NORFOLK, Va. –
U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) Installations and Environment department has developed an Afloat Environmental Compliance website to improve Sailors' access to environmental compliance resources, Oct. 24.
The new website can be accessed at https://eims3.sscno.nmci.navy.mil/afloat/ and is designed to help Sailors locate, review, and adhere to the Navy's environmental policies. The website is intended to augment and collaborate with the Navy's existing protective measures assessment protocol (PMAP) and SONAR positional reporting system (SPORTS) websites. Although direct access to the toolbox is available through the internet, a Common Access Card (CAC) is still required for login.
"The goal of the website is to enable Sailors to be able to carry out their daily responsibilities while protecting the environment at the same time," said Elizabeth Nashold, USFF director, fleet installations and environment. "As environmental compliance is essential to the fleet's ability to train and generate ready forces, this toolbox will help our Sailors make the right decisions on environmental protection."
Afloat Environmental Compliance requirements include discharge restrictions for vessels, effective oil spill training and response actions, maintaining fully operational pollution prevention and solid waste equipment and shipboard hazardous material management. The use of PMAP for marine life safety during training and the use of SPORTS for reporting vessel's active SONAR practices are also covered in the compliance policy.
"This web-based toolbox gives the ships a 'one stop shop' for all the tools they need to be knowledgeable on and act in accordance with applicable environmental compliance laws, regulations and policies wherever their missions take them," said Carroll Sandidge, an environmental protection specialist assigned to USFF. "We want the public to understand that the ultimate goal is for the Navy to fully execute its national defense mission and simultaneously be responsible stewards of the sea, and this toolbox will help us do that."
The new website consolidates a variety of environmental compliance tools and resources, enabling operators at sea to easily access compliance policies, procedures and training materials in order to continue to perform vital missions without negatively impacting the maritime environment.
"The new AFLOAT website is comprehensive," said Greg Thompson, an environmental planner at U.S. Fleet Forces Command. "And so it has links to access PMAP, SPORTS, and marine species awareness training videos, which are required training for our Sailors."
Failure to adhere to environmental laws, regulations and policies may result in adverse administrative or disciplinary consequences under the UCMJ, federal and state law. In addition, violations may subject the Navy to civil fines and restrictions on its ability to train effectively, which could impact readiness in the long run. Use of the tools offered in the Afloat Environmental Compliance website will ensure that the Navy is in compliance with the law and that is meeting its environmental stewardship goals.
For more information on USFF please visit http://www.public.navy.mil/usff/Pages/default.aspx