Washington – After reviewing the facts of the Columbus, OH, train derailment as reported, the Renewable Fuels Association issued the following statement:

“America’s ethanol industry is committed to the safe production, transportation, and use of fuel ethanol. As the largest cargo of hazardous material by volume carried by Class 1 railroads, ethanol is a common product on many of the trains traversing the country. Despite its prevalence, the instances of accident involving hazardous materials are quite low. Data from 2011 shows that 99.99% of all hazardous material cargoes were delivered without incident.

“Billions of gallons of ethanol safely travel American railways without incident each year. Unfortunately, some accidents do occur which are out of our control. For whatever reason, some trains derail. In order to help ensure the safety of the public near these railways, the Renewable Fuels Association has been partnering with the federal government, rail carriers, railroad operators, and other stakeholders to conduct safety seminars for first responders all across the country. Since beginning the program in 2010, the RFA has conducted more than three dozen trainings for more than 1,500 first responders nationwide. These fire departments and other essential safety organizations now have the proper understanding and tools to respond in the unlikely event of a train accident involving ethanol.”

Seeking to fill the need for ethanol response education, the Renewable Fuels Association founded the Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition (EERC). For more information on the industry’s safety efforts, visit www.ethanolresponse.com.

Railroad statistics for ethanol:

• Ethanol represents 26% of the total number of hazmat shipments nationwide

• Of the 1.7 million total loads of hazardous material, 99.99% of them were delivered without accident.

• Ethanol constitutes 1.1% of all railroad shipments