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The Association of American Railroads (AAR) recently named CITGO Petroleum Corp. and Federated Co-Operatives Ltd. winners of the 2009 Non-Accident Release Grand Slam Award. The association also presented the Holden-Proefrock Award to Bureau of Explosives (BOE) Chief Inspector Allen Maty.

AAR and the BOE bestow the Non-Accident Release Grand Slam Award annually to recognize “exemplary” hazardous materials shippers. To be eligible for the award, a shipper must be honored individually by at least four Class Is for its safety performance and register no non-accidental releases in a given year.

The Holden-Proefrock Award recognizes a person in the rail industry who has made significant contributions to haz-mat transportation safety throughout his or her career. The award is named in honor of the late Roy Holden, a former AAR employee and pioneer in tank car design safety and damage assessment; and the late Art Proefrock, a former Hulcher Emergency Services employee who was a leader in haz-mat emergency response.

An instructor at the Transportation Technology Center Inc.’s Security and Emergency Response Training Center in Pueblo, Colo., Maty has helped ensure the BOE is a “respected organization in the haz-mat industry,” according to a prepared statement. Founded in 1907 under AAR predecessor the American Railway Association, the BOE promotes haz-mat shipment safety and improvements.