NORFOLK, Va., May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) announced today that 54 customers earned the Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award for safe handling of chemical products during 2012.

Given annually for 17 years by Norfolk Southern, the award recognizes companies and facilities that ship more than 1,000 carloads of federally regulated hazardous material over NS' rail network without a single incident for the year. Fifty-one corporations and three plants reached this goal during 2012.

These customers safely shipped more than 127,000 total carloads of chemical products used to manufacture various consumer goods. Shipments included industrial chemicals, petroleum products, biofuels, and sulfur – all vital products for consumers and the U.S. economy, but potentially dangerous if not handled carefully.

"We congratulate these valued customers for their industry-leading performance in chemical safety, and we thank them for contributing to our railroad's safe operations," said Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman. "They help us demonstrate that rail transportation is the safest, most efficient, and environmentally friendly way to move goods essential for American jobs and a strong economy."

Customers earning the Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award for 2012 are:

Abengoa Bioenergy
Akzo Nobel Chemicals Inc.
The Andersons, Inc.
ArcelorMittal USA
Archer Daniels Midland plant at Peoria, Ill.
Arrow Reload Systems Inc.
Ascend Performance Materials LLC
BASF
Bayer MaterialScience LLC
BP Products NA plant at Whiting, Ind.
Cargill
C. F. Industries
CHS
Connacher Oil and Gas Limited
E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company
Eighty-Eight Oil LLC
Equistar Chemicals, LP
ERCO Worldwide
Finnchem USA Inc.
Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A.
Great Plains Renewable Energy
Haverhill Chemicals
Husky Energy Inc.
INEOS USA LLC
The International Group Inc.
INVISTA S.a.r.l.
Kemira Water Solutions
Koppers, Inc.
Lansing Ethanol Services
Lima Refining Company
Linde LLC
Louis Dryefus Commodities
Marathon Petroleum Company LP
Markwest Energy Partners, L.P.
Marquis Energy LLC
Musket Corporation
NorFalco Inc.
Nucor Steel
Occidental Chemical Corp
Olin Chlor Alkali Products
Oxbow Sulphur Inc.
Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan
PPG Industries, Inc.
The Procter & Gamble Co.
Reagent Chemical & Research, Inc.
Renewable Products Marketing Group
Rhodia Inc.
Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC
Sunbelt Chlor Alkali Partnership
Tidal Energy Marketing Inc.
Toledo Refining Company LLC plant at Toledo, Ohio
United Refining Company
Valero Marketing & Supply
Western Petroleum Company

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal, automotive, and industrial products.

Connect with NS
http://www.nscorp.com
http://www.facebook.com/NorfolkSouthern
http://www.flickr.com/photos/norfolksouthern
http://www.twitter.com/nscorp
http://www.youtube.com/user/norfolksoutherncorp
http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/RSS/rss.html

SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation