March 28, 2006 — The American Coke and Coal Chemicals Institute (ACCCI) has selected AK Steel’s Ashland, Ky., coke plant to receive the Institute’s Max Eward Safety Award.

AK Steel's Ashland coke plant employees worked the entire year of 2005 without recording a single OSHA Recordable Injury.

"We salute our Ashland coke plant employees for their tremendous safety performance during 2005 which earned them this coveted award," said James L. Wainscott, Chairman, President and CEO of AK Steel. "Nothing is more important at AK Steel than employee safety, and it is gratifying to have our Ashland coke plant employees recognized for their dedication to work safely each day."

The 2006 award marks the eighth time in the past nine years that an AK Steel cokemaking facility has been honored as the industry's safest. The company's Middletown, Ohio, coke plant is a seven-time recipient of the Max Eward Award. It also had an outstanding safety record last year and finished second in the industry-wide competition for the 2005 award.

"The employees of AK Steel's Ashland coke plant have made safety their top priority," said Bruce Steiner, President of ACCCI. "Coke plants are challenging work environments from the standpoint of keeping employees safe, and AK Steel has done a tremendous job year after year at both Ashland and Middletown to protect its most important asset — its people. The Ashland plant's employees and managers are to be congratulated for their extraordinary 2005 safety record and demonstrating that they are working under the principle of Safety First."

Headquartered in Middletown, Ohio, AK Steel produces flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, as well as carbon and stainless tubular steel products, for automotive, appliance, construction and manufacturing markets. Hourly employees of the Ashland coke plant are represented by United Steelworkers (USW) Local 523.