(May 15, 2012) Washington - The Renewable Fuels Association, CN Railway and Adkins Energy will co-host an Ethanol Safety Seminar in Rockford, IL on May 22nd at the Clock Tower Resort and Conference Center. 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.  Lunch and dinner will be provided.

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.

“As a commitment to TRANSCAER® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response), which is a training program for communities situated near rail lines where dangerous goods are transported, CN is happy to partner with the Renewable Fuels Association to conduct a series of Ethanol Safety Seminars for first responders, such as firefighters, local emergency planning officials and police agencies,” said Scott McLeod, Sr. Dangerous Goods Officer for CN Railway.  “The focus is on what emergency measures to take in the event of an incident involving ethanol products and the importance of preplanning.”

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.

“We appreciate the opportunity to partner with RFA and CN to promote safety and teach about hazard awareness in the ethanol industry,” said Ray Baker, Adkins Energy General Manager. “We’re proud of our safety record at Adkins, which takes vigilance and ongoing education, so we’re pleased to see this training offered throughout the community where our ethanol products are shipped and used.”

“Rockford, IL has a high volume of ethanol transported through it daily. It is also an area that experienced an ethanol incident when a train derailed and ethanol railcars caught fire three years ago,” said Kristy Moore, RFA VP of Technical Services. “It is imperative that those responsible for protecting their community are well informed on ethanol fuel safety and prepared to respond to an emergency. We are happy to refresh the area’s first responders and safety teams with this extremely valuable information.”

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 will be distributed following the completion of the seminar. 

To register for this seminar, go to www.rfa.traincaster.com.

The RFA and CN Railway will be co-hosting Ethanol Safety Seminars throughout 2012 in the following locations: Dubuque, IA on June 13th, also co-sponsored with IRFA and Big River United Energy; Waterloo, IA on June 14th, also co-sponsored by IRFA, Homeland Energy Solutions, Golden Grain Energy and Absolute energy; Sioux City, IA on July 30th, also co-sponsored by IRFA and Siouxland Ethanol LLC; Fort Dodge, IA on August 1st, also co-sponsored by IRFA and Little Sioux Corn Processors, LLP; Decatur, IL on August 22nd, also co-sponsored by Norfolk Southern and ADM; and Elgin, IL on October 2nd. RFA has additionally partnered with Norfolk Southern Railroad and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) 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 CN Railway: CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI)  – Canadian National Railway Company and its operating railway subsidiaries – spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. Visit www.CN.ca.

About Adkins Energy LLC: Adkins Energy LLC is a corn-to-ethanol production facility which processes approximately 16 million bushels of corn annually into over 45 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol.  We are committed to providing a sustainable, value-added business for our community and investors while supporting the development of American agriculture and renewable products. Founded in 2002, Adkins is celebrating 10 years of producing renewable energy. Visit www.AdkinsEnergy.com.