Union Pacific Railroad on April 28, 2016 recognized 65 companies with its distinguished Pinnacle Award for their commitment to safely transport chemical products. The annual award honors UP customers for implementing release prevention, corrective plans and having zero non-accident releases (NARs) of regulated hazardous materials shipments.
"The Pinnacle Award spotlights companies that share our goal of safely and securely transporting chemicals," said Beth Whited, UP’s Vice President and General Manager – Chemicals. "We work directly with our customers to eliminate accidental chemical releases from rail cars, whether the products are used to purify water or manufacture tires."
Non-accident releases of hazardous materials in tank cars declined 31% on UP’s network from 2008 to 2015 due, in part, to increased inspections and training offered by the company’s hazardous materials safety field personnel and customers adhering to the Pinnacle Award criteria, the railroad says.
UP serves the large chemical complexes along the Gulf Coast. Roughly two-thirds of the company's chemical business originates, terminates or travels through this area. The railroad's chemical transportation network also serves chemical producers on the West Coast and in the Rocky Mountain Region, including the world's largest soda ash reserve, located in Green River, Wyo.
The 2016 Pinnacle Award winners are:
AkzoNobel
Alon USA
Ascend Performance Materials
Calabrian
CALAMCO
Canexus Corporation
CF Industries Sales, LLC
Chemtura
Chevron Oronite Company, LLC
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company
CITGO Petroleum
Clariant
Coffeyville Resources Nitrogen
Cornerstone Chemical Company
Crestwood West Coast, LLC
Cyanco International, LLC
Dakota Gasification Company
Dyno Nobel
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
El Dorado Chemical Company
ERCO Worldwide
Flint Hills Resources
Georgia-Pacific, LLC
GT Logistics, LLC
ICL
Indorama Ventures USA Inc.
INEOS Oxide
INEOS Styrolution
Innophos
Kemira
Kennecott Utah Copper, LLC
Keyera Energy
Koch Fertilizer, LLC
Koppers Inc.
LANXESS
LyondellBasell
Marathon Petroleum Company
MARKWEST
Methanex Methanol
Mexichem
Nalco Champion, an Ecolab Company
NorFalco Sales, Glencore Canada Corp.
NorFalco, a Glencore Company
NOVA Chemicals
Old World Industries
Olin Chlor Alkali
OXEA
PCS Sales (USA), Inc.
Pembina Resource Services
PVS Chemicals, Inc.
Sabic Americas
Sasol North America
SI Group
SNF Holding Company
Targa Resources
Tauber Oil
Texmark Chemicals
The Chemours Company
The Mosaic Company
TPC Group
Trammo
Tronox Alkali
Univar USA
US Magnesium