In the last few months, there’s been a renewed flurry of misleading and false statements about the Chlorine Institute Emergency Kit “C” (C-Kit) by a company currently marketing its own secondary containment product. At this time, there have been no recorded sales of that product. Emergency responders across the nation, who face real risks every day, deserve to know they can continue to rely on the C-Kit and proven response procedures. Here are the facts:
Fact: The C-Kit is specifically designed for use with standard U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) compliant chlorine tank cars and tank trucks when there is a leak associated with pressure relief devices or valves, the “fittings” atop the railcar or tank truck. Providing devices and tools for use within the housings where valves are located, C-Kits have been used safely and successfully for more than 40 years. The C-Kit was developed to provide tools to responders. The Chlorine Institute has no financial or proprietary interest in the kit.
Fact: Public and private sector emergency response personnel are trained to use CKits, and The Chlorine Institute provides free training through the TRANSCAER® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) program and outreach by its members. More than 5,500 C-Kits are already in the hands of trained U.S. and Canadian emergency responders. This experience and success with the CKit confirms it is a proven technology for this important public safety purpose.
Fact: The Chlorine Institute’s C-Kit Instruction Booklet (currently, Edition 9, January 2009) offers step-by-step guidance to responders, advises them to take pressure readings of the tank before installing C-Kit devices and clearly states the pressure limitations of the kit. The manual is available to responders free of charge.
Fact: The C-Kit has been recognized and accepted by the responder community, including the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the nation’s railroads.
Fact: A new generation of rail tank cars is under development, and will soon be in use. These cars, and the 6000 cars with the current, standard fittings that will remain in service, will require C-Kits for effective response to certain emergencies.
Fact: The secondary containment product in question has never been tested in rail service, has never been approved by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and is not compliant with DOT regulations. Therefore, this product is not yet available for use on railroad tank cars and the concept of replacing the C-Kit with this product is ill-advised and premature.
Fact: The company’s advertisements and other communications make false claims about the C-Kit, and mislead readers into thinking its products are endorsed by leading responder organizations. The company’s products are not designed for use by responders, and are not endorsed by responder organizations.
Fact: On August 17, 2012, the Chlorine Institute asked DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), “to review the false claims and misleading statements” in the company’s marketing campaign.
Fact: The Chlorine Institute will continue to monitor the company’s marketing efforts and take action as appropriate to ensure that responders are getting accurate information so that they can continue to make the right decisions in emergency situations.
For more information about C-Kits and the Chlorine Institute’s long-standing cooperation with the nation’s responders contact Shane Fast, 703.894.4114 or [email protected]. The C-Kit Bulletin is available at: (Hotlink to C-Kit Bulletin)
CLICK HERE (pdf) to see the Chlorine Institute (CI) Bulletin.
CLICK HERE (pdf) to see PHMSA response to their review of the TGO Technologies product.