UP cites safest hazmat shippers

Union Pacific has named 74 companies as annual Pinnacle Award recipients for chemical transportation safety.

The award recognizes UP customers “that implemented successful prevention and corrective plans and achieved a rate of zero non-accident releases (NARs) for regulated hazardous materials shipments.”

“We work closely with our customers to identify and share best practices to prevent a release during chemical shipment transit,” said Diane Duren, UP 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 railcars. 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 UP 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% on UP’s network from 2003 to 2011, “due in part to increased inspections by the railroad’s hazardous materials safety field personnel and customers adhering to the Pinnacle Award criteria,” UP said. “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.”

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