(March 27, 2012) Washington - The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Norfolk Southern Corp., and Motiva Enterprises are co-hosting an Ethanol Safety Seminar in Forsyth, GA today, March 27th. Over 170 attendees have pre-registered. This seminar is free. To accommodate schedules and reach as many participants as possible, the seminar features a morning session from 9:00am to 2:00pm and an evening session from 5:30-10:00pm at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. Lunch and dinner will be provided.

Attendees will receive in-depth information on proper training techniques that first responders and hazmat personnel need to effectively respond to an ethanol-related emergency. While primarily targeting first responders, hazmat teams, safety managers, and local emergency planning committees, it is also open to the general public.

As ethanol production, transportation, and use are increasing year after year, safety continues to be a top priority for the ethanol industry. This domestically grown fuel accounts for 10% of our country’s fuel supply and many first responders will be tasked with preparing for potential ethanol-related incidents for the first time. It is important that those responsible for safety in their communities are well-prepared and trained for responding to ethanol-related emergencies.

“This program is part of our Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response initiative and we are delighted that so many emergency responders have been able to take advantage of this training opportunity,” said David Schoendorfer, Norfolk Southern Manager Hazardous Materials. “Recognizing that ethanol is the most commonly transported hazmat by rail, it is important that first responders are familiar with this commodity should an ethanol related emergency occur.”

The goal of this seminar is for attendees to gain full ethanol emergency response training experience that they can put to use immediately in the field as well as pass along to other first response teams. A majority of this training is based on the Complete Training Guide to Ethanol Emergency Response, a training package created by the Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition (EERC) that has been distributed throughout the United States and to several countries worldwide.

“Almost 14 billion gallons of ethanol are produced at 209 biofineries spread across 29 states,” said Kristy Moore, RFA VP of Technical Services. “As the product is increasing in use and transportation throughout the states, first responders need to be familiar with the fuel and how to effectively respond to an ethanol related incident. This program details the response information that is essential to these emergency situations. We are happy to provide this type of information to those that dedicate their lives to protecting their communities.”

The Ethanol Safety Seminar focuses on numerous important areas of ethanol safety including an introduction to ethanol and ethanol blended fuels, chemical and physical characteristics of ethanol and hydrocarbon fuels, transportation of ethanol blended fuels, storage and dispensing locations, firefighting foam principles and ethanol, ethanol blended fuel emergencies, and incidents at tank farm and bulk storage locations. Certificates of Attendance from the Georgia Public Safety Training Center will be available following completion of the safety seminar and can be applied toward Firefighter 1 training hours.

The RFA and Norfolk Southern Corp. will be hosting Ethanol Safety Seminars throughout 2012 in the following locations: Chattanooga, TN on April 18th, also co-sponsored with Tate & Lyle; Spartanburg, SC on May 7th; Raleigh, NC on July 11th; Decatur, IL on August 22nd, also co-sponsored with CN Railway and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM); and Pittsburgh, PA in late summer. RFA has additionally partnered with Canadian National (CN) Railway for several Ethanol Safety seminars in 2012.

For more information on ethanol emergency response, visit the EERC website at www.ethanolresponse.com.

About the RFA: The Renewable Fuels Association is the leading trade association for America’s ethanol industry. Its mission is to advance the development, production, and use of ethanol fuel by strengthening America’s ethanol industry and raising awareness about the benefits of renewable fuels. RFA’s 200 members are working to help America become cleaner, safer, more energy independent and economically secure. Visit www.EthanolRFA.org.

About Norfolk Southern: Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.Visit www.nscorp.com.

About Motiva Enterprises: Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Motiva Enterprises LLC is a refining and marketing joint venture owned by affiliates of Shell and Saudi Aramco. Motiva’s marketing operations support a network of nearly 9,000 Shell-branded gasoline stations in the eastern and southern United States. Company assets include three refineries located in Norco, Louisiana; Convent, Louisiana, and Port Arthur, Texas, capable of refining approximately 740,000 barrels per day, and ownership or partial interests in 38 product terminals. Visit www.motivaenterprises.com.