Midland, MI and Omaha, NB - April 14, 2009
The Dow Chemical Company and Union Pacific Railroad – both leading companies in their respective industries – today announced great advancements and progress on the mutually-set goals designed to enhance the safe transport of chemicals across the United States.
The two companies issued a progress report of the goals outlined in a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) that they signed in March 2007 to build on their long history of working together to improve safety and security in chemical transportation. The agreement includes specific transportation enhancements the companies pledged to achieve together by 2017 or sooner.
“Dow and Union Pacific are as committed as ever to our shared vision of ensuring the safe and secure transportation of essential products and materials through each community we touch,” said David Kepler, executive vice president of Dow’s Business Services. “We outlined some very aggressive goals and we are extremely pleased to announce that by the end of 2008 we have achieved progress in every one of the eight goal areas we set in 2007.”
“Union Pacific and Dow are major contributors to the chemical supply chain that is critical to our nation’s economy, and also to homeland security, public health, safety and welfare,” said Jim Young, chairman and CEO, Union Pacific. “Our priority is making sure that they arrive to consumers by the safest, most environmentally friendly mode of freight transportation so that almost everything in our daily lives -- the water we drink, the plastics bottles that carry it, our computers, cars, clothes and medicines – have the chemicals needed to make it all possible."
With over 160,000 miles of track by all railroads in the United States, Dow and Union Pacific pledged to enhance chemical transportation through a variety of innovative solutions and public-private partnerships. From industry-wide railway crossing safety initiatives and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) sensors that track railcar movements, to designing the next generation of rail tank cars, the range is far reaching. By working with local and national safety agencies, the combined work is developing products and processes that are safer than ever before; and the future possibilities are even greater. More importantly these joint improvements are helping companies to better manage their inventories and supply chain from beginning to end.
Dow and Union Pacific’s eight jointly-created goals are consistent with the principles and practices of Responsible Care®, a voluntary chemical industry initiative that Dow and other leading companies helped establish in 1985 to drive continuous improvement in the safe and secure manufacture, distribution and use of chemical products. Each of the following goals plays a distinctive role in improving the rail bulk transportation infrastructure:
1) Expand the TRANSportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response (TRANSCAER®) Program
2) Improve Shipment Visibility
3) Develop the Next Generation Rail Tank Car
4) Improve Supply Chain Design
5) Eliminate Non-Accidental Releases (NAR)
6) Deploy Communications-Based Train Control/Anti-Collision System (Positive Train Control)
7) Reduce Movement in High-Threat Urban Areas
8) Improve Accident Prevention
For further explanation, please read a full progress report.
About Dow
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country and serves the fastest-growing U.S. population centers. Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad offers competitive long-haul routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North America's premier rail franchise.
® The DOW Diamond is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company
® Registered service mark of the U. S. American Chemistry Council
® TRANSCAER is a trademark of Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response
For Editorial Information:
Jeff Lichon
The Dow Chemical Company
1-989-638-3193
Donna Kush
Union Pacific Communications
402-544-3753
DMKush@up.com
