Local first responders undergo training to prepare for chlorine leak emergencies
Emergency responders examined the valves as a trainer pointed to cracks where chlorine could leak from the railcar. Their first task, should they be called to a leak, would be tightening these valves.
That can often fix the problem. But if it doesn’t work, emergency responders must use a kit specifically designed to cover the valves and seal the leak. They practiced applying this “C-Kit” to a prop railcar housing, despite sideways rain making it beneath the tent’s protection.
“You’re going to be on top of a car,” said Danny Wood, a supervisor for Westlake Chemical. “It’s always going to be raining, and it’s always going to be at night. That’s just how chlorine leaks, I guess.”
More than 3.5 million metric tons of chlorine are produced in the Houston area each year, according to IHS Markit data provided by the Greater Houston Partnership.
And roughly 100 first responders are attending training sessions this week in Houston hosted by the Chlorine Institute, BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad.
Most emergency responders will never use a C-Kit during their career, as leaks are rare, but it’s
important to be prepared.
“We want those people to be educated,” said Clay Reid, director of hazardous materials for BNSF Railway, “and to understand all the resources the railroad brings.”
Since 1965, there have been 11 major tank car breaches among the more than 2 million rail shipments of chlorine. The majority of those breaches were in the distant past. Chlorine producers and shippers began working with railroad companies more than 10 years ago to enhance the safety features of railcars and valve assemblies.
That has worked to “take a rare occurrence and make it even more rare,” Reid said.
On Tuesday, first responders began their day in the classroom learning about the chemical and physical properties of chlorine. They discussed protective gear and learned about various components of a railcar.
The event wasn’t limited to trains. The Chlorine Institute, a technical trade association, has created the specifications for kits used to patch leaks in 150-pound cylinders and 1-ton containers, both of which could be found in a water treatment plant, for instance. So first responders learned how to use those kits, too.
The training was supposed to be held last year but was postponed due to Hurricane Harvey. It has been a few years since the Chlorine Institute hosted training in Houston, but some of its member companies, including Dow Chemical Co., have been in the area recently to do similar trainings.
BNSF, Union Pacific and the Chlorine Institute are sponsors for the Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response, TRANSCAER. They were among TRANSCAER affiliates that trained some 44,700 people last year on the movement of hazardous materials.
Erica Bernstein, director of outreach for the Chlorine Institute, said these trainings are a good opportunity for first responders to meet railroad representatives and team members who execute the Chlorine Emergency Plan.
“It’s always good to meet them ahead of time,” she said, “because when they’re working on an incident it could be a fast-paced environment.”