Every year a member of Congress and a railroad employee are presented with the John H. Chafee Award to recognize outstanding environmental stewardship in the railroad industry. This year BNSF nominated John Jeffrey for his forward-thinking improvements and safe operations at BNSF’s locomotive fueling facility in Hauser, Idaho.
John helped work with government agencies to construct and operate the fueling facility, and build containment systems to protect the surrounding environment from fuel spills. He also installed systems to recycle used oil and wastewater. The used oil burner captures oil and generates heat for the facility’s pump house, reducing the amount of natural gas previously used by nearly 17,000 therms per year and saving around $30,000. The wastewater evaporator eliminates the need to haul and dispose of water at municipal treatment centers.
