Class I Briefs: BNSF, CN

BNSF's Sustainability Awards are awarded annually in recognition of achievements made by customers in investments in circular economy infrastructure, supply chain efficiencies, sustainable technology, and more.

BNSF Railway (BNSF) recognizes customers for significant achievement in sustainability. Also, CN replaces propane-powered forklift with electric forklift reducing 7.6 metric tons of CO2 a year from the environment.

BNSF

BNSF is honoring six customers with its inaugural BNSF Sustainability Awards for success in making their operations more sustainable. The BNSF Sustainability Awards are presented annually to companies that are “challenging the status quo when it comes to implementing sustainable practices in their respective industries.” Award recipients are recognized for significant achievement in one of several categories, including: Investments in Circular Economy Infrastructure, Supply Chain Efficiencies and Sustainable Technology Implementation.

The winners of BNSF’s 2022 Sustainability Awards are:

• U. S. Steel’s Big River Steel
• Chevron Phillips Chemical
• Ford Motor Company
• Global Clean Energy
• J.B. Hunt
• Marathon Petroleum Corporation

“At BNSF, we continue to partner with forward-thinking companies and organizations who recognize that sustainable supply chain solutions benefit all stakeholders involved,” said BNSF Vice President, Environment and Sustainability John Lovenburg. “The winners of the BNSF Sustainability Award are helping us build green supply chains that increase efficiencies and reduce emissions, positively impacting the environment and the communities we serve.”

For full descriptions of the award recipients’ achievements, visit BNSF Sustainability Awards.

When it comes to sustainability, BNSF says the advantages of rail are clear. “At BNSF, we are doing more than just helping to reduce our customers’ carbon emissions; we are also leading the way when it comes to sustainability.” Find out more by visiting Orange is the new Green.

CN

When CN’s old propane-powered forklift, built in 1988, needed to be replaced in the Prince George Mechanical Car Shop last year, Senior Manager and EcoChampion Michael Provencal decided to go electric. “It was the way to go to support CN’s sustainability efforts and contribute to the Company’s goal of reducing carbon emissions,” said Provencal, who applied to the EcoFund to recoup the cost of the $80,000 BYD (Build Your Dream) machine.

“The old forklift was always breaking down and using about 288 bottles of propane a year at about $35 each bottle, and about 24 liters per year of traditional motor oil to maintain its engine. The new forklift is just as powerful as the one it replaced but better for the environment.”

Going electric, CN says, has reduced 7.6 metric tons of CO2 a year from the environment and is projected to save the shop $12,200 a year in fuel and maintenance costs. According to the railway, the purchase has also increased operator safety by eliminating fluid spills and pinch points from open hoods and various fan and alternator belts in the machine that occur during the maintenance of the unit.

“It’s a great machine that’s super quiet and efficient,” says Inventory Maintainer and Chief Operator of the forklift Danny Doan. “We can operate it for about six hours straight before it needs charging, which takes under an hour to do and doesn’t have to be hardwired into the warehouse power supply.”

For added safety, to compensate for the machine’s quiet sound, a blue light in the front and back of the machine and orange blinking strobe light warns people when the machine is moving. In addition, a scale mounted onto the windshield and body of the forklift indicates the weight of each load.

In July, Railway Age reported on another EcoChampion, Syed Tibu who, along with Suzanne Carlson and Patrick Noonan, took on the challenge of upgrading the outdated wastewater treatment plants at CN’s MacMillan (Toronto) and Prince George (British Columbia) yards.

CN’s EcoConnexions Employee Engagement program–a partnership with Earth Rangers–“drives sustainability across CN’s network by empowering employees and their families to conserve energy, reduce waste and improve housekeeping.”