EDISON, N.J. - The U.S. Coast Guard recognized U.S. Shipping Corp. with the 2015 Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Environmental Protection Bronze Award March 4 in New Orleans, LA. The biennial award program honors leaders in the field of marine safety and environmental protection. U.S. Shipping Corp provides long-haul marine transportation services in the U.S. Jones Act Trade. In 2015, the company safely transported over 1.8 billion gallons of petroleum, petrochemicals, and chemical products with more than 600 cargo transfers.   With significant growth of its operations, U.S. Shipping Corp. has maintained its position as a leader in safety and environmental performance with an integrated environmental, safety, and quality management system established based upon rigorous, international standards. The company maintains certification under the international environmental and quality management standards ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 and under the International Safety Management (ISM) Code adopted by the International Maritime Organization. “We are honored to be recognized as a leader in marine safety and environmental protection with the prestigious Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Award,” Mike Ryan, President and CEO of U.S. Shipping Corp., stated. “Our commitment extends beyond mere compliance to achievement of continuous improvement in every facet of our operations and assurance of the safety of our crews, our customers’ cargoes, and the marine environment.” Over the past four years, the company has achieved a significant reduction in its recordable injury rate, clocking over one million man hours without a lost time incident. It has also made a significant impact with environmental programs, achieving goals for waste management and energy efficiency. This success can largely be attributed to the company’s enhanced focus on safety and environmental stewardship; improved communication; increased investment in training; and expanded outreach fostering cooperative initiatives with vendors, contractors, and customers. Ongoing efforts to reduce waste and pollutants and improve energy efficiency have become ingrained in U.S. Shipping Corp.‘s culture and embraced by its vessel and shore-side employees. “As we celebrate this award and the success it represents, we remain committed to continually assessing our operations, benchmarking our performance against other leaders in safety and marine environmental protection, and employing the latest innovations and management protocols to reach our goal of zero incidents, injuries, and spills,” Raymond Marquardt, U.S. Shipping Corp.‘s Director, Safety and Compliance, stated. U.S. Shipping Corp is a leading provider of long-haul marine transportation services for refined petroleum products in the U.S. Jones Act trade, as well as coastwise transportation of petrochemical and commodity chemical products. The company operates a fleet of two chemical parcel tankers, one product tanker, and four articulated tug barge units (ATB) supported by a shore-side staff of 26 maritime professionals based in Edison, New Jersey.