UP's Pinnacle Awards go to 65 firms for chemical transportation safety

Union Pacific Railroad has honored 65 companies with its Pinnacle Award for their commitment to safely transport chemical products, the Class I announced yesterday.

The award recognizes UP customers for implementing release prevention, corrective plans and having zero non-accident releases (NARs) of regulated hazardous materials shipments, UP officials said in a press release.

Non-accident releases of hazardous materials in tank cars have declined 31 percent on UP's network from 2008 to 2015 due, in part, to increased inspections and training offered by the company's hazardous materials safety field personnel and customers adhering to the Pinnacle Award criteria.

"We work directly with our customers to eliminate accidental chemical releases from rail cars, whether the products are used to purify water or manufacture tires," said Beth Whited, UP's vice president and general manager-chemicals.

UP serves the large chemical complexes on the Gulf Coast. About two-thirds of the company's chemical business originates, terminates or travels through this area. UP's chemical transportation network also serves chemical producers on the West Coast and in the Rocky Mountain Region, including the world's largest soda ash reserve, located in Green River, Wyo.

The Pinnacle Award winners are listed here.