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24 Nov 09. European Commission awards DCNS leadership of RTD project on ship noise pollution. Reducing ship noise pollution is a key factor in reducing the ecological impact of maritime transportation. Accordingly, the European Commission has decided to provide €3.5m in funding for the DCNS-led SILENV project. SILENV stands for ‘Ship-oriented Innovative soLutions to rEduce Noise & Vibration’. The main aim is to conduct a broad study of noise pollution in maritime activities with a view to a draft proposal for an ‘acoustic green label’ identifying noise limits for each type of ship and recommendations to achieve compliance.
The studies will cover:
– the impact of shipboard noise and vibration on crews and passengers,
– noise pollution in port environments,
– the impact of noise generated by maritime traffic on marine fauna.
The project will take 36 months and comprise several phases. The first phase will include a survey of existing standards, regulations and analyses to refine the objectives of each area of investigation. A ship acoustic survey will then be compiled from data supplied by SILENV partners and additional measurement data recorded specifically for the project. The final phase will involve drafting proposals to reduce ship noise and computer modelling of the anticipated results.
25 Nov 09. On 26 November, a NATO-sponsored project will be launched in Uzbekistan, for the safe destruction of 1100 tonnes of mélange. Stocks of this highly toxic substance, which was used during the Soviet era as rocket fuel oxidiser, is being kept in deteriorating storage conditions, posing a potential risk to the environment and local population. The clean-up process is expected to take one year, using a NATO mobile plant that has already been used succesfully in Azerbaijan. The NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme will cover the operational costs. The NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) will operate the plant in Uzbekistan together with local experts specially trained for this purpose. The government of Uzbekistan will support the project by supplying the necessary chemicals, infrastructure and logistic support. The mobile plant was built three years ago, with the financial support of the NATO SPS Programme and under the operational oversight of NAMSA. It has already successfully converted over 1300 tonnes of mélange into a non-hazardous, low-grade fertilizer. NATO has invested €2,200,000 in the construction, transport, assembly and operation of the plant, as well as in technical personnel.