HOUSTON, May 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Westlake Chemical Corporation's (NYSE: WLK) Lake Charles, LA site was recently recognized by the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) for their continued commitment to safety in the workplace.

Westlake's Petrochemical Complex received the NPRA Meritorious Safety Performance Award, the NPRA Gold Award, and the NPRA Safety Recognition Award for two years without a lost workday injury. The Meritorious and Gold Awards are given to companies that have achieved a reduction in their recordable incident rate, as well as having no fatalities.

The Polymers Manufacturing Complex received the NPRA Safety Recognition Award for achieving seven years without a lost workday injury.

Additionally, the Lake Charles site, an OSHA Star site, was awarded the OSHA VPP Super Star Award at the annual Regional Conference held in San Antonio, Texas. The Award is presented to those VPP sites that have a Days Away, Restricted, and/or Transfer Case Incidence Rate (DART) and Total Case incidence Rate for Injuries and Illnesses (TCIR) that are at least 75% below the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BSL) national average for the NAICS code.

Speaking of these awards, Albert Chao, President & CEO of Westlake Chemical Corporation stated, "In 2007 we achieved the lowest rate of recordable injuries and lost work day cases in the history of the company. We congratulate the employees in Lake Charles on their outstanding safety record and these important awards and for their contribution to the overall safety record of the company. We have long held safety to be of utmost importance and a leading core value of the company. We believe that no job is so urgent or important that it cannot be performed safely."

Westlake Chemical Corporation is a manufacturer and supplier of petrochemicals, polymers and fabricated products with headquarters in Houston, Texas. The company's range of products includes: ethylene, polyethylene, styrene, propylene, caustic, VCM, PVC and PVC pipe, windows and fence. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.westlake.com.

SOURCE
Westlake Chemical Corporation

CONTACT:
Media, David R. Hansen, or Investors, Steven Bender,
both of Westlake Chemical Corporation,
+1-713-960-9111