Afton Chemical Recognized with 2009 Responsible Care Leadership Award

Afton Chemical Corporation, a market leader in fuel and lubricant additive research, development and manufacturing, was recognized yesterday by the American Chemistry Council. The company was presented with a 2009 Responsible Care® Leadership Award at the ACC annual meeting.

John Street, VP for Health, Safety, Environment and Security (HSES) at Afton said, “We’re very proud and gratified that our continuing commitment to safety, health and the environment has been acknowledged with this important award.” Afton competed against similar-sized ACC Member Companies (less than 1,000 US employees) to win the award. Street continued, “Though we’re among the smaller companies in the chemical industry, our overall HSES systems, and in particular our Product Risk Characterization and Management Process, compare favorably with much larger organizations.”

The Responsible Care® program has been in existence since 1988, and promotes sustained excellence and leadership in areas such as health, safety and environmental stewardship. Street noted, “Afton has a long history of commitment to the safety of its employees and environmental stewardship. We were among the first companies in the industry to embrace the principles of Responsible Care. Our business has always been run with integrity and strong principles in keeping with Responsible Care’s objectives.”

Among the many accomplishments that the award recognizes are: a project completed in Sauget, IL that reduced VOC emissions by 90%; a 2009 project that will reduce SO2 emissions by 95%, at the Afton Feluy, Belgium facility; and a reduction of 50% or more in chlorine use and attendant emissions by changing raw material properties at two locations.

Afton Chemical Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NewMarket Corporation (NYSE: NEU). Afton Chemical develops and manufactures petroleum additives that boost the performance of fuels and lubricating oils to achieve increased efficiency, power and durability in machinery, vehicles and other equipment. From custom-formulated chemical blends to market-general additive components, Afton Chemical technology helps fuels burn cleaner and more efficiently, engines run smoother, and machines last longer.

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