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The Dow Chemical Company News

The Late Chief John Eversole Honored as a Pioneer of Public Service at National Chemical Safety Training in Chicago

OMAHA, Neb. and MIDLAND, Mich., May 5 PRNewswire-FirstCall — Chicago-area firefighters and emergency personnel are joining representatives of The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) and Union Pacific Railroad (UP) today to honor the late John Eversole, the former Chief of Special Operations for the Chicago Fire Department, for his lifelong dedication to public service, safety and security. The ceremony begins at 9 a.m. CDT at the rail yard at 6900 S. Central Avenue in Chicago, the site of the first Chicago-area stop of the 2008 TRANSCAER Training Tour, an educational initiative that brings chemical and rail industry experts into local communities to provide free railroad and chemical transportation training to emergency personnel.

The ceremony brings together industry, government, chemical and railroad leaders who have been influenced and inspired by Chief Eversole's leadership. The event will feature the dedication of a customized safety train serving as mobile safety classrooms and training facilities; the donation of $15,500, to the Yvorra Leadership Development Foundation for the Chief Eversole Endowment for Hazmat Emergency Responders, by CSX Transportation, Dow Chemical, National TRANSCAER(R) and Union Pacific; and remarks from Chief Eversole's colleagues.

Eversole was chairman of the Hazardous Materials Committee for the International Association of Fire Chiefs and chairman of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 472 Committee. In these roles, he influenced national public policy with regard to hazardous materials and professional standards for responders on the national level. He was a strong supporter of TRANSCAER and the importance of the emergency response community and industry working together to address the challenges of hazardous materials.

"Chief John Eversole was a champion of hazardous materials transportation safety and security," said Henry Ward, director of transportation safety and security, The Dow Chemical Company. "So it is very appropriate to honor him by dedicating this Hazmat Safety Train in his name."

Following the ceremony, the newly dedicated Chief John Eversole safety train will provide railroad and chemical transportation training to local firefighters and other emergency response personnel at the Chicago rail yard. Responders who registered for the training will participate in a variety of classroom and simulated activities, focused on railroad equipment training, hazardous material training and advanced training with interactive emergency response drills.

"Emergency responders play a truly invaluable role in protecting the public's safety and security," said Lou Wagner, General Director, Chemical Transportation Safety, Union Pacific Railroad. "Through TRANSCAER, these men and women have the opportunity to learn firsthand from chemical and rail transportation experts about the safe movement of chemicals through their communities."

TRANSCAER, an acronym for Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response, is the voluntary national outreach consortium of chemical-related companies, carrier/transport companies and industry associations formed 22 years ago as part of a shared commitment to the safe and secure transportation of chemical materials. Presented by Dow and UP, the TRANSCAER Training Tour is bringing chemical and rail industry professionals into communities along chemical transportation routes. The 2008 tour started in Alexandria, La., on April 9 and will conclude in Chicago on May 8. This tour follows the 2007 UP/Dow TRANSCAER Training Tours, which trained more than 1,000 emergency responders in California, Texas and the Gulf Coast region.

"TRANSCAER is an important extension of our industries' shared commitment to the security and safety of the many people and communities we touch," said Rollie Shook, Emergency Services and Security, The Dow Chemical Company, and the incoming Chairman of the National TRANSCAER Task Group.

Additional participants donating time and resources to the TRANSCAER Training Tour include the Firefighters Education and Training Foundation, CHEMTREC(R), the Chemical Transportation Emergency Center, and the many State TRANSCAER organizations along the route of travel. More information about the TRANSCAER Training Tour, including schedule, registration and training details, can be found at http://www.dow.com/transcaertours.

About TRANSCAER

TRANSCAER(R) (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) is a voluntary national outreach effort that focuses on assisting communities to prepare for and respond to a possible hazardous material transportation incident. TRANSCAER(R) members consist of volunteer representatives from the chemical manufacturing, transportation, distributor, and emergency response industries, as well as the government. The 2008 training tour campaign is part of a long-term commitment by Dow and Union Pacific to provide improved community awareness and preparedness along chemical transportation routes, in coordination with national, regional and state TRANSCAER programs. More information about TRANSCAER can be found at http://www.transcaer.org.

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country and serves the fastest-growing U.S. population centers. Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad offers competitive long-haul routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North America's premier rail franchise. Union Pacific is an active partner in the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care Program.

About Dow

With annual sales of $54 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

For editorial information: Allison France The Dow Chemical Company (989) 636-0341 france@dow.com For editorial information: Mark Davis Union Pacific Railroad (402) 544-5459 MWDavis@up.com

SOURCE The Dow Chemical Company

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