CSX announced 61 winners of its 18th annual Chemical Safety Excellence Award, which recognizes customers' commitment to the safe transportation of hazardous materials by rail through safe loading and maintenance of rail cars.

Recipients of the award for performance in 2011 include 24 repeat winners, demonstrating continued dedication to safety and to shipping via fuel-efficient, reliable freight rail.

"All of our award winners share CSX's intense focus on the safe transportation of chemical products," said Clarence Gooden, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, CSX. "We are proud of these customers and their accomplishments in helping to move these products safely and reliably."

To qualify for the Chemical Safety Excellence Award, customers must ship more than 600 carloads of hazardous materials during the year without a non-accidental release. Such releases could occur during loading or offloading of products, or by not securing rail car valves properly. CSX and its chemical customers work to ensure that employees are trained on safe loading procedures.

The awards ceremony included updates from Gooden and Michael Ward, chairman, president and CEO, on CSX's performance and commitment to customers.

Winners for 2011 represent a variety of industries, including energy, technology and agriculture. They are: Agrium, Inc.; AkzoNobel/Eka Chemicals, Inc.; Alon USA L.P.; Arizona Chemical Company LLC; Ascend Performance Materials; Aux Sable Liquid Products LP; Bayer Corporation; Cardinal Ethanol LLC; Cargill, Inc.; Chevron Products Company; CHS, Inc. - Ethanol; CITGO Petroleum Corporation; ConocoPhillips Company; DAK Americas LLC; Dominion Transmission, Inc.; Dow Corning; DSM Chemicals North America, Inc.; E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company; Elementis Chromium, Inc.; EQ Northeast, Inc.; Erco Worldwide; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Federated Cooperatives, Ltd.; FinnChem USA Inc.; Granite Falls Energy LLC; Green Plains Trade Group LLC; Honeywell; Huntsman Petrochemical Corporation; Husky Marketing & Supply Company; International Chemical Company; INVISTA S.A.R.L.; Kemira; Kinetic Resources; Koppers; Marathon Petroleum Company LP; MarkWest Energy Appalachia LLC; MHF Services; Military Surface and Deployment Command; Nan Ya Plastics Corporation; NOVA Chemicals; Occidental Chemical Corporation; Olin Chlor Alkali Products; Oxbow Sulphur, Inc.; Patriot Renewable Fuels LLC; PBF Energy Company LLC; Plains LPG Services, L.P.; Platinum Ethanol LLC; PPG Industries, Inc.; Pursue Energy; Reagent Chemical & Research, Inc.; Renewable Products Marketing Group; SABIC Americas, Inc.; SABIC Innovative Plastics US; Shell Canada Energy; Shell Chemical USA; Southern States Chemical; Styrolution America, LLC; Texas Petrochemicals, Inc.; United Refining; Valero Marketing & Supply Co.; and Westlake Chemical.