Continental Maritime Saves Money & Energy With Environmentally-Friendly Modifications

Two major “green” project modifications have saved San Diego Port tenant, Continental Maritime, a lot of money while preserving the environment. The Master Ship Repair contractor plays a vital role in repairing Navy ships. The company was also the first major shipyard to be recognized as a Zero Discharge Facility by the Environmental Protection Agency. Phoebe Chongchua of Live Fit Magazine talks with the company about how The Port’s Green Business Network and SDG&E have positively influenced the company’s “green” efforts.

Editor’s Note: This segment made possible by The Port of San Diego’s Green Business Network and San Diego Gas & Electric.

The Green Business Network is an integrated energy efficiency and sustainability effort spearheaded by the Port of San Diego and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Members of the Network, which include Port tenant restaurants, marinas, hotels and attractions, all strive to reduce their environmental impact by taking advantage of free technical assistance, attending monthly training on green business tactics, and sharing best practices with fellow businesses.

Video Transcript

PC VO: Sitting on the San Diego bayfront is a Port tenant whose job plays a vital role within our military.

Bob Montreuil, Facilities Manager, Continental Maritime: We’ve built a great team of folks who excel at taking care of the Navy’s needs.”

VO: Continental Maritime, a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries, began in 1981 in National City. A few years later, the company had grown and needed waterfront property to focus its business on Navy repairs. So the company moved its Master Ship Repair production shops and offices, here, to Bay Front Street when Bumble Bee Tuna’s lease expired back in 1985.

Bob: We’re here to be the best partner on the port. We were the first shipyard to become a Zero discharge facility.

April McGinley, Environmental Supervisor, Continental Maritime: What zero discharge means is our whole facility is totally [surrounded by berms] so anything that is spilled in our yard from storm water to hazardous waste– anything–is captured and nothing is released out past our yard.

Bob: We capture all of our discharges that would normally go into the bay including rain water because there is the potential to pick up some contamination from the ground. So we decided to be proactive in protecting the environment and go above and beyond what the regulations called for at the time and capture all of our industrial water, rain water, steam condensate, air conditioning condensate water.

Bob: We capture that water, test it and then discharge it to the industrial sewer.

Bob: Continental Maritime has a strong interest in being a good corporate citizen and being a good neighbor in the community. So as part of that we want to save energy, save resources, reduce our carbon footprint.

Phoebe Chongchua, LiveFitMagazine.com: Working in partnership with SDG&E, two major improvements at Continental Maritime have saved the company an enormous amount of money.

VO: When the Navy ships are docked here they are required to have saltwater pumped to the ships via hoses to help protect against fire.

Bob: It”s a requirement that the Navy has 150 pounds per square inch of saltwater 24/7.

VO: By working with SDG&E for both project reviews and subsidized project funding, Continental Maritime, installed an on-demand, automated fire pump system.

Bob: We save in excess of $100,000 a year by just having this system run when it absolutely needs to.

Bob: Very difficult to afford these projects all on your own.

VO: Another major project, this one aimed to significantly reduce energy usage through the creation of an on-demand air compressor system, was again supported by SDG&E.

Bob: They’ve been really good at incentivizing energy-saving projects. We worked very closely with them to both review the project and get maximum available funding which gave us the opportunity to do the project because, without the funding, it may not have been approved.

VO: Continental Maritime is maximizing its environmentally-friendly efforts.

April: We bring in $80,000 a year in recycling.

VO: It’s the little things that count too. Like artificial grass in the outside break area saves the company hundreds of dollars a year in irrigation costs. And lighting sensors and energy-efficient bulbs also reduce costs. Staying on top of the ever-changing ways to conserve energy and preserve the environment takes support.

Bob: The Green Business Network gave us the opportunity to look inside our own organization and to look to our partners on the waterfront and share ideas, share opportunities, and implement those.

VO: I’m Phoebe Chongchua for Live Fit Magazine.

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