American Chemistry Council members late last year reported experiencing shipping delays, shortages of raw materials and increased transportation costs—disruptions that “proved costly, with more than one-third of companies reporting additional costs exceeding $20 million over a one-year period,” according to an association survey.
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has denied a shipper group request to pause its proposed rulemaking on a voluntary arbitration program aimed at resolving small rate cases.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Oct. 21 convened a hearing on the state of the U.S. passenger and freight rail network. Railroad, shipping and union representatives provided testimony, which included the impacts of COVID-19, legislative considerations for surface transportation reauthorization, and Amtrak’s ongoing struggles. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) is Chair of the Committee. Following are highlights from the presenters, with downloadable PDFs of their full written testimony.
The American Chemistry Council has named OmniTRAX, Inc., a Broe Group company, to its Responsible Care® Partner Program, the chemical manufacturing industry’s environmental, health, safety and security performance initiative. OmniTRAX joins North America’s seven Class I freight railroads as the ACC’s first short line partner “to reconfirm the company’s commitment to continuous improvement in environment, health, safety and security,” the company said.
In July 11, 2018 commentary published in the Washington Examiner, AAR President and CEO Ed Hamberger teamed with American Chemistry Council President and CEO Cal Dooley and American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Jack Gerard to point out the inherent folly of President Donald Trump’s planned imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum, which would almost certainly cause a simmering trade war with vital economic partners to boil out of control, killing jobs and flushing U.S. economic security into the sewer.
CN announced on May 5, 2016 it has been recognized as one of the three recipients of the prestigious Responsible Care Partner of the Year award of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), as well as a a 2015 National Achievement Award from Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response (TRANSCAER®).
Successful baseball pitchers learn to throw first-pitch strikes and stay aggressive in the strike zone when their team is in the lead. Life imitates baseball, meaning railroad spokespersons will serve their industry well over the next 10 weeks if they similarly perform—first before a congressional subcommittee examining 35 years of partial economic deregulation under the Staggers Rail Act, and then the Surface Transportation Board (STB) as it considers shipper entreaties that the railroads’ improved financial condition warrants tightening of the strike zone.
Transcaer® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response), a voluntary national outreach organization, on Thursday announced the recipients of its 2012 National Awards Recognition Program. Several railroads were among the award winners.