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Yesterday, Union Pacific Railroad announced that 74 chemical shippers had won the Class I’s Pinnacle Award, which recognizes customers’ transportation safety efforts and shippers that registered no non-accidental releases of regulated hazardous materials in 2011.

Launched in 1996, the Pinnacle Award program is open to all haz-mat shippers, including chemical and petrochemical customers. Award criteria include safe-loading techniques, shipment securement procedures and zero non-accidental releases, such as leaks or splashes caused by improperly secured or defective valves, fittings, safety-relief devices and tank shells.

Non-accidental releases of hazardous materials declined more than 16 percent on the railroad's network from 2003 to 2011, in part because of increased inspections by field personnel and shippers' efforts to adhere to Pinnacle Award criteria, UP officials said in a prepared statement.

"We work closely with our customers to identify and share best practices to prevent a release during chemical shipment transit,” said Diane Duren, UP’s vice president and general manager-chemicals.