While the Three Squares Inc. staff primarily focus on providing environmental consulting for other companies, the firm’s president, Jaime Nack, always tries to incorporate education into our jobs. Last week, for instance, she scheduled a visit to the Union Pacific’s (UP) Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) in Long Beach so we could learn about their transportation system and sustainability program. We left our office in Santa Monica and headed down to Long Beach to tour the facility with Andy Perez, the Director of Port Affairs and Corporate Relations.

As soon as we arrived at Mr. Perez’s office and saw the view from his window overlooking the rail-yard, we were all struck by the vastness of the site and the quantity of containers passing through the area. Mr. Perez soon explained to us that the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are the biggest in the nation and have a significant portion of the U.S.’s international goods pass through them. Not only are they responsible for unloading cargo ships, but they are also in charge of transporting goods to their final destinations, whether in California or across the country.

View of ICTF.

While he explained to us the significance of the ports and UP in the maritime world, it wasn’t until Mr. Perez described the importance of the shipping industry itself in the U.S. that we could fully understand the scope of its productions. Many of our everyday products now come from other countries, and this trend is only becoming more popular as more and more manufacturers outsource their labor to other parts of the world. The maritime industry is responsible for transporting these international goods throughout the U.S. every day and providing Americans with everything from basic necessities to luxury accessories.

After discussing the basics about the maritime industry and its influence on the American economy, we moved to the topic of sustainability. While the environmental community often condemns the maritime industry for its historically wasteful practices, many fail to realize that companies in the industry, like UP, now employ many energy-saving tactics and are looking to further reduce their emissions.

One of the most basic and effective ways that UP reduces emissions is by using trains to transport goods long distances. Trains are 2-4 times more fuel efficient and have 3 times cleaner emissions than trucks, while just one double-stacked train equals up to 280 trucks. Furthermore, they are in the process of aquiring more fuel-efficient trains, with over 2,6000 new, greener trains having been added to the UP fleet since 2000.

A train fueling up before taking another trip.

Besides utilizing trains rather than trucks, UP has invested in many other energy-saving technologies in an effort reduce their emissions. For instance, they purchased a hybrid, zero-emission crane for moving containers. Although they currently only possess one energy-efficient crane, they are looking to buy more sustainable equipment. In addition, they employ various other emission-reduction strategies, such as enhancing their on-dock container transportation system and utilizing propane-powered cleaning trucks.

The TSI staff in front of a hybrid crane.

Apart from their current green practices, UP is in the process of approval to begin a multi-million dollar modernization project. This plan calls for new zero emissions cranes, a more efficient traffic pattern for trucks, high-tech gates that will reduce trucks’ idling time, and ultra-low emissions trains. If allowed, this undertaking is projected to effectively reduce the facility’s emissions by 74%.

When our briefing about UP’s current and future green initiatives was complete, Mr. Perez gave us a private tour of ICTF! We were able to drive around the lot and got close-up views of the crates, cranes, trucks, and trains. Seeing all of the machinery and systems first-hand was a very nice way to end our educational trip to Long Beach!

A row of crates waiting to be shipped.