visit www.navy.mil/local/fiscyokosuka/.
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