Five POET ethanol plants have been recognized for chemical transportation safety, receiving the Union Pacific Railroad’s 14th annual Pinnacle Award.

The award is given to companies that have no non-accident releases during the year and have successful prevention and corrective plans in place.

POET Biorefining plants in Ashton, Emmetsburg and Jewell, Iowa; Lake Crystal, Minn.; and Hudson, S.D. received the award.

“These awards are confirmation that our plants follow through with our high standards for safety,” POET CEO Jeff Broin said. “We work hard to protect our own team members and the environment each day.”

“This is Union Pacific's opportunity to acknowledge and thank our customers for their continuing efforts to eliminate chemical releases from rail cars,” said Diane Duren, vice president and general manager - chemicals. “Rail is the safest way to haul the chemicals that Americans use every day, whether it is chlorine for drinking water or fertilizer for our farms that help feed the world.”

About POET
POET, the largest ethanol producer in the world, is a leader in biorefining through its efficient, vertically integrated approach to production. The 22-year-old company produces more than 1.6 billion gallons of ethanol annually from 26 production facilities nationwide. POET recently started up a pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, which uses corn cobs as feedstock, and will commercialize the process in Emmetsburg, Iowa. For more information, visit http://www.poet.com.

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