A Green Railroad

Did you know that railroads are one of the most environmentally friendly modes of freight transportation? It's true. Freight trains are three times more fuel-efficient than over-the-road trucks and have less impact on greenhouse gas emissions than trucks.

Did You Know… Trains are 3 times cleaner than trucks on a ton-mile basis.

Union Pacific is continually improving its fuel efficiency through better locomotive technology, engineer training and employee involvement. UP is part of the SmartWay Transportation Partnership, an innovative collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency to increase energy efficiency while reducing greenhouse gasses and air pollution.

The result: Since 1994, UP has achieved a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. In 2007 alone, Union Pacific saved more than 21 million gallons of diesel fuel.

At the same time, Union Pacific's new transportation plan increases traffic flow and asset utilization. Both have a big impact on lowering fuel consumption.

Vision Statement

Union Pacific will be recognized as being environmentally responsible and the transportation leader in the safe movement of hazardous materials.

Mission Statement

• Prevention
  Prevent the causes of environmental damage that result from railroad operations or that of our lessees.
• Preparedness
  Develop partnership with internal and external customers to prepare for effective emergency response.
• Response
  Respond to emergencies involving hazardous and other environmentally sensitive materials to minimize health, environmental, operational, and financial impact to Union Pacific Railroad.
• Recovery
  Cleanup contamination for which Union Pacific is responsible.

Environmental Commitment

"At Union Pacific Railroad, we are committed to protecting the environment now and for future generations. Our employees, customers, shareholders and the communities we serve can expect our full compliance with all laws and regulations.

"Union Pacific is developing and investing in new technologies that provide for cleaner air and water, including a locomotive fleet that’s the greenest in the industry.

"Our employees understand that protecting the environment is part of every job, and they are creating and implementing world-class energy conservation techniques that are helping us to move more freight with less fuel.

"We will continue our leadership in caring for the environment while delivering the goods that America needs."

– Jim Young
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Union Pacific is committed to protecting the nation's environment. As North America's largest railroad, Union Pacific’s service territory spans the western two-thirds of the United States. More than 32,000 miles of track connect transportation hubs in Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans, and pass through pristine mountain areas in Oregon, California, Utah and Washington. UP trains carry coal, food, grain, ethanol, minerals, lumber, metals, automobiles and chemicals, and have a major impact on the country’s economy, especially in the South and the Southwest where the U.S. population is growing the fastest.

Green Technology >>

Green Technology

As North America's largest railroad, Union Pacific is aggressively working to become even "cleaner and greener" – and technology is playing an important role.

Did You Know… If just 10 percent of the freight moved by highway were diverted to rail, the nation could save as much as 1 billion gallons of fuel annually.

There are five sets – or tiers – of locomotive emission standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which are progressively more stringent. Over time, these standards require continuing reductions in locomotive exhaust emissions of nitrogen oxide, particulate matter and other pollutants.

With more than 60 percent of its road locomotives certified under existing EPA Tier 0, Tier 1 and Tier 2 standards, UP owns the cleanest fleet in the nation, using technology to further reduce fuel consumption and diesel engine exhaust-related emissions.

Railroads are committed to substantial reductions in atmospheric emissions. They endorse an EPA proposal that calls for a 60 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from locomotives manufactured beginning in 2005.

The Green Routine >>

The Green Routine

We believe that a greener world sometimes demands a shift in how we do our business.

Energy-saving features were a major part of the construction plan for Union Pacific Center, which opened in 2004. The 19-story building includes an atrium allowing in natural light, an under-floor cooling system providing comfort-conditioning for employees and power for business operation needs, and a computerized energy-management system.

For optimal efficiency, the building is equipped with an air-handling system that has variable speed fans and direct digital controls for computerized management of mechanical equipment and lighting. Instead of drawing in a standard amount of outside air, the ventilation system automatically adjusts fresh air for the number of people in the building. In addition, a hydraulic economizer is used in the cooling tower for optimal energy savings.

Union Pacific Center was recognized with an Energy Star® designation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and an Energy Innovators Award from the U.S. Department of Energy as one of the nation’s most energy-efficient buildings.

Changes in our day-to-day operations also are having a real "green" effect on our railroad.

Did You Know… One double-stack train can haul as much as 280 trucks.

Reduce, Recycle, Renew

Union Pacific's comprehensive waste reduction and recycling program touches nearly every part of the company.

Concerted efforts are being made to address high-volume items such as wooden track ties, used oil and e-waste.

Crossties

Whenever possible, track ties that are no longer needed are refurbished for use elsewhere in the UP system. Ties not used internally are sold to contractors.

In addition, Union Pacific has been using concrete ties for nearly 20 years and continues to add concrete ties to its system. Concrete is more durable in high-tonnage, high-traffic areas and requires less maintenance than wood. Because concrete lasts longer, it generates less waste. Composite ties are also being used as an alternative to wood ties in Arkansas, Louisiana and East Texas.

Fuel and Oil

Union Pacific's standard operating equipment for fueling and locomotive-maintenance activities includes automatic fuel-nozzle shutoffs to prevent overflows, drip pans to catch spills, separators to recover oil from industrial wastewater, tank gauges and alarms. On-board retention tanks capture residual oil from locomotive engines for proper disposal. In addition, recycling used oil is a high priority at Union Pacific. One hundred percent of the oil captured at fueling and servicing facilities is recycled.

E-waste

E-waste is generally characterized as computers and computer monitors, televisions, cell phones, DVDs, VCRs and audio equipment, and is one of the world's fastest-growing sources of waste.

As the use of electronic devices for personal and business use continues to grow, so does the amount of e-waste. At Union Pacific, any electronic equipment no longer needed is evaluated to determine if it can be recycled, reused or rebuilt. The company has recycled nearly 150,000 pounds of electronic equipment and nearly 5 million pounds of batteries since 2004.

Green Communities >>

Green Communities

Despite the company's thorough safety initiatives, occasionally accidents do happen.

Did You Know… Fuel efficiency for U.S. railroads has increased by 80 percent over the last 25 years. In 1980, a gallon of diesel fuel moved one ton of freight an average of 235 miles. In 2006, the same amount of fuel moved one ton of freight an average of 423 miles..

Union Pacific invests significant resources training local emergency responders, who often are first at the scene of a derailment. Since 1986, nearly 800 local response personnel have been trained at a formal test center in Pueblo, Colorado, which provides hands-on practice with simulated train derailments. Union Pacific invites emergency responders from communities across its system and pays 100 percent of their expenses.

Union Pacific also supports emergency response training programs in San Luis Obispo, California, and Longview, Texas. In addition, Union Pacific provides one-on-one training to any emergency response team upon request. Since 1979, Union Pacific has trained more than 165,000 local fire and law enforcement personnel.

Union Pacific also participates in industrywide "Whistle Stop" training tours that roll through communities every year. Nearly 6,000 local emergency responders have been reached through these various training programs provided locally, which focus on emergency response as it relates to all forms of transportation, including railroads and truck lines.

Emergency Response Committees

Union Pacific employees take an active role in state and local emergency planning committees, which were mandated by the federal government in 1984.

The government requires every state to form a State Emergency Response Commission; in turn, each state commission forms local emergency response committees. These committees consist of representatives from local fire and health departments, education, industry, transportation and the public. The committees receive information about chemicals located in their communities, and use this information to help formulate local emergency plans. Union Pacific requires its hazardous materials managers to participate in the local planning committees; railroad employees are involved at the state level as well.

In addition to providing local training and participating in local emergency planning committees, Union Pacific has established or participates in local advisory committees to give communities a forum to discuss health, safety, noise, environmental or any other railroad-related issues. A third party facilitates these meetings, which include a diverse group of community citizens and Union Pacific personnel. UP has formed advisory committees in Little Rock, Ark., North Platte, Neb., and San Antonio, Texas

TRANSCAER

Union Pacific was the first railroad to join and is actively involved in TRANSCAER ® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response), a national initiative to improve community awareness of hazardous materials transportation throughout the country.

UP is participating with The Dow Chemical Company to create a safety train to provide free railroad and chemical transportation training to local firefighters and emergency response personnel. The train is equipped with a classroom and training center on rails. TRANSCAER is one of eight strategic goals Dow and UP are jointly addressing, as outlined in a memorandum of cooperation established in 2007. For Dow, TRANSCAER also is an integral part of the Company's long-standing commitment to local protection of human health and the environment, one of the foundational tenets of Dow's 2015 Sustainability Goals.

UP also participates in Responsible Care , the chemical industry's national quality initiative to improve processes related to safety, health, environment and security beyond levels required by the U.S. government. Union Pacific was the only railroad to be certified under Responsible Care 2000 standards, and was the first railroad to be certified under 2004 standards. Certification requires outside auditors to review the company’s management practices at headquarters and in the field.

Emergency Contact

UP has created a single, nationwide 24-hour emergency hotline to report hazardous materials releases, personal injuries, criminal activities, illegal dumping or other environmental incidents. Calls for the toll-free number go to UP's Response Management Communication Center (RMCC), which immediately takes action based on the nature of the call. Additionally, UP has installed emergency notification signs at thousands of rail crossings. Each sign carries a unique Department of Transportation number. The DOT number enables RMCC to identify the motorist's exact location. If, for instance, a vehicle is stuck on the track, the dispatcher is notified to stop train traffic.

Green Success >>

Green Success

Making a greener environment is a long road marked with many milestones along the way. Union Pacific's J.R. Davis Yard in Roseville, California, is one of those milestones.

Following the merger of Southern Pacific into Union Pacific in the late '90s, Union Pacific undertook a major reconstruction and modernization of the Roseville rail yard. The $142 million dollar renovation transformed the rail yard into UP's most modern railroad classification yard in the western United States

Today, the J.R. Davis Yard receives daily trains from Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, the Central Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Approximately 98 percent of all rail traffic in Northern California moves through the yard. Modernization has reduced car handling in Roseville by about 400 per day.

More efficient rail car processing has reduced transit times by up to five days for at least 75 percent of all rail traffic moving through Roseville. Consequently, consumers and businesses in Roseville, Northern California and beyond receive their products more expeditiously and economically.

CARB

Did You Know… Trains are more than 3 times as fuel efficient as trucks on a ton-mile basis.

In October 2004, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released results of an extensive modeling effort that examined diesel emissions from ongoing operations at Union Pacific's J.R. Davis Yard in Roseville, Calif.

Using CARB's modeling results, Union Pacific targeted the major source areas and announced a plan to reduce emissions by 10 percent. Union Pacific expects to achieve that goal with the delivery of additional Genset locomotives in 2008. The reductions would be attained using a combination of new technology, operational changes and new equipment.

From 2000 to 2004, Union Pacific estimates that it reduced emissions from the Davis Yard by 15 percent, so the company actually will reduce emissions by up to 25 percent from baseline levels in just seven years. The plan includes:

• Moving and Modifying Load Test Procedures – In 2000, UP reorganized testing operations at the yard so that they were located further from nearby residences. In addition, UP increased the use of locomotives that could be tested more quickly.
• Auto Stop-Start Installations – UP now has more than 3,400 locomotives with computer-controlled devices that limit engine idling to only the time necessary to ensure safe and reliable operation. By mid-2008, 100 percent of all intra-California locomotives will be fitted with idle-control devices. Twenty-one of these locomotives were retrofitted using funds jointly awarded by the Placer County Air Pollution Control District and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District in 2003.
• Operational Efficiency Improvements – UP has optimized the manner in which trains are configured at the Roseville Yard, reducing the amount of locomotive operations necessary to assemble trains.

Building on the successful Davis Yard plan, Union Pacific and BNSF Railway signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CARB in 2005 to reduce diesel emissions in and around the state's rail yards. This important agreement – which takes advantage of the learning and improvements at the Davis Yard – calls for reductions that will be greater and quicker than any that could have resulted from regulatory or state processes.

CARB estimated the MOU would reduce particulate emissions by approximately 20 percent at rail yards when the program’s elements are phased in. Union Pacific expects to spend up to $20 million implementing the program.

The MOU is an extension of the historical partnership Union Pacific shares with its California communities. The successes in the City of Roseville and the J.R. Davis Yard provide an excellent case study of how the railroad is growing with the community in an environmentally responsible way.

UP's continuing goal is to be a responsive community member that listens to community concerns. UP holds quarterly meetings with Roseville community leaders and nearby residents to keep the lines of communications open between the railroad and its neighbors.

In conjunction with CARB, the J.R. Davis Yard has served as a model for development of Health Risk Assessments in 16 other cities throughout California. UP meets with community representatives to discuss results of the assessments and potential measures to reduce emissions.

Green Reference >>

Green Reference

UP and the Environment
UP's Environmental White Paper (PDF File) Chemical Transportation Safety and Responsible Care State Spill Reporting Requirements Circumstance or Product Guidelines Quick Reference Guide Environmental Management Contact Lists Environmental Management Group Locations	Environmental Terms Glossary In Our Communities America's Freight Rail System: Environmental Benefits Association of American Railroads Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) site Steps You Can Take to Reduce Emissions Guidelines from the EPA

Green Facts >>

Green Facts

We don't think there's anything trivial about the following trivia that highlights why railroads are one of the most environmentally friendly modes of freight transportation.

• Trains are 3 times more fuel efficient and cleaner than trucks on a ton-mile basis.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that for every ton-mile, a typical truck emits roughly three times more oxides of nitrogen and particulates than a locomotive. Other studies suggest that trucks emit six to 12 times more pollutants per ton-mile than do railroads, depending upon the pollutant measured.
• If just 10 percent of the freight moved by highway were diverted to rail, the nation could save as much as 1 billion gallons of fuel annually.

• According to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 1.2 million fewer tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be emitted into the air annually if 1 percent of the long-haul freight now moving by highway shifted to rail.
• Fuel efficiency for U.S. railroads has increased by 80 percent over the last 25 years. In 1980, a gallon of diesel fuel moved one ton of freight an average of 235 miles. In 2006, the same amount of fuel moved one ton of freight an average of 423 miles.
• Railroads and rail suppliers have reduced the weight and increased the capacity of rail cars to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The average freight car capacity is now nearly 100 tons, up 17 percent in just the past 20 years.
• One double-stack train can haul as much as 280 trucks.

If 25 percent of truck freight were diverted to rail, by 2025 it would lead to these annual savings:

• 30 million fewer tons of greenhouse gas emissions
• A savings of 2.8 billion gallons of fuel
• A savings of 43 hours wasted in congested traffic – more than an entire work week – for every commuter. This translates to 3.6 billion hours for all U.S. commuters.