American Commercial Lines Presents Marine Environmental Stewardship Customer Awards for Safe Handling of Chemicals, Petroleum Products, and Other Liquid Cargoes in 2009

JEFFERSONVILLE, IN--(Marketwire - September 29, 2010) -  American Commercial Lines Inc. (NASDAQ: ACLI) ("ACL" or the "Company") recognized 23 customers with its annual Marine Environmental Stewardship Awards at a luncheon ceremony held on Wednesday, September 29 in Houston, Texas. The customers recognized by ACL for safely handling more than one billion gallons of chemicals with ACL in 2009 and for sharing the Company's commitment to safety and environmental stewardship are: BASF Corporation; Bayer MaterialScience LLC; Bunge North America; CITGO Petroleum Corporation; E.I. Dupont De Nemours & Company Inc.; Eastman Chemical Company; ED&F Man Liquid Products Corporation; Formosa Plastics; Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc.; INEOS NOVA LLC; Marathon Petroleum Company, LLC; Methanex Corporation; Murphy Oil USA; Old World Industries, Inc.; Olin Chemical; PPG Industries, Inc.; Quality Liquid Feeds; SABIC Innovative Plastics; Shell Chemical LP; STUSCO - Shell Trading US Company; Tauber Oil Company; Vitol Inc.; and Westlake Chemical.

"At ACL, safety and protection of the marine environment are our operating priorities, as well as the first of our core values, which guide all that we do from the river to the boardroom," Mike Ryan, President and CEO of ACL, stated. "I am honored to recognize our customers for their significant achievements in marine environmental stewardship. We thank them for sharing our commitment. By shipping on the inland waterways, they have chosen to utilize the safest, greenest, and most fuel efficient mode of transportation. We are proud to serve them as we work together to protect the environment and keep our country on the move."

Barging is the safest and most environmentally friendly mode of transportation. According to a 2008 study by the Texas Transportation Institute, the rate of spills of more than 1,000 gallons is 3.60 gallons per million ton-miles for barges compared to 3.86 gallons per million ton-miles for railroads and 6.06 gallons per million ton-miles for trucks. The study also documents that inland barge transportation emits fewer air pollutants, including hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides, than railroads or trucks. Barging is also noted by the study as the most fuel-efficient mode of transportation with the ability to move one ton of cargo 576 miles per gallon of fuel, 163 miles further than railroads and 421 miles further than trucks.

American Commercial Lines Inc., headquartered in Jeffersonville, Indiana, is an integrated marine transportation and service company operating in the United States Jones Act trades, with approximately $850 million in revenues and approximately 2,570 employees as of December 31, 2009. For more information about American Commercial Lines Inc., visit www.aclines.com.

To request photographs of ACL's Marine Environmental Stewardship Awards presentation for publication, please contact David Parker, Vice President Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, at 800-842-5491.

Contact Information:

Contact:
David T. Parker
Vice President, Investor Relations
and Corporate Communications
(800) 842-5491