Union Pacific Railroad Participating in More Than 100 Earth Day Events in Nearly 70 Communities
For Immediate Release:
Omaha, Neb., April 15, 2010 - 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.
Media contact: Tom Lange at (402) 544-3560 or tomlange@up.com.
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Omaha, Neb., April 15, 2010 - 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.
Media contact: Tom Lange at (402) 544-3560 or tomlange@up.com.
# # #