CSXT Employee Named Rail Industry's Top Environmentalist
AAR Names Michael E. O'Malley as winner of the 2009 Chafee Award

CSX's Michael E. O'Malley, assistant chief engineer-facilities, received the railroad industry's most prestigious environmental award, the John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award, which is presented annually by the Association of American Railroads. He was one of five railroaders nominated. Other nominees included Dean Forshee from BNSF, E. Thomas Meyer from Amtrak-Chicago, Patrick O'Leary from the UP, and John Tomlin from NS.

The award is named after the late Rhode Island Senator John Chafee, a champion of both railroading and environmental stewardship. Also honored at the reception in Washington, D.C., was Delaware Senator Thomas Carper, who received the Congressional Chafee Award, which annually goes to a member of Congress who has shown significant dedication to preservation of the environment.

Senator Carper presented the award to O'Malley during the April 21 ceremony. O'Malley's wife also attended the event, where AAR President and CEO Edward Hamberger spoke on behalf of his organization.

"Michael O'Malley is a committed environmentalist," Hamberger said. "Currently he is managing two ongoing LEED certification projects that are expected to set the company's building standards for years to come. He has also led CSX efforts to install and use solar power whenever feasible. Over just the past five years, his efforts have produced net energy cost savings to CSX of $9.3 million, while at the same time significantly reducing global climate emissions."

LEED certification is the recognized standard in the U.S. and in several other countries for measuring building sustainability and environmental quality.

"Mike's work and that of his team in reducing CSXT's facility energy use have had a profound effect on CSXT's capacity to move forward in its role as an environmental leader in our industry," said Carl Gerhardstein, director-Environmental Systems. "His is the very best expression of our employees' ongoing efforts to improve our company and the environment through innovation and focus."