General Dynamics NASSCO Wins Environmental Award

General Dynamics NASSCO, a business unit of General Dynamics, was recognized for its environmental conservation and leadership efforts to continuously implement energy-efficient solutions at its San Diego shipyard.

This week the company received an Award of Environmental Excellence from the Industrial Environmental Association at its 2014 conference in San Diego.

In March 2014, NASSCO completed the remediation of sediment in its shipyard, which is the largest clean-up in the history of the San Diego bay, and is one of the largest sediment cleanups anywhere in the United States.  

“NASSCO’s leadership made possible the largest shipyard sediment clean-up in California. They successfully assembled a team of stakeholders including other shipyards, environmental organizations, regulators and government organizations that reached consensus on a science based clean-up plan which is currently being executed,” said Jack Monger, executive director of the Industrial Environmental Association, San Diego chapter.

“We take our responsibility for environmental stewardship very seriously,” said Kevin M. Graney, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics NASSCO. “Located between the bay and the community of Barrio Logan, we pay close attention to our surroundings and our impact on the economy, environment and community. We thank the Industrial Environmental Association for recognizing our efforts.”

General Dynamics NASSCO has voluntarily reduced air emissions by more than 67 percent since 2009, and developed a system to capture and treat 100 percent of storm water runoff. Additional efforts include new, energy-efficient lighting throughout the yard, programs to reduce diesel emissions and a recycling program that currently sorts more than 90 percent of recyclable material from the shipyard. The company is above requirements set by the state of California for recycling by 2020. Since 2001, NASSCO has invested more than $60 million to improve shipyard operations and to strengthen the company’s overall environmental initiatives.

In April 2014, General Dynamics NASSCO received a sustainable business award from the Industrial Environmental Association for its use of the association’s five “Rs:” Refuse, Reuse, Recycle, Reduce and Recover. NASSCO was also a recipient of the 2012 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards (GEELA) for Waste Reduction, and is a two-time recipient of the City of San Diego’s Recycler of the Year Award.