(PALATKA, Fla.) — St. Johns Ship Building, a shipbuilding and marine repair company located in Palatka, Fla., is the newest participant in Green Marine – the most comprehensive voluntary environmental certification program for North America’s maritime industry.
“At St. Johns Ship Building, the current and future well-being of our employees and their families is a priority which is a big reason why we are so committed to protecting our shared environment,” said Jeff Bukoski, St. Johns Ship Building’s president, who is also vice president of business development at the parent company, Americraft Marine Group. “Participating in the Green Marine program will give our yard’s first recently appointed health, safety and environment officer a set of additional tools to assess our environmental performance in a transparent and credible way toward reducing our company’s environmental footprint.”
St. Johns Ship Building supports various projects contributing to the American transition toward energy independence and a healthier, cleaner environment. One example is the shipyard recently being contracted by Atlantic Wind Transfers, which is the first U.S. offshore wind farm support company, to build Chartwell Ambitious-class crew transfer vessels.
“We’re very pleased to welcome the participation of St. Johns Ship Building as the second shipyard in the state of Florida to join Green Marine,” said David Bolduc, Green Marine’s president. “Its commitment to completing the certification process sets an example of environmental leadership that we hope other shipyards in its region will follow.”
To obtain Green Marine’s certification, St. Johns Ship Building will assess its environmental performance based on the program’s applicable performance indicators that address such issues as greenhouse gases and air pollutants, spill prevention and stormwater management, waste management and community impacts. The annual certification process is rigorous and transparent, with the individual performance of each participant independently verified every two years.
Green Marine overview
Founded in 2007, Green Marine’s North American environmental certification program is celebrating its 15th year as a voluntary effort by the shipping industry to go beyond regulations. Currently, more than 175 shipowners, port authorities, terminal operators and shipyard managers throughout Canada and the United States are participating in the program. A pivotal element of Green Marine’s success from the outset has been the active support from environmental stakeholders, the scientific community, and governments. A significant number of the more than 90 Green Marine supporters take part in reviewing and shaping the environmental program. More details are available at www.green-marine.org.
– St. Johns Ship Building
