Waterways Use Cuts Pollution


The Waterways Journal
22 June 2009
By Carlo J. Salzano - WJ Washington Correspondent

Washington, D.C.—The Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University has determined that compared with trucks and railroads, inland towboats move the most cargo per gallon of fuel—576 ton-miles per gallon. Therefore, TTI said, inland towboats produce the least amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per ton mile, delivering some 52,000 ton miles of cargo movement for each ton of carbon dioxide emitted.

On the other hand, TTI said, trucks can produce only 155 ton-miles of cargo movement per gallon of fuel and can deliver only 14,000 ton-miles of cargo movement for each ton of CO2 produced. Railroads produce 413 ton-miles of cargo movement per gallon of fuel, allowing them to deliver about 37,000 ton-miles of cargo movement per ton of CO2 produced.

TTI said that since emissions of carbon dioxide per gallon of fuel burned are roughly the same for each mode, the comparison focused on how much cargo gets moved for that gallon of fuel. The research team determined that compared to inland barge transportation, rail transport generates 39 percent more CO2 and trucking generates 371 percent more CO2.

Acting for the National Waterways Foundation (NWF), TTI added research on greenhouse gas emissions to its 2007 study, “A Modal Comparison of Freight Transportation Effects on the General Public.”

The foundation said that if TTI’s numbers are put in perspective, they will show that the cargo moved by barge in 2005, the year of the study, would have resulted in an additional 2.1 million tons of CO2 in the atmosphere if moved by rail, and an additional 14.2 million tons if moved by truck.

Peter H. Stephaich, chairman of NWF and of the Campbell Transportation Company, said that the research done by TTI “points out the inherent environmental value of moving cargo by water where possible. Today, more than ever, our air quality and environment is critical and this study comparing modes of transport underscores the many benefits of the inland waterways.”