AWO Publishes Environmental Stewardship Best Practices

Trade group The American Waterways Operators (AWO) has released a set of environmental stewardship best practices for the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry.

Distributed to AWO members and available on the AWO website, the best practices are intended to inform, support and guide vessel operators' continuous improvement in the areas of water quality, energy efficiency, air quality, waste management and corporate responsibility, AWO said.

"Barge transportation is the safest, most environmentally sustainable mode of freight transportation," said Jennifer Carpenter, AWO president and CEO. "These best practices reflect AWO members' commitment to continuous improvement as we seek to build on our industry's natural advantages in fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions and become ever better stewards of the natural resources on which our nation and our industry depend."  

The environmental stewardship best practices are intended to support the diversity of the tugboat, towboat and barge industry by providing a menu of options from which operators can choose based on their unique operational needs.

According to AWO, the best practices will support companies in preventing spills and discharges, reducing energy consumption, reducing air emissions, properly managing waste, and embracing corporate responsibility, with the goal of attainable, impactful improvements to environmental performance.