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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to issue a recommendation to the U.S. Department of Transportation that shippers and railroads continue to place placards on tank cars that identify their hazardous-materials cargo. DHS’ Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently completed a placards study that included input from railroads, chemical shippers, first responders and communities.

“Based on the study and input from the first responder community, we are recommending that the transportation department maintain the placard system,” said DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff in a prepared statement. “This is a common-sense approach to risk management.”

Following 9/11, DHS officials heard concerns that the placards unduly draw attention to haz-mat carrying rail cars. The TSA then conducted the study to analyze alternative technologies.

The study found that:
• information obtained from placards is essential for first responders to identify materials involved in an incident and carry out appropriate procedures;
• placards have alternate uses for railroads, chemical shippers and first responders;
• any replacement system would have to address the role placards play in assisting commerce flow; and
• nine alternative technologies studied wouldn’t adequately address first responders’ and communities’ safety needs.