JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) presented its top award for environmental professionals, the 2009 North American Environmental Employee Excellence Award, to Paul J. Kurzanski, manager of environmental remediation at CSX Transportation.
Kurzanski was one of six railroad industry individuals nominated. This is the fifth time in the last seven years that a CSXT employee has been honored with the AAR’s Environmental Employee Excellence Award.
Kurzanski received the award during an annual railroad environmental conference. A 30-year railroad veteran, Kurzanski’s accomplishments include the successful management of approximately 125 environmental remediation projects in six states (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, and Ohio); the development and implementation of CSXT’s Environmental Leased Property Review and Lab Management programs.
Kurzanski is also the author of 19 key Environmental Management System documents covering programs, processes, and instructions. These written standards are essential to CSXT’s management of environmental programs.
“CSXT is committed to being a responsible steward of the environment. Paul’s many contributions and his significant and consistent leadership role in CSXT’s environmental activities make him a role model in our company, as well as the industry,” said Skip Elliott, CSX Transportation’s vice president, public safety and environment. “We are fortunate to benefit from employees like Paul, who continuously work to improve the environmental future of CSXT through their dedication and innovativeness.”
Within CSXT, Kurzanski is a well-respected subject matter expert and mentor providing environmental guidance and support to field operations. His efforts have inspired field operation employees to become more environmentally astute, resulting in improved employee environmental performance. As a Compliance Assistance Team (CAT) captain, Kurzanski and his team have provided outstanding support to field operations, helping a large terminal to achieve a platinum-level environmental certification score of 95 percent or greater.
