AAR awards 2009 Professional Environmental Excellence award
Written by jrood
The Association of American Railroads awarded the 2009 Environmental Excellence Award to CSX Transportation employee Paul Kurzanski. A 30-year veteran of the railroad industry, Kurzanski currently serves as manager of environmental remediation with CSXT in Jacksonville, Fla. The award was presented at the annual Railroad Environmental Conference at University of Illinois, Urbana.
In his work with CSXT,
Kurzanski manages approximately 125 environmental remediation projects annually
in six states and two Canadian provinces. Throughout his career, he has worked
closely with communities and regulators to provide amicable solutions to
environmental challenges. He was instrumental in developing and implementing
CSXT’s Leased Property Review Program, Lab Management Program and Safety
Observation Program. Kurzanski is a frequent presenter at AAR’s Environmental
Conference and is also the author of 19 Environmental Management System
documents. His work with environmental consultant teams has helped save CSXT
more than $4 million through innovative remedial methods, skillful
negotiations, and a focus on project closures. Within the last two years, he
has managed and successfully mitigated several significant train derailments
that included hazmat releases. Throughout the company, he is known as a
"go to" guy for environmental issues and has received the company’s
Chairman’s Award of Excellence.
Kurzanski was one of six
railroad industry professionals nominated for the award. The award recognizes
an individual who has demonstrated outstanding performance in environmental
awareness and responsibility during the year. The five other nominees are (alphabetical):
• Tami Calderon,
environmental coordinator in Amtrak’s Mechanical Department in Los Angeles.
• Dillon Magers, manager of
environmental operations for BNSF in Springfield, Mo.
• Devin Sprinkle, regional
manager in the Environment Department for CN Railway in Homewood, Ill.
• Pat Student,
director-hazardous materials management with Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha.
• LeeAnn Thomas, manager,
U.S. environmental accrual, with Canadian Pacific Railway’s U.S. subsidiary,
the Soo Line in Minneapolis.
