Chesapeake Bay’s living shoreline contends for America’s best sustainability program

Norfolk Southern’s work to protect Chesapeake Bay’s water and wildlife is a finalist for the nation’s best sustainability program. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Citizens Awards honor businesses for addressing the world’s biggest challenges through innovative and impactful initiatives that improve communities.

Why it matters: The living shoreline is a creation of native plants and sustainable grading techniques to address a 30-year erosion issue at Lamberts Point, a marine terminal serving NS. The erosion threatens land, wildlife, and water. Our voluntary work, which began in 2020, reduces nutrients and sediment from entering the river.

Big results: Over 2,000 feet of Chesapeake Bay shoreline has been restored and critical habitat for aquatic organisms, birds and wildlife have returned.

The living shoreline project in Virginia during its infancy.

The living shoreline showing growth that’s now protecting over 2,000 feet of land years later.

Financial returns, too: Deciding to forgo traditional stone barriers has benefited local communities and industries. In Virginia and other states, this work generates nutrient credits. The Lamberts Point restoration is so large that NS recently generated the largest deposit in Virginia’s history, and quite possibly, the U.S.

Third parties, including municipalities and businesses, purchase the credits to offset their own environmental impacts from water discharge, generating enough revenue for NS to more than offset the project’s construction costs.

What we’re saying:

“The living shoreline has been a creative way to improve water and land quality, while making sure native wildlife have a place to call home for years to come. At the same time, we’re generating revenue that gives us a big return on our investment. It’s a dream project exemplifying sustainable rail.” — Adam Motsinger, NS Manager Environmental Operations

More to come? The winners of the Citizens Awards will be announced on Oct. 28. To learn more, visit Citizens Awards | U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.