AAR’s 2016 Professional Environmental Excellence Award goes to Norfolk Southern’s Russ McDaniel

AAR

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) awarded the 2016 Professional Environmental Excellence Award, described as the highest honor for environmental professionals in the railroad industry, to Russ McDaniel of Norfolk Southern (NS) today. 

The award was presented during the Railroad Environmental Conference at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The AAR says the annual award recognizes an individual who has exhibited exceptional performance in environmental awareness and responsibility.

“Railroads and environmental preservation go hand-in-hand and we proudly honor those who exhibit a commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Edward R. Hamberger, AAR president and CEO. “Russ and railroad employees like him bring a range of environmental expertise, making them an integral part of the industry’s successful environmental program in countless ways.”

McDaniel entered the rail industry more than 20 years ago, and representatives say he has made significant contributions to environmental awareness both at NS and throughout the industry.

During his time at NS, McDaniel has held several engineering positions in the environmental department, eventually taking on his current position as the Director of Environmental Engineering, Remediation and Compliance. He manages remediation of impacted sites, compliance with air and water permits and management of storm water protection and spill preparedness plans, among other areas, as well.

McDaniel and his team also took on a $10 million, multi-year project to remediate a site that was home to a rail car manufacturing facility for nearly 100 years. The team worked with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to restore 79 acres of the site for industrial use.

McDaniel was one of eight railroad industry members nominated for the 2016 Professional Environmental Excellence Award. 

The other nominees are as follows:

• Carl Akins – Kansas City Southern
• George Bray – Amtrak
• Stuart Boykin – CSX
• Todd Cabonor –Metra
• Chantele Despres – Canadian National
• Susana Lizcano Gonzalez – Union Pacific
• Gregory Jeffries – BNSF