NORFOLK, Va., April 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) has awarded its 2016 Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award to 55 customers, recognizing their safe handling of rail-shipped product regulated as hazardous material. The companies safely shipped 208,503 carloads of chemical products over the railroad's network during 2016.

Norfolk Southern created the annual safety award in 1996 to recognize chemical manufacturers and plants that ship at least 1,000 carloads of hazardous products over the railroad without a single incident during the year. Fifty-two corporations and three plants achieved the standard for 2016.

"Safety and service go hand in hand at Norfolk Southern, and we appreciate the shared safety commitment of our industry partners," said Alan Shaw, executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "These valued customers understand that safe delivery of their product is essential to our nation's commerce and to the well-being of our rail and chemical industry employees, the communities we serve, and the environment. Together, we work hard every day to demonstrate that rail is a safe, reliable, and environmentally friendly way to transport chemical products."

Shipments transported by Norfolk Southern included products used daily in some form by U.S. businesses and households, such as industrial chemicals used to manufacture consumer goods, crude petroleum, ethanol, and fertilizers. These products are shipped primarily in tank cars that customers own and maintain or lease.

Norfolk Southern voluntarily participates in the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care Partner Program, meeting strict standards to identify, reduce, and manage process risks from the environmental, health, safety, and security perspectives.

Customers earning the 2016 Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award are:

Altivia Petrochemicals; Apex Terminal; ArcelorMittal USA; Archer Daniels Midland, Decatur, Ill., plant; Ascend Performance Materials LLC; BP Products North America Inc.; Buckeye Partners L.P.;

Cargill Inc.; Chemtrade Logistics Inc.; CHS Inc.; Covestro LLC; Crestwood Equity Partners LP; Delaware City Refining LLC, Reybold, Del., plant; Elbow River Marketing Ltd.; ERCO Worldwide; ExxonMobil Chemical Company; Flint Hill Resources LP; Formosa Plastics Corporation U.S.A.;

Green Plains Inc.; Horsehead Corporation; Hunt Refining Co. Inc.; INVISTA S.à r.l; Imperial Oil Limited; Irving Oil; Kemira Chemicals Inc.; Kemira Water Solutions Inc.; Lima Refining Company (Husky); Linde LLC; Marathon Petroleum Co. LP; Marquis Energy LLC; Midwest Terminals of Toledo;

NGL Energy Partners LP; Norfalco Sales, Glencore Canada Corporation; NOVA Chemicals Corporation; Nucor Corp.; Olin Corporation; One Earth Energy LLC; Pacific Ethanol Pekin; Paulsboro Refining Company, Paulsboro, N.J., plant; Phillips 66; Plains Midstream Canada ULC; Plains Marketing Van Hook Crude Terminal; Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan;

Reagent Chemical & Research Inc.; Shintech Inc.; Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy LLC; Sunbelt Chlor Alkali Partnership; Sunoco Partners Marketing & Terminals;

The Chemours Company FC LLC; The Dow Chemical Company; The International Group Inc.; TransMontaigne Product Services Inc.; United Refining Company; Valero Energy Corporation; and Vopak Terminal Savannah.

About Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 19,500 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.

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SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation