Grafton and Upton Railroad values safety, corporate citizenship, above all

Jon Delli Priscoli, Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, and  Sen. Moore 

by Jon Delli Priscoli

In a column regarding proposed federal legislation on regulating chemicals used in manufacturing and other processes, Sen. Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury) referenced a small, expertly cleaned up styrene spill at the Grafton & Upton Railroad’s West Upton transloading facility that occurred in December 2013.  The spill caused no injuries.

Workers from the G&U and Grafton Upton Railcare, all of whom are well-trained for this type of incident, immediately informed appropriate local and state officials, and then professionally assisted those officials, along with technicians from Clean Harbors, to successfully clean up the spill in very short order.   The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), on scene from the beginning, has raised no issues regarding the response to the spill, and the railroad is working to reimburse the Town of Upton for its associated costs.

In addition to training its own workers, the G&U has donated more than $80,000 for chemical fire suppressing foam and foam dispensing trailers for the towns of Upton and Grafton, and for training for area firefighters in the use of that foam on chemical fires.  This improves not only local first responders’ ability to effectively deal with any rail related incident, it also provides them with that same ability to respond to the more likely scenario of accidents occurring on local streets involving trucks that carry chemicals, or at local industrial locations that use such chemicals.  In fact, on April 11, the Upton Fire Department used a fire engine mounted foam eductor, a device that mixes fire suppression foam with water, donated by the G&U to extinguish a car fire near a gas station.

The G&U is also partnering with CSX Transportation, which has large transloading yards in Worcester and Westborough, in offering additional training exercises.  In late May, The Safety Train (www.thesafetytrain.org), a train car based training program, will visit the G&U’s North Grafton yard for a two-day program for area first responders.

Meanwhile, millions of dollars spent on improving the condition of the rails, the fact that G&U train speeds average five to eight miles an hour, the stop and protect procedure practiced at all intersections, and the railroad’s construction of impervious surfaces beneath the West Upton yard, all serve as additional layers of safety against the kinds of spills that Sen. Moore mentions in his column.

In November of 2009, former Lt. Gov. Tim Murray visited the G&U, along with Sen. Moore. Both officials enthusiastically embraced the railroad’s potential for economic development along the 16.5-mile rail corridor.  Sen. Moore again visited the railroad in April of 2010, along with Congressman Richard Neal, who cited the railroad as a boost to the regional economy.  In June 2011, Sen. Moore hailed the relocation of the much larger CSX rail yard from Boston to downtown Worcester, where the railroad will handle the same kinds of materials hauled on the G&U, as a, “…benefit both to Worcester residents and business owners . . . bringing an increased business presence into the heart of Worcester . . . .”  Finally, in October of 2013, Sen. Moore helped ease Knight’s Airport Limousine Service’s transition from gasoline to propane powered vehicles, stating at a ceremony marking the occasion, “I am pleased to have worked to facilitate a change to our state regulations regarding propane-powered vehicles in the Commonwealth.  This change had a direct positive impact on a local small business in my district. The previous regulations were prohibitive to economic growth in Massachusetts. These changes will not only help our small businesses succeed, but will also continue to ensure a greener environment.”

During the three years since Sen. Moore’s last visit to the G&U, the railroad’s business has grown considerably.  The railroad now handles between 200 and 250 cars a month and directly and indirectly employs more than 50 people.  Recognizing this, CSX last year named the G&U as one of the fastest growing short line railroads in the country.

And even though the railroad is federally exempt from many state and local regulations, it follows all DEP safety guidelines for the handling of the freight that goes through the transloading yards.  All of this should serve to assure Sen. Moore, other government officials and the public at large, that while helping to boost the local economy through jobs and commerce, the G&U transports and transloads all of the commodities it hauls with the utmost safety and care.