This document is part of Appendix A, and includes Sonar Dome Discharge:

Nature of Discharge for the Phase I Final Rule and Technical Development
Document of Uniform National Discharge Standards (UNDS), published in April
1999. The reference number is EPA-842-R-99-001.

Phase I Final Rule and Technical Development

Document of Uniform National Discharge
Standards (UNDS)

Sonar Dome Discharge:

Nature of Discharge

April 1999

NATURE OF DISCHARGE REPORT

Sonar Dome Discharge

1.0

INTRODUCTION

The National Defense Authorization Act of 1996 amended Section 312 of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act (also known as the Clean Water Act (CWA)) to require that the
Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
develop uniform national discharge standards (UNDS) for vessels of the Armed Forces for
...discharges, other than sewage, incidental to normal operation of a vessel of the Armed Forces,
... [Section 312(n)(1)]. UNDS is being developed in three phases. The first phase (which this
report supports), will determine which discharges will be required to be controlled by marine
pollution control devices (MPCDs)either equipment or management practices. The second
phase will develop MPCD performance standards. The final phase will determine the design,
construction, installation, and use of MPCDs.
A nature of discharge (NOD) report has been prepared for each of the discharges that has
been identified as a candidate for regulation under UNDS. The NOD reports were developed
based on information obtained from the technical community within the Navy and other branches
of the Armed Forces with vessels potentially subject to UNDS, from information available in
existing technical reports and documentation, and, when required, from data obtained from
discharge samples that were collected under the UNDS program.
The purpose of the NOD report is to describe the discharge in detail, including the system
that produces the discharge, the equipment involved, the constituents released to the
environment, and the current practice, if any, to prevent or minimize environmental effects.
Where existing process information is insufficient to characterize the discharge, the NOD report
provides the results of additional sampling or other data gathered on the discharge. Based on the
above information, the NOD report describes how the estimated constituent concentrations and
mass loading to the environment were determined. Finally, the NOD report assesses the
potential for environmental effect. The NOD report contains sections on: Discharge
Description, Discharge Characteristics, Nature of Discharge Analysis, Conclusions, and Data
Sources and References.

Sonar Dome Discharge

1

2.0

DISCHARGE DESCRIPTION

This section describes the sonar dome discharge and includes information on: the
equipment that is used and its operation (Section 2.1), general description of the constituents of
the discharge (Section 2.2), and the vessels that produce this discharge (Section 2.3).
2.1

Equipment Description and Operation

Sonar domes are located on the hulls of submarines and surface ships. Their purpose is to
house electronic equipment used for detection, navigation, and ranging. Figures 1 through 4
show typical hull-mounted submarine and surface ship sonar domes.
Sonar domes on Navy surface ships are made of rubber. On submarines, they are made of
steel or glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) with a 1/2-inch rubber boot covering the exterior.
Military Sealift Command (MSC) T-AGS Class ships have sonar domes made of GRP. Zinc
anodes are fastened to the exterior of steel sonar domes, and are contained within all the sonar
domes, for cathodic protection. Figure 5 shows a Navy surface ship rubber dome, prior to
installation.
Sonar domes can be filled with fresh and/or seawater to maintain their shape and design
pressure. Most surface ship sonar domes are initially filled with freshwater, and any water that is
lost underway is replenished with seawater from the firemain system. Sonar domes on FFG 7
Class frigates and some MSC ships are filled with seawater. Submarine sonar domes are
connected to the sea through a small tube to equalize pressure, but water inside the dome has
limited exchange with seawater.1
Table 1 summarizes sonar dome types, applications, and characteristics. The larger
AN/SQS-53 and AN/SQS-26 sonar domes on cruisers and destroyers are located at the bow, and
the smaller AN/SQS-56 domes on frigates are mounted on the keel. Submarine sonar domes are
located at the bow. MSC T-AGS Class ships have several small sonar domes at various locations
on the hull. The T-AGS Class sonar domes listed as free flood in Table 1, have ports which are
open to the sea.
Table 2 shows materials that compose sonar domes, and components and materials inside
sonar domes. Components and materials interior to sonar domes can include piping, sacrificial
anodes, paint and the interior material surface of the sonar dome itself. Materials on the exterior
surface of the sonar dome consist of the exterior material surface of the dome itself, any paints or
coatings applied to the dome, and in some cases, sacrificial anodes.
There have been changes in the composition of the rubber material in Navy surface ship
sonar domes. Prior to 1985, all sonar domes contained tributyltin (TBT) antifoulant on the
interior and exterior, to prevent or minimize marine growth. The TBT was impregnated into the
outermost 1/4-inch layers (both exterior and interior) of the rubber. Figure 6 shows the plys or
layers of a surface ship rubber sonar dome. Since 1985 rubber sonar domes have been
manufactured with TBT only on the exterior surface. This type of sonar dome has been
Sonar Dome Discharge
2

backfitted on older ships when they require sonar dome replacement, and has been installed on
all new ships since 1990. Submarine sonar domes do not contain TBT. Instead, the exterior
rubber boots are coated with a copper-based antifouling paint.2 Table 3 lists the surface ships
that have no TBT in the interior of their sonar domes.
Sonar domes are emptied for sonar dome maintenance or replacement, and are always
emptied when a vessel is in drydock. Some maintenance can be performed pierside. Sonar
domes are emptied by first pressurizing them with air, to force as much water as possible through
the installed eductor piping. Once this step is complete, eductors are used to remove all
remaining water in the dome. The total volume of water discharged exceeds the sonar dome
volume because the seawater used to operate the eductors is discharged along with water from
the sonar dome.
The water emptied from the sonar dome interior is: 1) discharged overboard, if the vessel
is waterborne, or 2) collected for proper management ashore, if the vessel is in drydock.
2.2

Releases to the Environment

There are two sonar dome discharges, discharges of the water from the interior of sonar
domes and external discharges. Discharges of water from the interior of the sonar dome result
from maintenance evolutions that require the sonar dome to be emptied. External discharges
result from continuous leaching of TBT or other anti-fouling compounds from the sonar dome
exterior.
2.3

Vessels Producing the Discharge

Only Navy and MSC vessels are equipped with sonar domes; the other Armed Forces
ships are not. Sonar domes are equipped on the following types and classes of Navy and MSC
ships:

cruisers (CG and CGN Classes);

destroyers (DD and DDG Classes);
frigates (FFG Class);
submarines (all SSN and SSBN Classes); and
MSC T-AGS Class ships.

Tables 1 and 4 list the classes and populations of sonar dome-equipped vessels. Eightythree of the Navy surface ships have the larger AN/SQS-26 or SQS-53 sonar domes, and 43 have
the smaller SQS-56 domes. Seventy-two active submarines have the smaller BQQ-5, BQR-7 or
BSY-1 sonar domes, and the 17 others have much larger BQQ-6 sonar domes.

3.0

DISCHARGE CHARACTERISTICS
This section contains qualitative and quantitative information that characterizes the
Sonar Dome Discharge
3

discharge. Section 3.1 describes where the discharge occurs with respect to harbors and near
shore areas, Section 3.2 describes the rate of the discharge, Section 3.3 lists the constituents in
the discharge, and Section 3.4 gives the concentrations of the constituents in the discharge.
3.1

Locality

Discharges from the interior of sonar domes only occur while vessels are pierside.
Discharges from the external surface of sonar domes occur both within and beyond 12 nautical
miles (n.m.) of shore, as materials leach continuously from the exterior of the dome. Discharges
from the external surface of sonar domes were studied by the Naval Command, Control and
Ocean Surveillance Center to characterize the environmental effects in San Diego harbor.3
3.2

Discharge Rate

Discharge from the interior of sonar domes is intermittent, depending on when the dome
is emptied for maintenance. The average volume of water discharged for maintenance or repair
activities is estimated based on input from naval shipyards. Sonar dome discharge volume varies
with the dome type (size) and the method used to empty the dome. Norfolk and Pearl Harbor
Naval Shipyards report that between 23,000 and 38,000 gallons is typically emptied from
AN/SQS-53 sonar domes.4,5 Table 4 contains the estimated annual discharge for sonar doneequipped vessels, based on the vessel class populations, sonar dome water capacity, and number
of sonar domes expected to be emptied per year. On average, sonar domes on surface ships are
emptied two times per year. Submarine sonar domes are normally emptied once per year.2 Table
4 indicates a total annual discharge estimate of about 9.3 million gallons of interior sonar dome
effluent, with just under 4.0 million of that being from sonar domes with internal TBT coatings.
Discharge from the external surface of a sonar dome is not a liquid discharge; rather, it is
the leaching of anti-fouling agents into the surrounding water, and cannot be characterized by a
volumetric flow rate. A Navy study was conducted in San Diego Bay in 1996 to determine TBT
release rates from rubber sonar domes. Release rates from the external surfaces were determined
by attaching a closed capture system to the sonar domes exteriors of three ships. The sampled
sonar domes ranged in age, at 3, 10 and 20 years since installation. Table 5 shows that the
average release rate for TBT from the external surfaces of the sonar domes was 0.36 mg/cm2/day
(micrograms per square centimeter per day), which results in an average release of 0.27 grams of
TBT per day per ship.3
3.3

Constituents

Table 2 shows the components and materials in sonar domes that can contribute
constituents to the sonar dome discharge. The specific constituents depend on vessel class, the
age of the dome, and the source of water that fills the dome. Discharges from the interior of
sonar domes can include copper, nickel, tin and zinc which corrodes, erodes, or leaches from
piping, sacrificial anodes, paint, or other material inside the dome. If the interior of the dome is
impregnated with TBT, discharges will also include that constituent. The potable water and/or
seawater that fills the sonar dome is also a source of constituents in discharges from the interior.
Sonar Dome Discharge
4

In addition to these constituents, the interior effluent can contain compounds that are produced
by degradation of the materials or reaction of material with the water. For instance, TBT, which
might be found on both the interior and exterior of surface ship rubber sonar domes, degrades to
dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT).
External discharge constituents will include the TBT impregnated into the exterior of
rubber sonar domes, or copper from copper based antifoulant coating on GRP and steel domes.
Discharge from copper based and other antifoulant coatings are addressed separately, by the Hull
Coating Leachate NOD Report.
Sampling of the water within the interior of sonar domes was conducted to identify and
measure constituents, and was done according to procedures specified by the Navy. Samples
from the interior of sonar domes were manually collected from the sonar dome piping systems of
Navy surface ships and submarines, prior to discharge. The three sampling activities, Norfolk
and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyards and the Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance
Center did not all sample for the same constituents, as shown in Table 6. The tests that were
performed on the samples included gas chromatography, hydride derivization and atomic
absorption for TBT, and Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) for metals. Tests
done on sonar domes have indicated that the constituents of discharges from the interior of sonar
domes are copper, nickel, tin, zinc, TBT (also known as tetra-normal-tributyltin), DBT and MBT.
External sonar dome discharge constituents are TBT, DBT, MBT, copper, and zinc.3,4,5,6
Of the discharge constituents listed above, copper, nickel, and zinc are priority pollutants.
None of the discharge constituents are bioaccumulators.
3.4

Concentrations

A summary of results of sampling discharges from the interior of sonar domes is

contained in Table 6. Altogether, previous Navy studies have analyzed the water from the
interior of sonar domes on 31 surface ships and submarines, with some vessels sampled multiple
times. In addition to the metals and compounds listed in Section 3.3, four samples from the USS
South Carolina were analyzed for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and four samples from the
USS Conolly were analyzed for both Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Total Organic Carbon
(TOC). The results of the sampling are summarized below:3,4,5
The average concentrations of the metal constituents are listed in Table 6.
Among the classical pollutants, COD levels ranged from 20 to 180 milligrams per liter
(mg/L), with an average of 123 mg/L. Total organic carbon levels ranged between 4 and 6 mg/L.
Total suspended solids were all below 4 mg/L.
TBT concentrations ranged from 1 to 470 micrograms per liter (mg /L), with an average of
74 mg/L. Only one sample has been taken for concentrations of MBT and DBT. The results
were 5 and 33 mg/L, respectively.

Sonar Dome Discharge

5

The firemain system is normally used to replenish sonar dome water lost on surface ships
while underway and to educt the final water remaining when a sonar dome is emptied. However,
the seawater from the firemain has a negligible effect on the constituent concentrations in this
report. The salinity of the samples was low, indicating that little make-up seawater was added to
the sonar domes during operations. The sonar dome sampling procedure requires samples to be
taken from the dome, not from the emptied water, so firemain water that powers the eductors will
not dilute or contribute constituents to the samples.
The above analytical results only address discharges from the interior of the sonar domes,
and do not account for the discharge from the external surfaces. The external surface TBT
release rates and estimated mass loadings are included in Sections 3.2 and 4.1, respectively.

4.0

NATURE OF DISCHARGE ANALYSIS

Based on the discharge characteristics presented in Section 3.0, the nature of the
discharge and its potential impact on the environment can be evaluated. The estimated mass
loadings are presented in Section 4.1. In Section 4.2, the concentrations of discharge constituents
after release to the environment are estimated and compared with the water quality standards. In
Section 4.3, the potential for the transfer of non-indigenous species is discussed.
4.1

Mass Loadings

The amount of water discharged fleet-wide from the interior of sonar domes was
estimated using:
1) the amount of water generated from each type of sonar dome when that sonar dome is
emptied;

2) the frequency of maintenance requiring sonar domes to be emptied;

3) the number of vessels with each type of sonar dome; and

4) the average concentrations of each of the constituents.

The estimated fleet-wide mass loadings for copper, nickel, tin, and zinc were calculated
by the following formula:
Mass Loading (lbs/yr) =
(avg. concentrations in mg/L) (discharge in gal/yr) (3.7854 L/gal) (2.2 lb/kg) (10-9 kg/mg)
For example, copper:
Mass Loading =
(303 mg/L) (9,278,800 gal/yr) (3.7854 L/gal) (2.2 lb/kg)(10-9 kg/mg) = 23.4 lbs/yr
This calculation of mass loadings from sonar domes overestimates the actual mass
loadings because:
Sonar Dome Discharge
6

1) All discharges are assumed to occur pierside, but some of the discharges actually
occur in drydock, where they are managed under shipyard discharge permits.
2) All discharges are assumed to occur within U.S. territorial waters, but some of the
discharges actually occur outside U.S. territorial waters.
3) Results of discharge sample measurements which were below detection levels were
assumed to be at the detection level.
The average constituent concentrations from Table 6, and a total estimated annual
discharge volume of 9.3 million gallons per year for all vessels, taken from Table 4, were used to
calculate the mass loadings. Based upon this information and the above formula, the annual
mass loadings for metals were calculated to be 23 pounds for copper, 11 pounds for nickel, 15
pounds for tin, and 122 pounds for zinc.
The estimated fleet-wide mass loading for TBT, DBT and MBT generated from sonar
dome interiors was calculated by the same formula (above), using a 3.96 million gallon discharge
volume per year for those vessels in Table 4 that could have TBT inside the sonar dome. Using
the average TBT concentration of 74 mg/L, the annual mass loading estimate for TBT is 2.4
pounds per year due to discharges of water from the interior of the sonar dome. Although not
representative of all vessels, the one sample in which DBT and MBT were measured is used to
calculate fleet-wide mass loading for those constituents, using the same 3.96 million gallon
discharge volume , since DBT and MBT are degradation products of TBT. Based on the single
sample concentrations of 33 and 5 mg/L for DBT and MBT, respectively, the estimated mass
loadings are 1.1 and 0.2 pounds per year, respectively.
The calculation for TBT mass loading from the exteriors of surface ship rubber sonar
domes was performed using the following formula:
Sonar Dome External Discharge TBT Mass Loading (lbs/yr) =
(avg. release rate in g/day) (0.00205 lbs/g) (no. of ships with rubber domes) [avg. days/yr in port
+ ((no. transits/yr) (4 hrs/transit) 24 hrs/day)]
(0.27 g/day) (0.00205 lbs/g) (126 ships) (158 days/yr in port + ((12 transits/yr)(4 hrs/transit) 24
hrs/day)) = 12.6 lbs/yr
This formula uses the release rate from Table 5, which is based on sampling the discharge
from the external surface of rubber sonar domes on three Navy surface ships, two of which had
older sonar domes, and the newer DDG 51 Class USS John Paul Jones.3 The formula also uses
158 days/yr as the estimated annual in-port time for each ship. The result is a TBT annual mass
loading of 12.6 pounds due to discharges from the external surface of the sonar dome.
Therefore, the estimated maximum TBT mass loading within 12 n.m. for surface ships
equipped with rubber sonar domes is 15.0 lbs/yr. This is the sum of 2.4 lbs/yr from discharges
from the interior of the sonar domes and 12.6 lbs/yr from discharges from the external surface.
The estimated mass loadings generated from sonar dome interior and exterior discharges
Sonar Dome Discharge
7

are presented in Table 7.

4.2

Environmental Concentrations

Table 8 compares the concentrations of constituents in sonar dome discharge with the
most stringent water quality criteria (WQC) for that constituent. For sonar dome discharge, the
constituents known to be present are TBT, DBT, MBT, copper, nickel, tin, and zinc. As a result
of the comparison, the mean concentrations of TBT, copper, nickel, and zinc each exceed their
respective Federal and most stringent state acute WQC. The interior concentrations can be
compared to acute values and the exterior concentrations compared to chronic values. Neither
DBT, MBT, nor tin has a relevant WQC.
4.3

Potential for Introduction of Non-Indigenous Species

Most sonar domes do not have the potential for the transfer of non-indigenous species in
discharge of water from the interior of the sonar dome, or for transfer from the external surface.
Non-indigenous species transfer would occur primarily during the emptying and replenishment of
water in the interior of the sonar dome, and that is normally performed at a vessel's homeport or a
shipyard. TBT on the interior surface of older rubber sonar domes and the exterior of all rubber
sonar domes prevents attachment of marine organisms and could inhibit their growth.
Sonar domes filled with freshwater have little potential to be a mechanism for transfer of
non-indigenous species in the water that fills the dome. There is minimal exchange with
seawater. Only a small volume of water from the ship's potable water or surrounding seawater is
added to the existing potable water in the dome between emptying and replenishment events to
make up for any loss of sonar dome water during operations. Therefore, the opportunity to
introduce non-native organisms into the surrounding water is limited.
Non-free-flood sonar domes filled with seawater have the potential for transfer of nonindigenous species. These types of sonar domes are found on FFG 7 Class Navy frigates.
However, the non-indigenous species transfer potential is considered very low for the following
reasons: 1) the maintenance requiring sonar dome emptying and replenishment is normally
performed at the ships home port, so water taken on will be discharged in the same locality; 2)
most of the sonar domes have TBT on the interior surface because the ships were built prior to
1990; and 3) the residence time inside these sonar domes is long (on the order of 6 months),
making the probability of survival of non-indigenous species more remote.1

5.0

CONCLUSIONS

Discharges from sonar domes has a low potential for causing adverse environmental
effect. Although concentrations of organotins (MBT, DBT, and TBT), copper, nickel, and zinc
discharged from sonar dome interiors exceed water quality criteria mass loadings of these
substances are small (3.7, 23, 11, and 122 pounds per year, respectively). Exterior releases of
TBT are also expected to be small (12.6 pounds annually).
Sonar Dome Discharge
8

6.0

DATA SOURCES AND REFERENCES

To characterize this discharge, information from various sources was obtained. Table 9
lists data sources for this report.
Specific References
1.

UNDS Equipment Expert Meeting Minutes. Sonar Dome. September 10, 1996.

2.

UNDS MPCD Practicability Meeting. Sonar Dome. June 26, 1997.

3.

U.S. Navy. Marine Environmental Support Office, Naval Command, Control and Ocean
Surveillance Center RDT&E Division (NRaD). Sonar Dome Discharge Evaluation. San
Diego, California, February, 1997.

4.

U.S. Navy. Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. Uniform National Discharge Standards
Information. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Memorandum, September 1996.

5.

Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Uniform National Discharge Standards Information.

Portsmouth, Virginia. UNDS Questionnaire and Attachments, September 1996.

6.

U.S. Navy. Naval Sea Systems Command (SEA 03VB). Tributyl Tin Contaminated
Sonar Dome Water. Arlington, Virginia. Memorandum to SEA 91W4 and SEA 03M, 29
April 1994.

7.

Sharpe, Richard. Janes Fighting Ships. Janes Information Group, Ltd., 1996-97

General References
USEPA. Toxics Criteria for Those States Not Complying with Clean Water Act Section
303(c)(2)(B). 40 CFR Part 131.36.
USEPA. Interim Final Rule. Water Quality Standards; Establishment of Numeric Criteria for
Priority Toxic Pollutants; States Compliance Revision of Metals Criteria. 60 FR
22230. May 4, 1995.
USEPA. Water Quality Standards; Establishment of Numeric Criteria for Priority Toxic
Pollutants. 57 FR 60848. December 22, 1992.
USEPA. Water Quality Standards; Establishment of Numeric Criteria for Priority Toxic
Pollutants for the State of California, Proposed Rule under 40 CFR Part 131, Federal
Register, Vol. 62, Number 150. August 5, 1997.
Connecticut. Department of Environmental Protection. Water Quality Standards. Surface Water
Sonar Dome Discharge
9

Quality Standards Effective April 8, 1997.

Florida. Department of Environmental Protection. Surface Water Quality Standards, Chapter
62-302. Effective December 26, 1996.
Georgia Final Regulations. Chapter 391-3-6, Water Quality Control, as provided by The Bureau
of National Affairs, Inc., 1996.
Hawaii. Hawaiian Water Quality Standards. Section 11, Chapter 54 of the State Code.
Mississippi. Water Quality Criteria for Intrastate, Interstate and Coastal Waters. Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Pollution Control. Adopted November
16, 1995.
New Jersey Final Regulations. Surface Water Quality Standards, Section 7:9B-1, as provided by
The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., 1996.
Texas. Texas Surface Water Quality Standards, Sections 307.2 - 307.10. Texas Natural
Resource Conservation Commission. Effective July 13, 1995.
Virginia. Water Quality Standards. Chapter 260, Virginia Administrative Code (VAC) , 9 VAC
25-260.
Washington. Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of the State of Washington. Chapter
173-201A, Washington Administrative Code (WAC).
Committee Print Number 95-30 of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the
House of Representatives, Table 1.
The Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System, Table 6A. Volume 60 Federal
Register, p. 15366. March 23, 1995.

Sonar Dome Discharge

10

Figure 1. SQS-26 Sonar Dome in the Cruiser Belknap (CG 26)

Sonar Dome Discharge

11

Figure 2. SQS-26 Sonar Dome on the Frigate Knox.

Sonar Dome Discharge

12

Figure 3. SQS-53 Transducer Housing on a Spruance-Class Destroyer.

Sonar Dome Discharge

13

Figure 4. Spherical, Bow-Mounted Array Housing for the BSY-2 Combat System.

Sonar Dome Discharge

14

Figure 5. Surface Ship Rubber Sonar Dome Prior to Installation.

Sonar Dome Discharge

15

Figure 6. Surface Ship Rubber Sonar Dome Layers.

Sonar Dome Discharge

16

Table 1. Types and Characteristics of Sonar Domes1,2,7

Sonar Type

Ship Class

No. of
Vessels
80

Dome
Material
Rubber/TBT

Dome Water Volume

(gal, approx.)
24,000

CG 47, DDG 51, DD

963, DDG 993
3
Rubber/TBT
24,000
AN/SQS-26 CGN 36, 38
43
Rubber/TBT
5,000 *
AN/SQS-56 FFG 7
47
GRP or steel
35,000
SSN 688 (through
AN/BQQ-5
750), SSN 637, SSN
671
SSBN 726
17
GRP or steel
74,000
AN/BQQ-6
SSN
640
2
GRP
or
steel
35,000
AN/BQR-7
SSN 688 (from 751)
23
GRP or steel
35,000
AN/BSY-1
MSC T-AGS 51
2
GRP
N/A *
EM100
MSC T-AGS 60 (62 &
2
GRP
N/A *
EM1000
63)
MSC T-AGS 60
4
GRP
300
EM121A
2
GRP
511
SEABEAM MSC T-AGS 26
MSC T-AGS 60
4
GRP
25
TC-12NB
MSC T-AGS 60
4
GRP
75
TR-109
* Filled with seawater
** 300 gallons is representative of the two larger sonar dome types on MSC ships
AN/SQS-53

Discharge Volume
per Event (est.)
30,000
30,000
6,000
35,000

74,000
35,000
35,000
N/A (free flood)
N/A (free flood)
300**
300**
300**
300**

Table 2. Sonar Dome Materials1,2

Component/Compound

External to dome
Surface Ships
Submarines
X

Tributyltin
Copper-nickel piping
Tin (other than TBT, DBT, MBT)
Zinc anodes
Glass-reinforced plastic
X
X
Steel components
X
X
Epoxy-based paints
X
Rubber
X
X
Antifouling paint (Cu & other based)
X
X
Note: Not all surface ships have TBT internal or external to the sonar dome(s).

Sonar Dome Discharge

17

Internal to dome
Surface Ships
Submarines
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Table 3. Ships With TBT-Free Sonar Dome Interiors1,2

Class
Vessels in Class
CG 47 Class
CG 51, CG 73
DD 963 Class
DD 972, 979, 987
DDG 51 Class
DDG 54, 56-67, 69, 71, 74
DDG 993 Class
DDG 993
T-AGS 26, 51, 60 Classes
All
SSNs & SSBNs
All
Based on equipment experts and sampling analysis results.

Number in Class
2 of 27 ships
3 of 31 ships
16 of 18 ships
1 of 4 ships
8 of 8 ships
89 of 89 vessels

Table 4. Annual Sonar Dome Interior Discharge by Ship Class1,2,4,5,6

Ship Class

Total
Ships

Ships with Gallons per

Internal
Drainage
TBT
Event (est.)
CG 47
27
25
30,000
CGN 36
2
2
30,000
CGN 38
1
1
30,000
DDG 51
18
3
30,000
DD 963
31
28
30,000
DDG 993
4
3
30,000
FFG 7
43
20
6,000
T AGS
8
0
300
SSN 637
13
0
35,000
SSN 640
2
0
35,000
SSN 671
1
0
35,000
SSN 688
56
0
35,000
SSBN 726
17
0
74,000
TOTAL:
223
82
N/A
* Could have TBT inside sonar dome, based on Table 6.
N/A = not applicable

Drainage
Events per
Year
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
N/A

Gallons per Year

(ships with internal
TBT*)
1,500,000
120,000
60,000
180,000
1,680,000
180,000
240,000
0
0
0
0
0
0
3,960,000

Gallons per
Year
(all vessels)
1,620,000
120,000
60,000
1,080,000
1,860,000
240,000
516,000
4,800
455,000
70,000
35,000
1,960,000
1,258,000
9,278,800

Table 5. Tributyltin Release Rates from Exterior of Sonar Domes3

Sampled Vessel

DDG 53 USS John Paul Jones

CG 59 USS Princeton
DD 976 USS Merrill
Average:

Sample Date

12-96
12-96
12-96

Tributyl tin (TBT)

Release Rate
mg/cm2/day
grams/day
0.89
0.62
0.06
0.09
0.14
0.10
0.36
0.27

Sonar Dome Discharge

18

Table 6. Constituent Concentrations in Sonar Dome Interior Discharge

(parts per billion, or mg/L, except as noted)3,4,5
Vessel
CGN 40 USS Mississippi
DDG 52 USS John Barry
FF 1079 USS Bowen
CGN 37 USS South Carolina
CGN 37 USS South Carolina
CGN 37 USS South Carolina
CGN 37 USS South Carolina
DD 968 USS Radford
DD 968 USS Radford
CG 48 USS Yorktown
CG 74 USS Ticonderoga
DD 988 USS Thorn
DD 963 USS Spruance
DD 984 USS Leftwich
SSN 648 USS Aspro
SSN 717 USS Olympia
CG 73 USS Port Royal
SSN 672 USS Pintado
SSN 697 USS Indianapolis
FFG 37 USS Crommelin
DDG 53 USS John Paul Jones
FFG 37 USS Crommelin
SSN 724 USS Louisville
SSN 677 USS Drum
SSN 715 USS Buffalo

Date of
Sample
2-7-94
3-28-94
4-1-94
5-23-94
5-23-94
5-23-94
5-23-94
6-30-94
6-30-94
7-7-94
7-25-94
8-26-94
12-1-94
10-94
11-94
11-94
1-95
2-95
3-95
4-95
4-95
5-95
6-95
7-95
8-95

Tributyl Dibutyltin
tin
(TBT)
(DBT)
85
470
82
58
35
58
48
41
14
33
-

Mono
butyltin Copper
(MBT)
5
920
220
220
1350
190
160
<DL
660
190
<DL
130
<DL

Nickel

Tin

Zinc

660
<DL
<DL
300
<DL
<DL
<DL
140
160
<DL
<DL
<DL

<DL
<DL
<DL
<DL
250
190
210
<DL
<DL
160
260
240

110
5390
1040
1520
1870
2370
<DL
2900
1010
130
5310
<DL

Sonar Dome Discharge

19

Chemical
Total
Oxygen Suspended
Demand
Solids
170***
120***
20***
180***
-

Total
Organic
Carbon
-

Table 6. (Continued)
Tributyl Dibutyl- Mono
tin
tin
butyltin Copper
(TBT)
(DBT)
(MBT)
CG 65 USS Chosin
9-95
1630
DDG 59 USS Russell
12-95
<DL
DD 979 USS Conolly
1-31-96
DD 979 USS Conolly
1-31-96
DD 979 USS Conolly
1-31-96
DD 979 USS Conolly
1-31-96
DDG 60 USS Hamilton
1-96
180
SSN 675 USS Bluefish
1-96
<DL
DDG 60 USS Hamilton
1-96
450
SSN 717 USS Olympia
3-96
100
SSN 715 USS Buffalo
3-96
<DL
FFG 57 USS Reuben James
5-96
<DL
SSN 752 USS Pasadena
6-96
<DL
SSN 680 USS Wm H. Bates
6-96
<DL
DDG 56 USS John McCain
9-96
120
DDG 53 USS John Paul Jones 12-96
36.67
CG 59 USS Princeton
12-96
30.53
DD 976 USS Merrill
12-96
0.62
DD 984 USS Leftwich
12-96
2.8
MINIMUM*
1
N/A**
N/A**
50
MAXIMUM
470
N/A**
N/A**
1,630
AVERAGE*
74
33**
5**
303
A hyphen (-) denotes the sample was not analyzed for that parameter

DL = detection limit (50 mg/L)

N/A = not applicable

*
Measurements below Detection Limit (DL) were set equal to the DL
**
DBT and MBT based on only one sample
***
Units are mg/L
Vessel

Date of
Sample

Nickel

Tin

Zinc

590
<DL
<DL
500
<DL
<DL
<DL
<DL
130
100
<DL
50
660
145

<DL
<DL
<DL
1100
<DL
290
280
100
280
310
<DL
50
1100
194

2130
180
8300
260
880
570
830
300
<DL
220
630
1500
2600
800
50
8,300
1577

Sonar Dome Discharge

20

Chemical
Total
Oxygen Suspended
Demand
Solids
<4***
<4***
<4***
<4***
20***
<4***
180***
<4***
123***
<4***

Total
Organic
Carbon
5***
6***
5***
4***
4***
6***
5***

Table 7. Estimated Sonar Dome Mass Loadings

Constituent
Copper
Nickel
Tin
Zinc
TBT
TBT
DBT
MBT

Loading (lbs/yr)
23.4
11.2
15.0
121.9
2.4
12.6
1.1
0.2

Discharge Origin
External
Internal
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Table 8. Comparison of Measured Values in Sonar Dome Interior Discharge

with Water Quality Criteria (m
mg/L)
Constituent

TBT
Copper
Nickel
Zinc

Mean / Max
Federal
Federal
Most Stringent Most Stringent
Reported
Acute WQC Chronic WQC State Acute WQC State Chronic
Concentration
WQC
a
a
74 / 470
0.37
0.01
0.001 (VA)
0.001 (VA)
303 / 1,630
2.4
2.4
2.4 (CT, MS)
2.4 (CT, MS)
145 / 660
74
8.2
8.3 (FL, GA)
7.9 (WA)
1,577 / 8,300
90
81
84.6 (WA)
76.6 (WA)

Notes:

Refer to federal criteria promulgated by EPA in its National Toxics Rule, 40 CFR 131.36 (57 FR 60848; Dec. 22,

1992 and 60 FR 22230; May 4, 1995)

Where historical data were not reported as dissolved or total, the metals concentrations were compared to the most

stringent (dissolved or total) state water quality criteria.

CT = Connecticut

FL = Florida

GA = Georgia

MS = Mississippi

VA = Virginia

WA = Washington

Proposed water quality criteria, August 7, 1997

Sonar Dome Discharge

21

Table 9. Data Sources

NOD Report Section

2.1 Equipment Description and
Operation
2.2 Releases to the Environment
2.3 Vessels Producing the Discharge
3.1 Locality
3.2 Rate
3.3 Constituents
3.4 Concentrations
4.1 Mass Loadings
4.2 Environmental Concentrations
4.3 Potential for Introducing NonIndigenous Species
* MRC: Maintenance Requirement Card

Reported
Navy 3M MRC*

Data Source
Sampling Estimated

Navy 3M MRC*
UNDS Database
Design
Documentation
Naval Shipyards
NRaD San Diego
NRaD San Diego
X

Equipment Expert
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X

Sonar Dome Discharge

22