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One of the best ways to decrease harbor congestion and air pollution is to use trains rather than trucks to move cargo. That is why we support the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) proposal to build a rail terminal a short hop from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
- Long Beach Press-Telegram editorial
May 10, 2007
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Rail is the most environmentally friendly way to move freight over land. BNSF works diligently to protect the environment, the health and safety of its employees, and the communities where they live and work. Respect for the environment takes concrete action through environmental compliance, pollution prevention, risk reduction, employee awareness, responsible contracting, and environmental reporting.
BNSF is the only railway member of the Global Environmental Management Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering environmental, health, and safety excellence. Members include environmental leaders and managers from Con Agra, Dow Chemical, DuPont, General Motors, FedEx, Motorola and other Fortune 500 companies.
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
BNSF is committed to acquisition of new cleaner burning, fuel-efficient locomotives and increased use of ultra-low emission, gen-set and hybrid “Green Goat” switchers, LNG yard equipment and idle-reduction technology.
The company works hard to improve air quality in the communities it serves, including the Southern California region, by acquiring new locomotives and retiring older, less efficient ones. Between 1996 and the end of 2006, BNSF acquired more than 2,800 cleaner burning, fuel-efficient locomotives representing about half of its current fleet. BNSF is committed to supporting the use of alternative fuels, and has had two Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) locomotives in service for years and leased the only other two in the country. In addition, BNSF has leased a “Green Goat” hybrid switch engine and has put it into service in the Southern California basin.
BNSF has also taken other steps to reduce fuel consumption and air emissions by using low-torque bearings, adjusting train speeds and reducing locomotive idling through implementation of automatic shutdown features.
BNSF signed an agreement in 1998 with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to increase the number of cleaner-burning locomotives operating in the region and replace older engines at a cost of about $1.7 million for each new cleaner locomotive. According to CARB, this agreement could reduce the railroads’ emissions by as much as 67 percent. In fact, CARB calls the agreement “…the most aggressive scrappage and replacement program of any transportation source…”
In 2005, BNSF voluntarily entered into an additional statewide agreement with CARB to further reduce diesel emissions at California rail yards by eliminating non-essential locomotive idling, maximizing use of low-sulfur diesel and implementing a visible emissions-reduction program, among other measures. In fact, BNSF has exceeded the agreement’s first year goal for installation of idle shutdown devices.
Air Resources Board - Update on the Implementation of the 2005 ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement
BNSF is committed to working with the Port of Los Angeles, the local community and regulators to ensure that SCIG uses the latest, proven state-of-the-art and environmentally-friendly technology available.
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