To expand this effort, DoD has established the Acquisition Pollution Prevention Initiative to work with industry to reduce or eliminate hazardous materials, including toxic chemicals, used in the manufacturing of weapon systems. The benefits of research and development in new environmental technologies affect all aspects of defense environmental security. DoD s return on investment from new cleanup technologies, advanced environmental sensors, innovative disposal techniques for DoD waste, and pollution prevention technologies for the DoD industrial base is typically greater than ten to one . The paintless aircraft technology represents an environmental breakthrough for the military that has the potential to save the Defense Department billions of dollars. This new technology will significantly reduce hazardous materials, cut fuel costs, improve corrosion protection, reduce workforce exposure to hazardous chemical, and eliminate the need for special paint facilities and hazardous material protection gear.
Prevention is still our core environmental security program.
The department s strategy is to insure that environmental considerations are fully integrated into program management decisions over a system s entire life-cycle. One of the important tools we have at our disposal is modeling and simulation. We use modeling and simulation in all phases of our acquisition program - from design to manufacturing, to testing, and throughout the life cycle of the system. We now use them for a broad range of environmental applications studying groundwater, guiding collection of new environmental data, managing natural resources, monitoring watershed environments, and improving industrial processes. The Navy, for example, uses ballast system modeling to determine structural changes required to reduce turbulent flow and fuel discharge without compromising hull strength.