CSX's Adkins wins AAR environmental professional award

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) yesterday named CSX Corp. Manager of Environmental Remediation Matthew Adkins the winner of the 2013 Professional Environmental Excellence Award, the sixth CSX employee to receive the honor in the past 12 years. The award recognizes an individual who demonstrates exemplary environmental awareness and work performance.

A longtime CSX employee, Adkins began his career as an environmental specialist in Corbin, Ky., in 1996. He recently led a team that successfully remediated the former Gautier Oil creosote treatment plant in Gautier, Miss., spending nine years investigating, designing and executing a plan to restore and enhance the 24-acre coastal site, CSX officials said in a press release.

A strong proponent of continuing education, Adkins also helps develop training courses and materials for CSX employees and other industry professionals. He was instrumental in creating the "Direct to Locomotive Fuel Vendor Review" protocol, which evaluates vendors' work performance, and provides a means for additional training and constructive feedback, CSX officials said. The protocol resulted in an increase in compliance reviews from nine inspections in 2007 to 150 inspections in 2012 at 39 facilities, according to the AAR.

"Matt is an exemplary steward of CSX's environmental efforts who has successfully managed a number of complex remediation projects, demonstrating strong leadership, creativity and superior project management skills," said Skip Elliott, CSX's vice president of public safety, health and environment.

The other six nominees for the AAR award were BNSF Railway Co. Director of Hazardous Materials Edward Chapman, Norfolk Southern Corp. Manager of Environmental Operations Joseph Gennette, Canadian Pacific Director of Hazardous Materials Programs Jim Kozey, CN Manager of Environment-Western Canada David Sutherland, Amtrak Environmental Coordinator Sandra Yan and Union Pacific Railroad Manager of Litigation-Environment Marsha Woodward.

Adkins is the second CSX employee to win an AAR environmental award this year. In May, Rick McNey, who manages maintenance for CSX's Curtis Bay Pier in Baltimore, won the association's 2013 John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award for his commitment to environmental stewardship.