Around The Railroad

More Than 50 Different Activities Systemwide

UP Employees Celebrate Earth Day

April 8, 2009 | 09:05 a.m. CDT

Employees continue "going green" this month, celebrating Earth Day with more than 50 activities in nearly 40 communities systemwide.

"Environmental stewardship is a value that touches all of our lives on a daily basis, both at work and at home," said Bob Grimaila, senior assistant vice president-Safety and Environment. "Our employees recognize that while Earth Day is an excellent platform to promote environmental stewardship, what we do to reduce our environmental footprint the other 364 days a year is even more important."

UP's Earth Day activities range from participating in a forest preserve restoration and cleanup project in Chicago, to holding a shoe recycling drive in conjunction with a centennial celebration in Roseville, Calif. The company also is educating students on the environment at a Houston grade school and is hosting a community Earth Day fair at UP Center.

"We consider every day to be Earth Day at Union Pacific," Grimaila said. "It shows in how we conduct our business."

Union Pacific has been the industry pioneer in identifying and adopting new locomotive technologies, including the ultra-low emission Genset switcher, and it boasts the greenest locomotive fleet of any North American railroad.

Railroads also are the safest, most environmentally friendly and fuel efficient mode of freight transportation. For example, one Union Pacific intermodal train can take 280 trucks off America's congested highways. In addition, if just 10 percent of highway freight moved by rail instead, the country annually would save more than one billion gallons of fuel.

UP's comprehensive waste reduction and recycling program touches nearly every part of the organization, making a concerted effort to address high-volume items such as wooden track ties, used oil and e-waste.

"Our mission today is the same as it was when Abraham Lincoln directed the company to build the transcontinental railroad, and that is to serve," Grimaila said. "It's a responsibility we take seriously, and it's one that includes setting the industry standard for environmental stewardship."

See Union Pacific Earth Day events for more information on systemwide activities.