Major Public-Private Partnership Brings Cleaner Air to Maryland

BALTIMORE, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Public and private sector representatives today unveiled the state's first ultra-low emission GenSet locomotive at an event at Baltimore's Camden Station. Jointly funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and CSX, the locomotive will be used at CSX's Curtis Bay Yard in Baltimore, significantly reducing nitrous oxide, particulate matter and CO2 emissions in the area.

CSX joined EPA, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the non-profit Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association (MARAMA) to celebrate this milestone in an ongoing effort to reduce emissions.

GenSet locomotives are part of CSX's commitment to meet the nation's transportation needs in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, said Lisa Mancini, CSX senior vice president of human resources and labor relations. This unveiling demonstrates how the public and private sectors can work together to improve the environment and the flow of commerce.

MARAMA submitted the application for an EPA funding grant for the GenSet locomotive. The EPA grant, funded by the American Reinvestment & Recovery Act, covered 65 percent of the $1.4 million needed to upgrade the locomotive, and CSX contributed the remaining funds as part of its commitment to reducing emissions and using less fuel.

This project is an important contribution to MARAMA's goal of reducing diesel emissions throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region, said Susan Wierman, Executive Director of MARAMA. Emissions of diesel particulate and nitrogen oxides contribute to pollution not only locally but also downwind. It's a great project, and we're gratified that state and local air quality agencies in this region could help make it happen.

At the celebration, EPA also announced that it will partner with CSX on a second DERA-funded GenSet locomotive to be operated by CSX in the same area. MDOT submitted the application for EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funds on behalf of CSX, which will match the federal grant of $975,000 with $425,000 in private funding.

We are pleased that U.S. EPA has provided incentives to the freight community to be smarter, greener neighbors, said Caitlin Hughes Rayman, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and Freight at MDOT. Together with forward-looking partners like CSX, we will continue to pursue new and innovative ways for transportation to deliver cleaner air to Maryland's citizens.

GenSet locomotives reduce nitrous oxide and particulate matter emissions by approximately 80 percent and can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent through technologies that monitor engine idling and switch to sleep mode after a period of inactivity.

While Maryland's air is the cleanest it has been since the Clean Air Act passed, we still need to do more, MDE Secretary Shari T. Wilson said. Repowering this CSX locomotive with cleaner engines reduces emissions of particulate matter, or soot, by 80% -- technology upgrades create and retain jobs and improve air quality.

The locomotives made possible through these public-private partnerships are the first of their kind to be operated in Maryland. The introduction of GenSet locomotives throughout CSX's network is part of the company's work to reduce its carbon dioxide intensity eight percent by 2011. Over the last decade, CSX has invested more than $1.5 billion to upgrade its locomotive fleet with technology that reduces fuel consumption and air pollutant emissions. Through these efforts, the company has improved its fuel efficiency by more than 90 percent since 1980.

CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the leading transportation companies, providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. The company's transportation network spans 21,000 miles with service to 23 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and connects to more than 70 ocean, river, and lake ports. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at the company's web site, www.csx.com.

The mission of the Maryland Department of the Environment is to protect and restore the quality of Maryland's air, water, and land resources, while fostering smart growth, economic development, healthy and safe communities, and quality environmental education for the benefit of the environment, public health, and future generations.

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) oversees highway, transit, aviation, maritime and motor vehicle registration agencies in the state with an annual operating and capital budget of more than $3 billion. MDOT is an aggressive participant in Governor Martin O'Malley's Smart, Green and Growing Initiative. The Initiative brings together state and local government, businesses and citizens to create more livable communities, improve transportation options, reduce the state's carbon footprint, invest in green technologies, preserve valuable resource lands and restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association, Inc. is a voluntary, non-profit association of ten state and local air pollution control agencies. MARAMA's mission is to strengthen the skills and capabilities of member agencies and to help them work together to prevent and reduce air pollution in the Mid-Atlantic Region. MARAMA provides cost-effective approaches to regional collaboration by pooling resources to develop and analyze data, share ideas, and train staff to implement common requirements.