Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, 9500 MacArthur Blvd., West Bethesda, MD 20817-5700

A -- CONTROL POLLUTANTS PRESENT IN CATAPULT WATER BRAKE TANK AND POST-LAUNCH RETRACTION EXHAUST DISCHARGE SOL N00167-99-SS-0053 POC C. Joan Miles, (301) 227-1159, Lynn Rowe (301) 227-1100 The Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (CDNSWC) seeks sources sought to provide technologies, procedures, concepts, systems, alternative materials, or devices to replace, minimize, process, or otherwise control pollutants present in catapult water brake tank and post-launch retraction exhaust discharge generated by Armed Forces vessels. This intermittent discharge is the oily water skimmed from the catapult water brake tank, and the condensed steam discharged when the catapult is retracted. Catapult water brakes are used to stop the forward movement of the steam-propelled catapults used to launch aircraft from Navy aircraft carriers. Over the course of multiple launchings, the oil and water circulating through the water brake cylinder and tank leads to the formation of an oil layer in the water brake tank. To prevent excessive heat buildup in the tank, the oil is periodically skimmed off and the oil/water mixture is discharged overboard. Additionally, as the catapult is retracted following the launch, expended steam from the catapult launch stroke and some residual lubricating oil from the catapult cylinder walls are discharged below the waterline through a separate exhaust pipe. This discharge may include oil, copper, lead, nickel, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, phosphorus, benzidine, various forms of nitrogen; and also has the potential to produce an oil sheen on receiving waters. Potential offerors are requested to respond with technical documentation supporting the technology, procedure, concept, system, alternative material, or device. The proposed solution must demonstrate the ability to control, reduce, or eliminate the discharge and some or all of its constituents listed above. Additional information should include, but not be limited to, the following: process description, current commercial or military applications, specific applications in the marine environment (including customer references/ship class/name), processing rate capability, normal operative and maximum permissible pressures, physical size, total dry and wet weights, maintenance requirements, operational manning requirements, power consumption per hour of operation, utilities required, secondary wastestreams generated, and equipment performance and testing results. Technical, industry, or professional society certifications or endorsements should be provided, if available. A summary of agents or contaminants which could potentially interfere with the operation and performance of the technology is also requested. DoD will consider the following criteria: (1) the nature of the discharge that the technology, procedure, concept, system, alternative material, or device is designed to process, (2) the effectiveness of the technology, procedure, concept, system, alternative material, or device at mitigating the environmental effects of that discharge, and (3) the technology, procedure, concept, system, alternative material, or device's cost, practicability and effect on operations or operational capability when installed and used ona vessel. This synopsis is for information purposes and to identify potential technologies and offerors. This sources sought announcement does not constitute an RFP and does not obligate the government in any way to purchase or test any of the potential solutions offered. Further, it does not commit the government to pay for any proposal costs in response to the sources sought announcement. Submit responses for this synopsis to Naval Surface Warfare Center, Attn: Sheila Riggs (catapult), Code 633, 9500 MacArthur Boulevard, West Bethesda, Maryland 20817. Responses to this sources sought announcement are due within 45 calendar days of the date of publication. For additional technical information on catapult water brake tank and post-launch retraction exhaust, refer to the nature of discharge (NOD) report available at http://206.5.146.100/n45/doc/unds/Proprule/Rule_idx.html. For more information on this effort, please consult the Federal Register dated 25 August 1998 or visit the notice on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's homepage at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/1998/August/Day-25/w22533.htm. Posted 04/13/99 (W-SN318573). (0103)

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