(Union Pacific issued the following on April 15, 2010.)
OMAHA, Neb. Union Pacific Railroad will participate in more than 100 Earth Day events in nearly 70 communities this month. The events will include an array of activities such as tree plantings, beautification projects, hands-on school activities, shoe recycling programs and the annual Earth Day Fair at the Union Pacific Center in Omaha.
"I am extremely proud of the way so many of our employees are committed to environmental stewardship," said Bob Grimaila, Union Pacific vice president -- Safety, Security and Environment. "Our goal is for every employee to play a role in reducing Union Pacific's environmental footprint as well as their individual environmental impact."
Among Union Pacific's Earth Day plans are the following.
-- In metropolitan St. Louis, tree plantings, essay contests and kid-friendly environmental presentations are some of the activities Union Pacific employees will shepherd at schools in Dupo and East St. Louis, Illinois, as well as St. Louis and De Soto, Missouri.
-- In Colton, California, employee volunteers will work to clean up the Mary Vagle Nature Center, a nature trail preservation.
-- In Fort Worth, Texas, employees will join local volunteers in cleanup of two neighborhood parks and a community center.
-- In suburban Chicago, Union Pacific employees will help clean up a stretch of the Illinois Prairie Path, a 62-mile multi-use limestone trail.
-- In Cheyenne, Wyoming, Union Pacific will collaborate with the city, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, a local Boy Scout troop and other organizations on the Ames Avenue beautification project that will result in planting native grasses, trees and shrubs.
-- In Tucson, Union Pacific will donate materials to homes being constructed by the local Habitat for Humanity chapter.
-- In Houston, Union Pacific volunteers will present special environmental lessons to students at E.O. Smith School.
-- In South St. Paul, Minnesota, employee volunteers will work with other community organizations to help with the River Bike Path cleanup. Union Pacific's rail yard parallels the bike path.
Railroads Reduce America's Emissions
Many of the communities throughout Union Pacific's 23-state system can trace their origins directly to a Union Pacific depot.
Today, railroads are the freight transportation answer to reducing America's emissions and related greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to delivering the goods American families and businesses use every day, Union Pacific is playing a central role in supporting the renewable energy industry. The railroad delivers materials energy customers need to expand America's natural gas pipeline network, generate more electricity from wind and support the growing demand for ethanol under the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Union Pacific has the cleanest locomotive fleet in the industry with more than 75 percent certified under existing EPA Tier 0, Tier 1 and Tier 2 emissions standards. Union Pacific pioneered the Genset switching locomotive, which reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent, particulate matter by as much as 90 percent and reduces fuel use by 37 percent compared to older switching locomotives.
Reducing fuel consumption drives a smaller emissions profile. Union Pacific's continued work to improve fuel efficiency -- which is 20 percent better since 1998 -- and reduce emissions is wide ranging. Examples include:
-- Union Pacific's Fuel Masters Unlimited program that rewards locomotive engineers for efficiently operating trains.
-- Fuel conservation speed programs that limit the use of higher-throttle notches on trains.
-- A comprehensive process to reduce unnecessary locomotive idling time.
-- Implementing technology such as distributed power, GPS systems, virtual simulation training and ultrasonic wheel inspection of rail cars that contributes to creating a safer and more fluid rail network.
Freight railroads help reduce highway congestion which improves transit times, increases driver safety and reduces truck emissions. For example, a single Union Pacific double-stack train can take as many as 300 trucks off the highways.
Innovative thinking, technology development and the commitment of Union Pacific's people have been hallmarks of the railroad's nearly 150 years of service to America and are at the core of making Union Pacific one of the safest, most fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible modes of freight transportation.
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers and provides Americans with a fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly and safe mode of freight transportation. Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad emphasizes excellent customer service and offers competitive routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico.
