Safety & Environment

Safety 

At ACBL, the safety of our team, the marine environment, and our customers’ cargoes is our operating priority.   

ACBL is an industry leader in safety performance with a significant percentage of our towboat fleet recognized by the Chamber of Shipping of America with the prestigious Jones F. Devlin Award for Safety. 

We are proud to provide our customers with the safest mode of bulk transportation. Barging results in significantly fewer spills and injuries than rail or trucking. 

Our Marine Assurance and Vetting team is dedicated to meeting and exceeding the stringent vetting requirements of our customers in partnership with their marine assurance teams and through a focus on the third-party vetting of vendors.  

ACBL partners with and participates in industry and government programs which foster continuous safety improvement:   

• Member of the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Partnership Program 
• Certified by the American Waterways Operators’ Responsible Carrier Program 
• Partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard  
• Enrollment in the Tank Barge Streamlined Inspection Program 
• Host of a bridging program to educate the Coast Guard on inland barge transportation  
• Implementation of Crew Endurance Management 

Environmental Stewardship 

At ACBL, we are dedicated to the protection of the marine environment. This dedication is proven in our exemplary safety and environmental records.   

A significant percentage of our boat fleet has been recognized with the Chamber of Shipping of America’s Environmental Achievement Award for their environmental records with regard to spills and cited violations of industry pollution standards and state and local pollution regulations.  

We utilize an environmental management system, including pollution prevention, energy and resource conservation, environmental audits, training, and community outreach, and strive to exceed regulatory requirements. To ensure continuous improvement in our environmental performance, we participate in a variety of programs promoting environmental excellence and leadership:   

• Member of the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Partnership Program
• Certified by the American Waterways Operators’ Responsible Carrier Program
• Advocate member of Kentucky EXCEL Program  
• Member of Indiana Partners for Pollution Prevention 
• Member of the Louisiana Environmental Leadership Program 
• William M. Benkert Marine Environmental Protection Award, presented by the U.S. Coast Guard 
• First within the inland waterways transportation industry to be accepted into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Performance Track Program  
• Sponsor of Living Lands & Waters, dedicated to protecting, preserving and restoring our nation’s rivers 
• Sponsor of RiverWorks Discovery, a national outreach education effort focused on the role of our nation’s rivers