Union Pacific Railroad Recognizes 74 Companies as Pinnacle Award Winners for Chemical Transportation Safety

OMAHA, Neb., April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Union Pacific Railroad named 74 companies as annual Pinnacle Award recipients for chemical transportation safety.  The award recognizes Union Pacific customers that implemented successful prevention and corrective plans and achieved a rate of zero non-accident releases (NARs) for regulated hazardous materials shipments.

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"We work closely with our customers to identify and share best practices to prevent a release during chemical shipment transit," said Diane Duren, Union Pacific vice president and general manager - Chemicals. "Chemical transportation safety is critical and this is Union Pacific's opportunity to acknowledge and thank our customers for their continuing efforts to eliminate chemical releases from rail cars. Rail is the safest way to haul the chemicals that Americans use every day, whether it is chlorine for drinking water or fertilizer for our farms that help feed the world."

The Pinnacle Award program, which began in 1996, is open to all Union Pacific hazardous material shippers, including chemical and petrochemical customers. Criteria include safe-loading techniques, securement of shipments and zero NARs.  A non-accident release is an unintentional release of hazardous material during transportation not caused by an accident or train derailment. NARs consist of leaks, splashes and other releases from improperly secured or defective valves, fittings, safety relief devices and tank shells.

Non-accident releases of hazardous material declined more than 16 percent on Union Pacific's network from 2003 - 2011, due in part to increased inspections by the railroad's hazardous materials safety field personnel and customers adhering to the Pinnacle Award criteria.

Rail is the safest way to move these materials.  Accident rates for main track, track-caused and equipment-caused accidents all continued to decrease, setting new lows in 2011, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration.

Union Pacific's rail network allows the company to serve the large chemical complexes along the Gulf Coast. Roughly two-thirds of the company's chemical business originates, terminates or travels through this area. Union Pacific's chemical transportation network also serves chemical producers in the Rocky Mountains and on the West Coast.

Following are the Pinnacle Award recipients, based on 2011 shipments.

Afton Chemical Corporation
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Albemarle Corporation
Apache Nitrogen
Calabrian Corporation
Canexus Chemicals Canada LP
Celanese Corporation
CF Industries, Inc.
Chevron Oronite
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company
Clariant Corporation
Clorox Products Company
Coffeyville Resources Nitrogen Fertilizers
Cornerstone Chemical Company
Cross Oil Refining & Marketing, Inc.
Devon Energy Corporation
Dow Chemical Company
DX Terminals, Ltd.
Eastman Chemical Company
El Dorado Chemical Company
ERCO Worldwide
FCC Environmental, LLC
Flint Hills Resources, LP
FMC Corporation
Georgia-Pacific Chemicals, LLC
HollyFrontier Companies
Honeywell International
Huntsman International, LLC
INEOS Oxide
Innophos, Inc.
Johann Haltermann Ltd.
JX Nippon Chemical Texas, Inc.
Kemira Water Solutions, Inc.
Koch Sulfur Products Company, LLC
Kronos Louisiana, Inc.
Lonza Performance Products
Marathon Petroleum Corporation
Methanex Methanol Company, LLC
Mexichem Fluor S.A. de C.V.
Momentive Specialty Chemicals, Inc.
Monsanto Company
Motiva Enterprises, LLC
Nalco Company
NorFalco, Inc.
NOVA Chemicals
Olin Corporation
Orica USA
Oxbow Sulphur, Inc.
OXEA Corporation
PCS Sales (USA), Inc.
Pioneer Oil, LLC
PVS Chemicals, Inc.
SA Services, LLC
Sasol North America, Inc.
Shintech Louisiana, LLC
Sierra Chemical Company
Solvay Chemicals, Inc.
Southern Chemical Corporation
Stepan Company
Stolt-Nielsen USA, Inc.
Styrolution America, LLC (formerly Ineos Styrenics)
Sun Products Corporation
Taminco, Inc.
TDC, LLC
Teck Metals Ltd.
The Plaza Group
TPC Group, LLC
Transammonia, Inc.
Trinity Manufacturing, Inc.
Univar USA
US Magnesium, LLC
Valero Marketing and Supply Company
Western Refining Company LP
Westlake Chemical

About Union Pacific
It was 150 years ago that Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act of July 1, 1862, creating the original Union Pacific. One of America's iconic companies, today Union Pacific Railroad is the principal operating company of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP), linking 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country by rail and providing freight solutions and logistics expertise to the global supply chain. From 2000 through 2011, Union Pacific spent more than $31 billion on its network and operations, making needed investments in America's infrastructure and enhancing its ability to provide safe, reliable, fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible freight transportation. Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers and emphasizes excellent customer service. Union Pacific operates competitive routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways, connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major Mexico gateways.

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SOURCE Union Pacific