activities must meet both federal and state standards for preventing air pollution. The Navy has begun taking steps to help meet the nation’s  goal  of  reducing  air  pollution.  One  step  has been the conversion of its power plants ashore and afloat to use more efficient pollution control systems for stack emissions. When   required   by   state   or   local   regulations, activities  have  set  up  a  program  for  monitoring  and analyzing the exhaust from each vehicle. Vehicles that do  not  meet  emission  standards  must  have  corrective maintenance before being returned to service. Clean Water Act The  Clean  Water  Act,  as  amended,  represents  a clear   goal   to   restore   and   maintain   the   chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. To  help  reach  that  goal,  the  Navy  uses  municipal treatment plants where possible for its wastewater and sewage.   (NOTE:   Operators   of   municipal   treatment p l a n t s    m u s t    m e e t    t h e    o p e r a t o r- c e r t i fi c a t i o n requirements of the state in which the Navy facility is located.)   Whenever   use   of   a   municipal   facility   is impractical, the Navy provides, installs, and operates its own   wastewater   treatment   and   disposal   systems. (NOTE:   The   Navy   complies   with   water   pollution control standards that govern the types of pollutants that can be introduced into a treatment facility.) The  Navy  has  installed  marine  sanitation  devices (MSDs) aboard most of its ships. Some of those devices treat   sewage   to   a   level   acceptable   for   overboard discharge.   Others   (collection,   holding   and   transfer [CHT]   systems)   retain   sewage   on   board   for   later discharge  ashore  or  in  waters  in  which  discharge  is allowed. No untreated or inadequately treated sewage may be discharged into navigable waters of the United States. In foreign waters, Navy vessels comply with the applicable   Status   of   Forces   Agreement   (SOFA)   in operating  MSDs.  If  no  SOFA  exists,  vessels  operate MSDs   based   on   the   sewage-discharge   standards observed by the host country’s military forces. Some of the guidelines followed by the Navy are shown below: · Navy   vessels   may   not   discharge   hazardous substances  in  harmful  quantities  into  or  upon navigable waters of the United States. · They  also  may  not  discharge  those  substances upon adjoining shorelines or into or upon waters of the contiguous zone (12 nautical miles [nm] from shore). · Since  Navy  vessels  use  many  substances  they cannot dispose of at sea outside the contiguous zone,   they   must   store   them   in   containers   for shore disposal. · Vessels may not discharge unpulped trash at sea within  25  nautical  miles  (nm)  from  the  U.  S. coastline and pulped trash within 12 nm of the U.S. coastline. · They must make every effort to package all trash for   negative   buoyancy   before   overboard discharge. · Submarines  may  discharge  negatively  buoyant compacted  trash  not  less  than  12  nm  from  the U.S. coastline only if the water depth is greater than 1,000 fathoms. · Vessels  may  not  discharge  any  trash  within  25 nm of any foreign coastline. · Overboard discharge of plastic waste material is prohibited. Noise Prevention Ashore The   Noise   Prevention   Program   directs   federal facilities,  including  naval  shore  stations,  to  comply with  all  substantive  or  procedural  requirements  that apply   to   environmental   noise   reduction.   Therefore, whenever   feasible,   the   Navy   procures   (buys) l ow - n o i s e    e m i s s i o n    p r o d u c t s    a n d    p r o v i d e s soundproofing  of  Navy-owned/operated  schools  and hospitals affected by noisy operations. It also locates housing   and   other   developments   away   from   major noise  sources  and  cooperates  with  and  in  support  of neighborhood  self-help  programs.  Aviation  facilities consider remote siting, sound suppression equipment, and sound barriers when developing new systems. To 1-3 Student Notes: