NORFOLK, Va., May 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) announced today that 60 chemical customers will receive the Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award for their safe business practices in 2013. Collectively, these customers safely shipped more than 157,000 carloads of hazardous chemical products over the railroad's network during the year.

The award, given annually for 18 years, goes to chemical manufacturers and facilities that ship at least 1,000 carloads of hazardous product on Norfolk Southern without a single incident. In 2013, 55 corporations and five plants achieved the standard.

Carload shipments included industrial chemicals used to manufacture various consumer goods, crude petroleum, ethanol, and fertilizers. While essential to the U.S. economy and consumers, these chemicals are classified as federally regulated hazardous materials and are potentially dangerous if mishandled.

Norfolk Southern works closely with chemical customers throughout the year to ensure their product arrives safely to destination, including offering training in safe rail-shipping practices.

"We commend these valued business partners for their absolute commitment to safety," said Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman. "Their efforts might not make news headlines, but the safe movement of chemicals that are the building blocks to jobs and a strong economy is the good news story that occurs every day across our rail network. We thank these customers for helping us demonstrate that rail is the safest, most efficient, and environmentally friendly way to transport consumer goods."

Customers earning the Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award for 2013 are:

Abengoa Bioenergy
Akzo Nobel Chemicals Inc.
The Andersons, Inc.
Apex Terminal
ArcelorMittal USA
Ascend Performance Materials LLC
Aux Sable Liquid Products Inc.
Axiall Corp
Bayer MaterialScience LLC
BioUrja Trading, LLC
BP Products North America
Cargill
Centennial Energy, LLC
Chemtrade Logistics Inc.
CHS
Connacher Oil and Gas Limited
Delaware City Refining LLC plant in Delaware
Eastman Chemical Company
Eighty-Eight Oil LLC
Elbow River Marketing Ltd.
Equistar Chemicals, LP
ERCO Worldwide
ExxonMobil Chemical Company
Finnchem USA Inc.
Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A.
Green Plains Renewable Energy
Haverhill Chemicals
Husky Energy Inc.
The International Group Inc.
Kemira Water Solutions
Lima Refining Company
Louis Dreyfus Commodities
MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P.
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical America, Inc.
Murphy Oil USA
Musket Corporation
NorFalco Inc.
NOVA Chemicals
Nucor Steel
Occidental Chemical Corp
Olin Chlor Alkali Products plant at North Charleston, Tenn.
One Earth Energy LLC
Oxbow Sulphur Inc.
PCS Phosphate plant at White Springs, Fla.
Plains Marketing, L.P.
Plains Midstream Canada
POET Ethanol Products
The Procter & Gamble Co.
PVS Chemicals, Inc.
Renewable Products Marketing Group
Shell Trading Canada
Shell Trading (US) Company
Solvay Chemicals
Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC
Sunbelt Chlor Alkali Partnership plant at McIntosh, Ala.
Sunoco Logistics
Targa Resources
Toledo Refining Company LLC plant at Oregon, Ohio
Valero Marketing & Supply
Westlake Chemical

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 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.

Connect with NS
http://www.nscorp.com/  
http://www.facebook.com/NorfolkSouthern  
http://www.flickr.com/photos/norfolksouthern  
http://www.twitter.com/nscorp 
http://www.youtube.com/user/norfolksoutherncorp
http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/RSS/rss.html

SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation