American Commercial Lines Presents Marine Environmental Stewardship Customer Awards for Safe Handling of Chemicals, Petroleum Products, and Other Liquid Cargoes in 2008

JEFFERSONVILLE, IN--(Marketwire - August 26, 2009) - American Commercial Lines Inc. (NASDAQ: ACLI) ("ACL" or the "Company") recognized 29 customers with its annual Marine Environmental Stewardship Awards at a luncheon ceremony held on Wednesday, August 26 in Houston, Texas. The customers recognized by ACL for safely handling more than two billion gallons of chemicals with ACL in 2008 and for sharing the Company's commitment to safety and environmental stewardship are: Aventine Renewable Energy, Inc.; BASF Corporation; Bayer MaterialScience LLC; CITGO Petroleum Corporation; E.I. Dupont De Nemours & Company Inc.; Eastman Chemical Company; Flint Hills Resources, LLC; Formosa Plastics; Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc.; Huntsman Petrochemical Corporation; Ineos Nova LLC; INVISTA S.a´ r. l. Marine Operations; Koch Supply and Trading; Lyondell Chemical; Marathon Petroleum Company, LLC; Merichem Chemical & Refinery; Methanex Methanol Company; Network Chartering Americas, Inc.; Neville Chemical Company; Old World Industries, Inc.; Olin Chemical; Owensboro Grain Company, LLC; PPG Industries, Inc.; Sabic Innovative Plastics; Shell Chemicals LP; Shell Trading U.S. Company; Stepan Company; Twin Rivers Natural Ingredients; and Westlake CA&O Corporation.

"At ACL, safety is our priority, and our operations are guided by our commitment to the environment," Mike Ryan, President and CEO of ACL, stated. "I am honored to recognize our customers for their significant achievements in marine environmental stewardship, and I applaud them for their success. By choosing to ship on the inland waterways, they have selected the safest, greenest, and most fuel efficient mode of transportation. We are proud to serve all of them as we work together to safeguard our environment."

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 $1 billion in revenues and approximately 3,300 employees as of December 31, 2007. 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