AAR hands out 2012 hazmat safety awards

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) yesterday announced the 2012 recipients of the Holden-Proefrock, Non-Accident Release Grand Slam and TRANSCAER® National Achievement awards.

AAR Assistant Vice President of Environment and Hazmat Robert Fronczak received the Holden-Proefrock Award, which recognizes an individual in the rail industry who has made significant contributions to hazardous materials transportation safety throughout their career.
 
Fronczak, who has more than 20 years of rail hazmat experience, helped engender environmental and hazmat safety best practices in the railroad and shipper communities, AAR officials said in a prepared statement. He also has represented the rail industry on key issues in Washington, D.C., and among federal regulatory agencies on issues including tank car standards, safety enhancing technologies, and hazmat security and routing practices.

The award is named after Roy Holden, a former AAR employee and a pioneer in tank car design and safety, and Art Proefrock, a former Hulcher Emergency Services employee who was a hazmat emergency response pioneer.

The AAR also presented the 2012 Non-Accident Release Grand Slam Award to AkzoNobel, INEOS, Linde and Olin Corp. The award recognizes exemplary hazmat shippers. To be eligible for the honor, a shipper must be honored by at least four Class Is and have zero non-accidental hazmat releases the previous calendar year.

Meanwhile, six Class Is received 2012 TRANSCAER National Achievement Awards: BNSF Railway Co., CN's Dangerous Goods Team, Canadian Pacific, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Corp. and Union Pacific Railroad. The award recognizes the railroads' efforts to support TRANSCAER, a voluntary national outreach program that focuses on helping communities prepare for and respond to a possible hazmat incident.