Halon 1301 is an effective fire-suppression agent that can protect the sensitive electronic systems used for train control and telecommunications. It’s also characterized as a greenhouse gas with “high global warming potential,” which is why the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) removed about 5 metric tons of it from 24 facilities in and around Baltimore.

The manufacture and importation of Halon 1301 (chemical formula CBrF 3) was banned in the United States in 1994 in response to the Montreal Protocol Agreement of 1987 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although the continued use of the fluorinated gas is legal, recycling is encouraged and handling practices are restricted.

With a $522,000 award from the TIGGER program along with $311,000 of its own funds, MTA hired Remtec International of Ohio to safely recycle its supply of the chemical. The total $833,000 budget equated to $24.14 per metric ton of carbon-dioxide-equivalent reduction.

The amount of Halon 1301 removed was calculated by certifying the weight of the reclaimed Halon 1301 and measuring the charge-weights of the removed Halon 1301 containers as well as the replacement fire-suppression containers.

MTA selected Stat-X, manufactured by Fireway, Inc., as a replacement fire-suppression agent. Because Stat-X has different fluid properties relative to Halon 1301, it required the use of alternate piping and valves; all other system components worked as is.