Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Thursday 1 augusT 2019
U.S. officials say key rail safety technology 90% complete

By MATTHEW DALY freight railroads. According
Associated Press to the National Transpor-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The tation Safety Board, 22 rail
railroad industry has in- accidents it investigated
stalled safety technology since the 2008 law could
on nearly 90% of tracks have been prevented by
where it is required, fed- PTC, including the Decem-
eral officials said Wednes- ber 2017 derailment of an
day, but "significant work" Amtrak passenger train
is needed to ensure the in Washington state that
technology is completely killed three passengers and
installed by a December injured 57 people.
2020 deadline. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.,
Federal Railroad Adminis- the committee chairman,
tration chief Ronald Batory said after the hearing he
told a Senate committee was "mindful there's some
that technology known challenges" in implement-
as positive train control, ing PTC, but said he was
or PTC, is in operation on confident most or all of the
more than 50,000 route required installation would
miles (80,000 kilometers) be completed ahead of
of the nearly 58,000 miles This Aug. 3, 2018, file photo shows a New Jersey Transit train leaving the Bound Brook Station in the 2020 deadline.
(93,000 kilometers) where it Bound Brook, N.J. Officials will likely have a
is required. The GPS-based Associated Press better handle on progress
technology is intended to by the end of this year,
prevent deadly crashes At a hearing Wednesday must still complete signifi- ogy on Amtrak and freight Wicker said, adding, "I
by automatically stopping before the Senate Com- cant work to fully imple- and commuter railroads don't know if we're going
or slowing a train before a merce, Science and Trans- ment their PTC systems by throughout the country. to vaporize people who do
collision or derailment. portation Committee, Ba- December 31, 2020," he An additional $80 million not comply."
Congress required in 2008 tory praised the railroad said, adding that the rail- to $130 million a year will In a report last month, the
that railroads adopt PTC industry for "its significant road agency "will continue be spent on maintenance NTSB's vice chairman blast-
and gave them seven progress" toward fully put- to hold railroads account- and operation, accord- ed what he described as a
years to do the job. When ting PTC systems in place able for timely implemen- ing to the American Public "Titanic-like complacency"
it became clear that wasn't nationwide, despite a se- tation of PTC systems and Transportation Association, among those charged with
enough, Congress extend- ries of delays that pushed will enforce the statutory an industry group. ensuring that train opera-
ed the deadline through the current deadline to 12 mandate." Forty-two railroads are sub- tions on the new Amtrak
2018 and again through years after Congress initially The industry expects to ject to the PTC mandate, route from Tacoma, Wash-
Dec. 31, 2020. No more ex- adopted the law. spend nearly $15 billion including 30 commuter ington, to Portland, Ore-
tensions are expected. "Nonetheless, railroads implementing the technol- railroads, Amtrak and 11 gon, were safe.q

Holiday Inn owner to ditch mini shampoos to save seas

By DANICA KIRKA Group CEO Keith Barr. duced throughout history
Associated Press IHG, which uses an average has ended up as waste,
LONDON (AP) — The fight to of 200 million bathroom with more than three-
save the seas from plastic miniatures every year, said fourths of that going into
waste may mean the end customers expect them to landfills or the environment,
for mini bottles of shampoo act responsibly. the authors estimated in a
and other toiletries that ho- And there is little doubt that 2017 article. In 2010 alone,
tel guests love to stuff into public awareness of the between 4 million and 12
their luggage. problem of plastic waste million metric tons of plastic
The owner of Holiday Inn has been swelling. entered the marine envi-
and InterContinental Hotels Global plastic produc- ronment. Shocking images
said Tuesday that its nearly tion increased to 380 mil- keep hammering the point
843,000 guest rooms are lion metric tons (418 mil- home. Notable campaigns
switching to bulk-size bath- lion tons) in 2015 from 2 included one by Britain's
In this file photo dated March 28, 2019, the sign for a Holiday room amenities as part of million metric tons in 1950, Sky News, which showed
Inn in New York. an effort to cut waste. The according to research by whales bloated by plastic
Associated Press transition is due to be com- Roland Geyer, a profes- bags when the creatures
pleted in 2021. sor of industrial ecology at were cut open after dying.
"Switching to larger-size the University of California, Further trash horrors were
amenities across more Santa Barbara, together underscored by TV natu-
than 5,600 hotels around with Jenna Jambeck of the ralist David Attenborough,
the world is a big step in University of Georgia and whose documentary "Blue
the right direction and will Kara Lavender Law of the Planet II" delivered heart-
allow us to significantly re- Sea Education Association breaking shots of sea turtles
duce our waste footprint in Woods Hole, Massachu- shrouded in plastic.
and environmental impact setts. And where consumers' at-
as we make the change," About 60% of the 8.3 billion tention goes, so does that
said InterContinental Hotels metric tons of plastic pro- of companies.q