NORFOLK, Va., Dec. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of its environmental, health, and safety (EHS) leadership, Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) has been accepted for membership in the Campbell Institute at the National Safety Council.

The Campbell Institute recognizes world-class performers in EHS management. Members include some of America's best-known companies, such as APM Terminals, Chevron, Cummins, Dow, ExxonMobil, General Motors, Georgia-Pacific, United Parcel Service, United Technologies, U.S. Steel, and Whirlpool.

"We are proud to welcome Norfolk Southern to the Campbell Institute," said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president & CEO of the National Safety Council. "For two centuries, Norfolk Southern has played a role in building and supplying our country. At the Campbell Institute, they continue the thoroughbred tradition of continuous improvement by joining with other world-class companies to share experience, knowledge, and best practices related to environmental, health, and safety excellence."

Mark Manion, executive vice president and chief operating officer of NS, noted that, "Membership offers an invaluable opportunity to share best practices, benchmark, and access EHS research. On behalf of everyone at Norfolk Southern, we are honored by, and grateful for, the institute's consideration."

Some of the elements that characterize NS' EHS approach include:

• 124 employee-led local Safety and Service committees
• annual Safety & Service Expo and Awards celebration
• leadership for Operation Lifesaver and TRANSCAER
• training for local community emergency responders
• environmental audits and solid regulatory compliance
• partnerships with safety leaders such as DuPont and Aubrey Daniels International.
• fuel efficiency and fuel-saving technology
• rail service corridors that create jobs while reducing environmental impact
• "Trees and Trains" program
• conservation easement to protect forest land
• annual Railroad Sustainability Symposium

"Where the Campbell Institute and EHS are concerned, we want to learn more, do more, and share more than ever before," Manion said. "When your company has been around 180 years, as has ours, you understand that continuous improvement is the only way to go." 

The Campbell Institute is based on the premise that EHS is at the core of business vitality. The National Safety Council is the nation's leading organization working through research, education, and advocacy to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes, in communities, and on the roads.

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.

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SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation