U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Federal lawmakers and environmental groups are urging the DOT to reject the use of tax-exempt "private equity bonds" to fund the Uinta Basin Railway.

Lawmakers, Environmental Groups Urge DOT to Reject Use of Bonds to Fund Uinta Basin Railway

U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), along with more than 150 environmental groups, some from as far away as New Jersey, have sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reject the use of tax-exempt “private activity bonds” for the Uinta Basin Railway, stating that the project would “undermine President Biden’s priority of addressing the climate crisis, and harm communities through which these oil trains will travel and where this oil will be refined.”

Image that includes the site of former Houston Wood Preserving Works, Courtesy of UP, via Twitter

UP Advances Environmental Assessment, Testing at HWPW

More environmental assessment and testing will take place at the former Houston Wood Preserving Works (HWPW), which closed in 1984, according to Union Pacific (UP). The Class I railroad inherited the Houston, Tex., site in 1997 after its merger with Southern Pacific Transportation Company (Southern Pacific Railroad).

G&W, EPA Reach Environmental Settlement

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Jan. 24 announced a settlement with Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services Inc. (G&W) and its affiliated companies for what it called a violation of Clean Air Act (CAA) locomotive regulations.

In January, Metra’s Board of Directors approved a $1.8 billion purchase of up to 500 Alstom multilevels to replace aging bi-level gallery cars.
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Supply Side: Alstom, Grignard Pure, Nexxiot

Alstom will receive a $3.4 million federal grant to expand its Hornell, N.Y., manufacturing facility. In addition, Grignard Pure LLC’s antimicrobial air treatment solution has received EPA approval for use in intrastate transit and transportation applications, and Nexxiot has teamed with TransRail Innovation Group (TRIG) to provide freight car monitoring.