EPA Announces Voluntary SmartWay Transport Partnership for Freight Shippers and Carriers
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a press release announcing that on February 9, 2004, the EPA Administrator joined 52 freight shippers and carriers to promote the SmartWay Transport Partnership (SmartWay). The EPA has also posted information on SmartWay to its Web site.
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According to the EPA, SmartWay is a collaborative, voluntary program between EPA and the freight industry that will increase the U.S.' energy efficiency and energy security while significantly reducing air pollution and greenhouse gases.
The EPA explains that by 2012, SmartWay aims to reduce between 33-66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions per year. The EPA states that this initiative will result in fuel savings of up to 150 million barrels of oil annually.
SmartWay Calls for Reduction of Idling, Increasing Use of Rail, Etc.
The EPA's information states that the following are three primary components of SmartWay:
Creating partnerships. The EPA states that partnerships with companies and organizations are the foundation of SmartWay and it welcomes any company or organization that will improve the environmental performance of their freight operations. SmartWay Partners are companies that ship products, and the truck and rail companies that deliver these products. The EPA has posted to its Web site information detailing the commitments shippers and carriers make in joining the SmartWay program, as well as the EPA's commitments to the program's members.
The EPA states that, among other commitments, shippers participating in SmartWay commit to increasing the percentage of freight shipped by SmartWay carriers to at least 50%. The commitments carriers must make in order to join SmartWay include measuring their existing fleet's environmental performance, identifying a goal to improve such performance, reporting annually to the EPA on their progress, etc.
Establish the national transportation idle-free corridors program. The EPA states that another component of SmartWay is to eliminate unnecessary truck and rail idling by developing a nationwide network of idle-reduction options along major transportation corridors such as truck stops, travel centers, distribution hubs, rail switch yards, borders, ports, and even along the side of the road.
Maximize rail efficiency and intermodal operations. A third component of SmartWay is to highlight practical opportunities where rail can be better utilized and to encourage more efficient rail operations and technical innovation.
EPA Publishes List of Carriers and Shippers Currently Enrolled in SmartWay
The EPA has published a list of both the carriers and shippers currently participating in SmartWay. The carriers include (partial list):
| Cardinal Logistics Management | International Motor Freight |
| DHL | Roadway Express |
| FedEx Express | UPS |
| FedEx Freight | Yellow Transportation |
| FMI International | Xpress Global Systems |
The list of shippers include (partial list):
| Canon U.S.A., Inc. |
| Clean Diesel Technologies |
| Dell |
| H-E-B |
| The Home Depot |
| IKEA North America Services, LLC |
EPA Press Release (dated 02/09/04) available at http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/b1ab9f485b098972852562e7004dc686/3ac20befcacb730685256e35004c1e3d?OpenDocument
Information About EPA's SmartWay Program is available at www.epa.gov/smartway