By Elizabeth Poe

Naval Air Depot Cherry Point has earned the 2005 North Carolina Sustainability Award in the Pollution Prevention category. Sustainable North Carolina is a nonprofit organization focused on promoting and enabling practices that optimize economics, communities and natural systems.
NADEP Executive Officer Col. D. A. Smith accepted the award on behalf of the depot at an awards ceremony held in Raleigh on Nov. 9.
Protecting the environment is important at NADEP. Reducing use of various products is key to pollution prevention efforts at the depot.
Environmental employees stress that everyone at the depot helped earn the award.
“It’s their award,” said Michelle Burroughs, environmental protection specialist.
“They’ve embraced environmental stewardship in everything they do,” said Alex Davis, Industrial Environmental Program Division director.
“Especially the people in the production shops. We gave them the tools and methods to reduce the amount of pollution created from the processes they use and they did it,” said Lisa Merrell, environmental engineer.
The Materials Engineering Division, which offers viable substitutions for chemicals used by the artisans on the hangar floor, is also an integral part of reducing pollution at NADEP Cherry Point.
All products used at NADEP are scrutinized for their effects on the environment.
“The command has set goals to limit the use of certain types of products, such as Varsol, used in processes at the depot,” said Davis. “The goal is to reduce waste, and we do that through recycling.”
By reducing hazardous material usage, the depot cuts the amount of waste generated.
To date, NADEP Cherry Point has significantly reduced the emissions from pollutants such as toluene, xylene, methyl ethyl ketone, and strontium and barium chromates. By 2004, the depot had reduced the amount of new Varsol used by 35 percent, paint use and waste generated by 17 percent and methylene chloride by 44 percent.
Varsol, in particular, is used in many depot processes such as cleaning.
“When you look at a goal like Varsol or paint, you think that’s only one item, but when you think of the magnitude of the products or processes that use Varsol or paint, then you get a real appreciation for the scope of the effort,” said Edward Childs, environmental engineer.
Pollution prevention reduces air emissions, hazardous waste and employee exposure to toxins.
Environmental Division personnel are interested in ideas of depot personnel on how to reduce pollution. NADEP employees may call Alex Davis at 464-8042 to make a suggestion or to request more information.

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