Chemical Transportation Safety and Responsible Care

San Antonio Community Advisory Panel

Minutes of Meeting July 21, 2009, Sunset Station, Harrisburg House

Attending: Mike Bennett, Bill Bourne, Lynn Britton, Paul Calandres, Russell Ehlinger, Ernest Fernandez, Paul Garro, Ivan Jaime, Dan McShane, Meghan Oswald, Joe Ramos, Freddie B. Taylor, Shelly Underwood, Ken Kuwamura, Craig Johnson, Linda Ximenes

The July meeting of the San Antonio Union Pacific Community Advisory Panel focused on chemical safety and the efforts UP makes to improve the safety of its employees and the communities in which it operates. Craig Johnson, General Director of Chemical Transportation Safety, emphasized the importance that UP puts on safety, particularly when it comes to the transportation chemicals and hazardous materials.

Several mechanisms UP has in place keep the number of hazardous materials problems low. The Toxic Inhalation Hazard Team and the Positive Handoff Process are only two of them.

Texas is second highest for Non-accidental Releases and part of that has to do with many new customers transporting ethanol. Their lack of experience with how to safeguard against releases is one of the primary causes of these releases. UP is working with them to train their employees about securing their cargo better. He noted they have gone to great lengths to train customers on how to properly secure their cargo.

He pointed out that UP is obligated to carry hazardous materials as part of the Common Carrier Obligation that is regulated by the Service Transportation Board. He added that rail is probably the safest way to transport these materials.

Paul Person, Manager of Environmental Field Operations and Manager of Hazardous Materials, reviewed many of the practices UP has in place that have to do with safety and accident prevention. He noted that UP donated a locomotive to the San Antonio Fire Academy for use as a training tool for firefighters in San Antonio and the region. He has trained all the classes of cadets at the academy since 1994 to improve the firefighters ability to respond to derailments and other accidents better.

Mr. Person explained that the Environmental Management Group considers different issues related to site remediation, environmental operations and hazardous materials and environmental affairs to address future needs.

He also told the group about how fuel costs impact UP since it is the largest consumer of diesel fuel in the country. There are several practices they use that reduce their fuel consumption.

For more information on what UP is doing related to the environment, go to www.up.com

Tentative Future Meetings: