Developing strategic partnerships benefits our communities by increasing our ability to preserve and protect the environment and our natural resources.
NS is a member of the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s “SmartWay Transport” partnership with freight transporters. The initiative is designed to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by up to 73 million tons and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 220,000 tons. As part of the partnership, Norfolk Southern and the other largest U.S. railroads have committed to evaluating the environmental impacts of their operations and have agreed to work with the EPA to develop and implement plans to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions in coming years.
NS joined the Social, Environmental and Economic (S.E.E.) Change initiative of Business Roundtable, an effort among major American companies to promote sustainable growth.
NS is one of 27 member companies of S.E.E. Change, begun in 2005 to demonstrate how commitments to society and the environment can be compatible with business and economic growth.
“Railroads are the most environmentally friendly means of moving the goods that move the economy,” said F. Blair Wimbush, NS vice president real estate and corporate sustainability officer. “Norfolk Southern plans to work with the rest of the industry to keep that statement true a decade from now and a century from now. Our participation in S.E.E. Change gives us a great opportunity to work with meaningful, transparent, and measurable objectives as we move toward our goals.”
NS also boosts local economic development and enhances quality of life through public-private partnerships. Environmental benefits include easing congestion by taking trucks off highways and reducing fuel consumption and emissions. An example is CREATE, or Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program, which will reduce congestion and pollution in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Two big corridor projects, the Heartland Corridor connecting the mid-Atlantic and Midwest, and the I-81 Crescent Corridor between the Northeast and Southeast, will reduce freight transit times and fuel use, and help take freight traffic off already congested highways in those lanes. Both of these projects include partnerships with state and federal regulatory agencies and other railroads to improve the transportation network.
NS has worked diligently with stakeholders and regulatory agencies to develop streamlined approaches to implement these ambitious one-of-a-kind initiatives. Collaborative, innovative approaches are being used to ensure that these projects, which both have nationwide importance to our transportation network, are not unnecessarily delayed.
As our nation’s overall transportation network becomes more congested, we recognize that the ability we have at NS to alleviate congestion on the nation’s highways and the burden on our natural resources becomes exponentially more effective when we team with others. We believe that for us to succeed in fulfilling our vision to be the safest, most customer-focused and successful transportation company in the world, our actions must create benefits from the broadest perspectives for generations to come.
We recognize that we are not just a railroad. We are a transportation service provider that embraces working with other transportation service providers – including our competitors, whether they are other freight railroads or trucking companies – to create solutions that benefit our customers and have far-reaching significance to our nation’s transportation network and natural resources.
With each new alliance and partnership that pools our capabilities and shares our commitment to environmental stewardship with other stakeholders, it becomes more apparent that it’s the right thing to do, and it’s good for business.
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Executive Sponsors
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Wick Moorman |
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Deborah H. Butler |
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F. Blair Wimbush |
Environmental Policy Council
| Joseph C. Dimino VP Audit & Compliance |
Timothy J. Drake VP Engineering |
| Tim A. Heilig VP Mechanical |
A. Gayle Jordan General Solicitor |
| Bruno Maestri VP Government Relations |
Mark D. Manion EVP Operations |
| Stephen C. Tobias Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer |
Charles J. Wehrmeister VP Safety and Environmental |
| F. Blair Wimbush VP Real Estate and Corporate Sustainability Officer |
Sustainability Team
| Wade C. Bishop Director of Environmental Engineering and Audits |
Frank S. Brown AVP Corporate Communications |
| Don D. Graab AVP Mechanical |
Jack A. Groder Market Research Analyst |
| Helen M. Hart Assistant General Solicitor |
Jerri D. Parks Group Mgr. Planning – Intermodal Marketing Jerri.Parks@nscorp.com |
| Karin L. Stamy General Attorney |
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