COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) presented its highest honor, the Responsible Care Company of the Year Award, to two member companies: Celanese Corp. and Ethyl Corp. The award recognizes member companies that have enhanced and embraced the Responsible Care ethic of performance improvement and sustainability.

To be eligible for the Responsible Care Company of the Year award, companies must show exemplary achievement in meeting a number of Responsible Care performance requirements, including: a safety performance rating in the top 10 percent of companies in their size category, with zero significant process incidents in the previous year and no fatalities in at least three years; a positive trend in performance measures; and a demonstrated commitment to product stewardship goals. The company also must actively promote the Responsible Care ethic to stakeholders at the local, regional and national levels.

Celanese Corp. has gone beyond Responsible Care requirements in multiple areas, achieving aggressive environmental health and safety performance goals to reduce its impact on the environment and safeguard its employees and contractors. In 2010, Celanese exceeded each of its five-year goals, with an energy intensity reduction of 26 percent, greenhouse gases reduction of 35 percent, waste intensity reduction of more than 70 percent and an air emissions reduction of more than 40 percent. Most significantly, Celanese’s 2010 global OSHA injury rate was 0.15, surpassing its 2010 goal of 0.22.

Ethyl Corp.’s commitment to improving its environmental performance is exemplified by its robust waste-reduction efforts. In 2011, the company’s Houston plant is on track to reduce its hazardous waste production by approximately 70 percent (more than 200 tons) compared to 2010. Ethyl also implements an active “Safety Observation Program” to capture and correct items with potential adverse effect, investigates all incidents that take place, and ensures that all employees are aware of potential workplace hazards. Ethyl Corp.’s commitment to safety has been acknowledged by the National Safety Council, which gave the company its Perfect Record Award for safety performance last year.