Norfolk Southern's coastal conservation in Virginia sets record

Norfolk Southern Railway's shoreline restoration program at Lamberts Point in Virginia recently set a record for the state's nutrient credit program.

A marine terminal serving NS operations, Lamberts Point shoreline has been eroding, threatening water quality, land and wildlife, NS officials said in an article on the Class I's "Story Yard" blog. 

Instead of using traditional stone barriers to hinder erosion, NS opted to build a living shoreline, which has stabilized the land after several years of work. Using native plants, oysters and sustainable grading techniques, NS strengthened the area's natural habitat, improved water quality and protected the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, NS officials said.

In Virginia, such work generates nutrient credits from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The Lamberts Point restoration is so large that NS recently completed the largest deposit of nutrient credits in the state's history, according to NS.

Companies and municipalities in Virginia looking to offset their own environmental impact from water discharge can purchase nutrient credits from companies which have earned them, which in turn fund further restoration efforts. 

NS has restored over 1,500 feet of shoreline at Lamberts Point, protecting the land from further erosion. In doing so, the company generated over 10,000 pounds of nitrogen, 2,000 pounds of phosphorus, and 3.5 million pounds of sediment credits. Over the next decade, NS expects a financial return up to four or five times the cost of restoring the shoreline by selling nutrient credits, according to the article.

NS worked with Advanced Carbon Restored Ecosystem Investment's conservation plus company and Eco-Cap to manage and sell the credits. The Class I is exploring other properties in Virginia to extend the living shoreline project.