Around The Railroad

UP Chairman's Award, Chafee Environmental Award

Schafer Recognized for Environmental Excellence

April 25, 2008 | 12:00 p.m. CDT

Debra Schafer, general director-MOW environment, received the rail industry's prestigious John H. Chafee Award for Environmental Excellence during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., this week.

The annual award recognizes the railroad employee who best demonstrates outstanding environmental performance, awareness and responsibility. Schafer is the third Union Pacific employee to receive the award in the last four years, and the first woman ever to earn the honor.

"There is no one more deserving of this award than Debra," said Bob Grimaila, senior assistant vice president-safety, environment and security. "Whether on or off the clock, Debra consistently works to promote environmental awareness teaching others through example. Her genuine concern for the environment translates into her everyday activities and her efforts are truly extraordinary."

With nearly 30 years' service, Schafer has been instrumental in guiding and formulating environmental-management tools for companywide use including:

• Shaping UP's air program, most notably in California, where regulations continue to tighten.
• Creating and implementing UP's air compliance audit program.
• Compiling and organizing UP's compliance data critical to instituting current and future compliance activities.
• Guiding the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) planning and permitting process, providing ESA clearances for railroad activities in the Caliente Subdivision for the next 30 years.
• Training more than 300 employees on environmental permitting.
• Developing an employee handbook that identifies environmentally sensitive locations with corresponding "Best Management Practices." 
• Designing a "Permit Management System database," where employees can access environmental, regulatory and permitting information for every location on the system.

Noting Schafer's experience, Bill Van Trump, assistant vice president-Engineering maintenance, says her ongoing efforts throughout the Frazier, Ore., mudslide clean-up have been remarkable. "Debra's involved all regulatory agencies, ensuring total compliance at all times," Van Trump said. "Her constant communication with everyone involved allows us to avoid possible delays during this momentous project."

UP nominated Schafer for the Chafee Award after she won the 2007 UP Chairman's Environmental Award, recognizing an employee who demonstrates outstanding environmental awareness, leadership and responsibility.

Past Union Pacific Chafee Award winners include Wayne Kennedy, general director-fuel conservation, Omaha, in 2005 for creating the Fuel Masters program, and Tom Franklin, manager-locomotive mechanical, North Little Rock, Ark., in 2004 for developing regulators that prevent fuel spills for automatic shut-off equipment.