Norfolk Southern recently awarded 58 chemical customers its 2018 Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award, a long-standing initiative to promote safe rail-shipping practices in communities the railroad serves.
During 2018, these award winners, including chemical manufacturers and plants, safely shipped more than 265,370 carloads of regulated hazardous material over Norfolk Southern’s rail network. To qualify for the award, the customers shipped at least 1,000 carloads on Norfolk Southern and handled all shipments without a single incident.
For the year, 55 corporations and three chemical plants achieved this safety record. Fourteen companies safely shipped more than 4,000 carloads each.
“We are proud to recognize these valued business partners for their industry-leading safety practices,” said Ed Elkins, vice president industrial products. “At Norfolk Southern, serving our customers and working safely are core principles of our strategic plan, and we appreciate the shared commitment of the customers earning this safety award.
“Together, we work hard every day to demonstrate that rail is an efficient, reliable and safe way to transport the nation's freight.”
Norfolk Southern established the annual chemical award in 1995 to recognize customers who safely handle products that are vital to US consumers and businesses but also are regulated as hazardous materials. In 2018, Norfolk Southern moved freight such as industrial chemicals, crude petroleum, ethanol and fertilizers for these shippers.
As common carriers, Norfolk Southern and other U.S. railroads have obligations to provide transportation for companies that manufacture or use hazardous materials in their businesses. Typically, these products move in tank cars owned or leased by customers, who are responsible for maintaining the cars and ensuring that they are properly secured for transit.
Norfolk Southern congratulates the following customers for earning the 2018 Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award:
- Altivia Petrochemicals
- American Zinc Recycling
- The Andersons
- Apex Oil
- Archer Daniels Midland
- ArcelorMittal USA
- Ascend Performance Materials
- Aux Sable Liquid Products
- Badger Ethanol
- BP Products North America
- Buckeye Partners
- Cargill
- CF Industries Sales
- The Chemours Company FC
- CHS
- Covestro
- Crestwood Services
- Didion Ethanol
- The Dow Chemical Company
- Eastman Chemical Company
- Elbow River Marketing
- ERCO Worldwide
- ExxonMobil Chemical Company
- Hunt Refining; Imperial Oil
- The International Group
- Irving Oil
- Kemira Chemicals
- Kemira Water Solutions
- Koch Industries
- Lima Refining Company
- Louis Dreyfus Commodities
- LSB Industries
- Marathon Petroleum
- Mark West, Evans City PA
- Marquis Energy
- Messer
- Methanex Corporation
- NGL Energy Partners
- Norfalco Sales, Glencore Canada Corporation
- Nouryon
- NOVA Chemicals Corporation
- Nucor
- Olin Corporation
- PBF Energy
- PCS Sales (USA), Lee Creek NC plant
- PCS Sales (USA), West Occidental FL plant
- Phillips 66, Hartford, Illinois, plant
- Plains Midstream Canada
- Poet Ethanol
- Renewable Products Marketing
- Shell Chemical
- Shintech
- Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy
- Strauss Industries
- United Refining Company
- Valero Energy Corporation
- Westlake Chemical