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DoD Awards Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station for Being Green
The weapons station is home to many endangered and threatened species and contains the only National Wildlife Refuge within five counties.
The Department of Defense today announced the selection of the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station as the 2014 Secretary of Defense Environmental Award winner in the category of Sustainability, Industrial Installation.
This award recognizes the efforts of base personnel to increase efficiency and sustainability in the use of raw materials, energy, water or other resources while minimizing the facility’s impact to the environment.
“This is a great win for our environmental team,” said commanding officer Capt. Tripp Hardy. “It also shows the tremendous cooperation between our environmental staff and every organization and tenant on base.”
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The command had previously won similar recognition by the Chief of Naval Operations and then the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV). The SECNAV award winners then competed against the best Army and Air Force bases to determine the overall Department of Defense winner.
“Despite challenging budgetary conditions last year, we were able to amass some very significant achievements,” said environmental program manager David Baillie.
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“We’ve exceeded Navy and DoD goals in energy reduction, water conservation, recycling, eliminating hazardous waste, and implementing low impact development projects.”
One of the most ecologically important areas in Southern California, the weapons station is home to many endangered and threatened species and contains the only National Wildlife Refuge within five counties. The base has a long-standing history of cooperation and engagement with local environmental groups, researchers and regulators.
“Without support from every sailor, civilian employee and contractor, as well as our partners out in the local community, I don’t think we would have been able to reach this level of achievement," said Hardy.
Commencing operations in 1944, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach is the Pacific Fleet’s premier munitions loading and storage installation. The base services an average of 50 United States Navy warships annually.
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