General Dynamics NASSCO has adopted numerous controls to our production processes to reduce airborne pollutants and protect air quality.
Significant improvements include:
- Blast and Paint Facility: NASSCO’s 66,000 square foot blast and paint facility came online in 2009. Abrasive blasting and painting activities are enclosed in a controlled space, collecting 100% of the particulate emissions during blasting and destroying 96 percent of the solvents emitted during painting.
- Prime lines: At the start of construction, all steel is processed through our two prime lines to blast them to remove rust and scale and apply a preconstruction primer to protect the steel during the building process and these facilities have these same containment and control systems as the blast and paint facility
- The use of emission control systems on our paint cells and prime-lines have reduced our solvent emissions by 61 percent.
- Filtration: Plasma-burning machines are equipped with filtration systems that collect smoke and potential contaminants and prevent their release into the atmosphere.
- Diesel Emission Reductions: NASSCO has installed diesel particulate filters on all nine of our large gantry cranes and three of the older cranes have been repowered with the newest EPA certified engines. We have also installed state of the art Selective Catalytic Reduction emission control systems on six of our largest cranes. Additionally we have on-going initiatives to retire, replace, or retrofit diesel engines in mobile equipment such as heavy duty trucks, forklifts, and tugboats which will reduce particulate emissions even further.
- By repowering our cranes and adding emission control systems to the engines we have reduced our diesel emissions by 82 percent.
- Van Pools and Trolley Ridership: NASSCO supports bus and van pools for employees in order to reduce commute times, traffic, and pollution from motor vehicles. We also offer monthly trolley passes for purchase at a discount for employees. More than 300 employees use the van pools and more than 700 employees use the trolley to commute to work each day.
