UP recognizes 63 hazmat shippers for safety

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 defined as 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 in tank cars have declined more than 13% on Union Pacific’s network from 2004-2012, due in part to increased inspections by the railroad’s hazardous materials safety field personnel and customers adhering to the Pinnacle Award criteria,” said Union Pacific Vice President and General Manager-Chemicals Beth Whited. “From the soda ash used to make soaps, detergent, and paper to the fertilizer that enriches our crops, railroads are the safest way to move the chemicals Americans depend on daily. We work closely with our customers, sharing best practices to ensure these goods are moved as safely as possible. Our Pinnacle Award recipients demonstrate every day their commitment to eliminate chemical releases from railcars, and we acknowledge their dedication to safety.”

“Rail is the safest way to move hazardous materials,” Whited noted. “Accident rates for main track, track-caused, and equipment-caused accidents all continued to decrease, setting new lows in 2012, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration.”

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

Following are Pinnacle Award recipients based on 2012 shipments:

• Aeropres Corporation

• Afton Chemical Corporation

• Agrium

• AkzoNobel Chemical Company

• Albemarle Corporation

• Arkema, Inc.

• ASHTA Chemicals, Inc.

• BASF Corporation

• Bayer

• Big West Oil, LLC

• California Ammonia Company (dba. CALAMCO)

• Celanese Corporation

• CF Industries, Inc.

• Chemtrade Logistics, Inc.

• Chemtura Corporation

• Chevron Phillips Chemical Company

• Clariant Corporation

• Coffeyville Resources Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC

• Cornerstone Chemical Company

• Dyno Nobel

• E. R. Carpenter, LP

• El Dorado Chemical Company

• Enterprise Products

• FCC Environmental, LLC

• Georgia-Pacific Chemicals, LLC

• Haverhill Chemicals, LLC

• HollyFrontier Refining & Marketing, LLC

• Huntsman Corporation

• Indorama Ventures (Oxide & Glycols) LLC

• INEOS Oxide

• INEOS USA, LLC

• Innophos, Inc.

• INVISTA S.à r.l.

• Kemira Water Solutions

• Koch Nitrogen – Koch Methanol Companies, LLC

• Koch Sulfur Products Company, LLC

• Koppers, Inc.

• Louis Dreyfus Commodities

• Marathon Petroleum Corporation

• Methanex Methanol Company, LLC

• Mexichem Fluor S.A. De C.V.

• Momentive Specialty Chemicals, Inc.

• Monsanto Company

• Nalco Champion | An Ecolab Company

• NorFalco, Inc.

• NOVA Chemicals

• Olin Corporation

• Orica USA

• OXEA Corporation

• Paramount Petroleum Corporation

• Pioneer Oil, LLC

• PVS Chemicals, Inc.

• SA Services, LLC

• Shintech

• SNF, Inc.

• Stolt-Nielsen USA, Inc.

• Styrolution America, LLC

• Teck Metals Ltd.

• Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company, LLC

• Texmark Chemicals

• The Plaza Group

• TPC Group, LLC

• US Magnesium, LLC