CSX Employee Recognized with 2017 Industry Award for Environmental Excellence

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Oct. 24, 2017 -- CSX employee Matthew T. Williamson today received the 2017 North American Environmental Employee Excellence Award from the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the highest honor for industry environmental professionals. Williamson, an environmental field services & industrial hygiene manager and CSX employee of seven years, joins a growing list of company employees to receive the honor in recent years.

“Matthew embodies a dedication to environmental compliance and innovative, results-oriented thinking,” said Bryan Rhode, CSX’s vice president of public safety, health and environment. “He fills a vital role coordinating environmental, health and safety-related initiatives that generate considerable cost savings for CSX, while also promoting sustainability and responsible behavior.”

Over the course of his career, Williamson has designed processes and protocols for a variety of environmental stewardship initiatives. His accomplishments include:

• Conducting a lighting survey that resulted in a transition from metal halide bulbs and fluorescents to LEDs and the implementation of motion-operated lights, enabling energy savings and increased lighting levels in work areas.
• Developing cost-effective solutions to environmental issues, including plans for oil recycling, paint and paint thinner reduction (generating 70% reductions), and accountability for the inspection of trains carrying solid waste to landfills.
• Implementing a solution to improve efficiency in the pretreatment process at wastewater treatment plants, a cost-saving solution that could easily be replicated across the railroad’s system.
• Serving as the Environmental Safety and Health Liaison between CSX and other rail companies to ensure compliance with environmental and health and safety regulations, plans and permits.

AAR’s North American Environmental Employee Excellence Award recognizes leading contributions to environmental responsibility and excellence in the industry. Williamson is the eighth CSX employee to receive this honor in the last 16 years.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Safety Technology and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from Marshall University. Williamson is based in Huntington, West Virginia, where he started his career with CSX as an industrial hygienist.

About CSX

CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company. It provides rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural, and consumer products. For over 190 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation's economic expansion and industrial development. Its network connects every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the nation's population resides. It also links more than 240 short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major population centers and farming towns alike. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at http://www.csx.com and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialCSX).

Contact:
Robert Doolittle
202-626-4939
Rob_Doolittle@csx.com