Motor vehicles create most of our air pollutants
through their release of unburned fuel vapors
(hydrocarbons). Oil becomes a pollutant when ships
spill it during refueling operations or as a result of
collision or grounding. Several million gallons of oil
may ruin and pollute miles of coastline as a result of
such accidents.
EFFECTS OF POLLUTION
Pollution produces physical and biological effects
that vary from mildly irritating to lethal. The more
serious of the two are the biological effects.
Physical Effects
The physical effects of pollution are those that we
can see, but they include effects other than actual
physical damage.
Oil spills. One obvious physical effect of pollution
is the result of oil spills that are caused by ship collisions
or other accidents. Oil spilled into the seas coats
everything it touches. It fouls boat hulls, pier pilings,
and shore structures; spoils the beauty of nature by
killing fish and birds; and makes beaches unusable. In
addition to the physical effects, oil spills require costly
cleanup operations.
Air pollutants. Air pollutants damage a wide variety
of materials. Burning oil and coal produce sulfur
oxides, which cause steel to erode two to four times
faster than normal. When combined with other
pollutants (soot, smoke, lead, asbestos, and so on),
sulfur oxide particulates cause corrosion to occur at an
even faster rate. By themselves, particulates damage
and soil materials, structures, and equipment. Air
pollutants speed the erosion of statues and buildings,
which in some instances, destroys works of art.
Biological Effects
The most serious result of pollution is its harmful
biological effects on human health and on the food
chain of animals, birds, and marine life. Pollution can
destroy vegetation that provides food and shelter. It can
seriously disrupt the balance of nature, and, in extreme
cases, can cause the death of humans.
P e s t i c i d e s , w h i c h i n c l u d e h e r b i c i d e s a n d
insecticides, can damage crops; kill vegetation; and
poison birds, animals, and fish. Most pesticides are
nonselective; they kill or damage life forms other than
those intended. For example, pesticides used in an effort
to control or destroy undesirable vegetation and insects
often destroy birds and small animals. Some life forms
develop immunity to pesticides used to destroy them.
When that happens, we develop more potent chemicals
and the cycle repeats itself.
The widespread use of pollutants, such as oil,
chemicals, and fertilizers, pollutes our waterways. The
biological effect of water pollution is its danger to our
water supplies; we require water to survive. Water
pollutants are also dangerous to all forms of marine life.
Oil is an especially harmful pollutant. It kills
surface-swimming animals and sea birds and, once it
settles on the bottom, harms shellfish and other types of
marine life.
The primary pollution concern of Navy personnel
involves pollution produced by shipboard wastes. In
addition to oil, shipboard wastes include sanitary
wastes, galley and laundry waters, chemicals, solid
wastes, and combustion by-products of oil- and
gasoline-driven engines. Pollutants produced by ships
are similar to those generated by municipal and
industrial operations.
NAVY PROGRAMS FOR POLLUTION
CONTROL
Based on an Executive Order, all government
agencies must provide leadership in the protection and
enhancement of the quality of our air and water
r e s o u r c e s . T h e y a l s o m u s t c o m p l y w i t h a l l
environmental laws and regulations. Accordingly, the
Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations,
and other authorities have issued several pollution
control instructions. Those instructions cover the
abatement (lowering) of air, water, and noise pollution.
In addition, we have a program to preserve our natural,
cultural, and historic resources.
Clean Air Act
Under the Clean Air Act, each state has the primary
responsibility for assuring air quality. All naval
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