Guidebook for Conducting Local Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Studies (2011)

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30 After reviewing the baseline information and scoping the HMCFS project, the project team collects and reviews existing data. The project team may enlist volunteers or other project par- ticipants to assist with existing data collection. A flow chart of the HMCFS process, focusing on collection and review of existing data, is shown in Figure 4-1. 4.1 Existing Data Overview Existing data have been previously collected and assembled for some purpose. They can repre- sent a resource-saving supply of information because collection of new data is often expensive, dif- ficult, and/or time consuming. A disadvantage to existing data is that the data collection, analysis, and presentation may not apply directly to the local HMCFS, and the data may have limited appli- cability to current community needs, depending on the source. Existing data include the following: • Locally or institutionally available data sources – Prior HMCFS that have been conducted by the LEPC; – HMCFS that have been conducted by other adjacent LEPCs or those that share common transport corridors; – Information maintained by local, state, or federal agencies; – Information maintained by local hazmat facilities and carriers; – Trade, environmental, and social advocacy organizations; and – Printed maps and academic journals. • Electronic databases and reports that have information about – Transportation networks; – Commodity movements; – System performance (traffic) levels; – Population and critical facility locations; – Historical incident and accident occurrences and locations; – Contact information; and – Geographical and environmental data. Appendix D.8, Use Existing Data Sources, includes a checklist that can help users identify and track the applicability of some of the existing data sources for an HMCFS. Remember that all existing data sources should be appropriately credited when they are used. 4.2 Locally or Institutionally Available Data Sources Identifying locally available data sources is similar to the baseline information review but should be revisited by the project team during the existing data collection step to ensure that nothing important was missed. It also may be possible to drill down deeper during the existing C H A P T E R 4 Collect and Review Existing Data

Collect and Review Existing Data 31 data collection phase than during the baseline information review. Institutional data from non- local agencies, industries, and organizations also should be considered. 4.2.1 Prior HMCFS Sometimes knowledge of existing resources may become lost, blurred, or develop gaps with changes in organizational leadership and membership. This makes it important to thoroughly review previous documentation, especially if the organization has experienced recent turnover in membership. Information from a CFS that did not focus on hazmat transport, such as a general commodity flow or traffic study for a community or region, also can be useful for identifying hazmat risks or areas of particular interest or concern. Figure 4-1. The HMCFS existing data collection and review process.

32 Guidebook for Conducting Local Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Studies 4.2.2 Adjacent Jurisdiction/Common Corridor HMCFS Jurisdictions that are adjacent or nearby and share common transport cor- ridors are another good, but often overlooked, source of HMCFS data. Traf- fic levels and cargo characteristics on shared transport corridors such as rural Interstates and other highways, railways, waterways, and pipelines are likely to be very similar unless there are major traffic diversion points. 4.2.3 Local and State Agency Data Local and state planning, public safety, transportation and public works, environmental and natural resources, and other agencies also may have infor- mation about transportation networks, system information such as traffic lev- els, commodity movements, population demographics, and environmentally sensitive areas. Jurisdictions that are conducting an HMCFS should develop a list of local and state agencies, and contact them to identify what information may be available. Internet searches can help in this effort. Federal agencies are another source of information. Existing data sources from federal agencies that were identified as particularly relevant to a local HMCFS are also discussed in Section 4.3. Local and State Agency Data Considerations • State transportation agencies conduct traffic counts, including truck counts that are used to provide information for federal transportation databases. They may have additional information available beyond that reported to federal agencies. • Local and state emergency management, emergency response, and environmen- tal agencies may have information about facility locations, incidents and accidents, and company contact information. Although an incident may not be required to be reported at the federal level, information is often required to be submit- ted to these agencies for hazmat or other types of incidents. • An incident does not have to involve hazmat to indicate risks. Accidents that occur in the general driving population or for non-hazmat-carrying trucks may also provide an indication of likely incident locations or incident rates. • In the absence of detailed agency records, historical newspaper reports also may provide incident information. • Planning and zoning commissions or departments may have data on community demographics and land use. Local transportation agencies may have traffic study information available that specifically addresses truck traffic. • Chambers of commerce or other local business groups may have information about local hazmat users or transporters, as well as business trends and planned developments. State and federal agencies can be important sources of information. Vermont’s LEPC #3 used state DOT reports to identify crash locations. Information about hazmat incidents was provided by Vermont’s Depart- ment of Emergency Management. Local traffic counts were compared with BTS 2002 Commodity Flow Survey data for Vermont for con- sistency. Peninsula LEPC in Virginia used truck inspection records from Virginia DOT. Another source of hazmat incident information is PHMSA’s Incident Reports Database. Lewis/Upshur Counties LEPC in West Virginia compared national and state incident data in their analysis. 4.2.4 Information Maintained by Facilities and Carriers Local shippers and receivers may maintain records about hazmat transport that can be used for an HMCFS. This data source may be particularly useful for hazmat transport that is within, originating in, or destined for a jurisdiction. These types of sources can include manufacturing

facilities, petrochemical plants, hospitals, public utilities, public institutions (schools), retail facilities such as fueling stations, and military facilities. Local entities may have a better under- standing about local hazmat shipments than about hazmat shipments that are travelling through their jurisdictions. Shippers and receivers in a jurisdiction are either known or can be relatively easily identified. Carriers serving these associated facilities can be identified through cooperation by shippers and receivers, or may be known to local agencies (e.g., emergency response, public works, planning agencies, etc.). 4.2.4.1 Facilities Facilities that store certain quantities of hazardous materials are required under EPCRA to report hazardous chemical inventories using Tier I or Tier II forms to their state’s SERC, their LEPC, and local fire department. Although only facilities that store hazardous chemicals above certain threshold levels are required to report storage information and not transportation infor- mation on the forms, these forms do provide a means to identify significant users of such chem- icals. Local or state jurisdictions may have additional reporting requirements for facilities that store hazmat quantities at less than EPCRA thresholds. Facilities are likely to have information about types, frequencies, and quantities of hazmat shipments. LEPCs can contact facilities that are subject to EPCRA reporting requirements to request information about hazmat transportation that will be used for emergency planning, as provided by EPCRA Section 303(d)(3): Upon request from the emergency planning committee, the owner or operator of the facility shall promptly provide information to such committee necessary for developing and implementing the emergency plan. (42 U.S.C. 11003(d)(3)) Keep in mind that a detailed analysis of existing facility information may be very labor intensive, particularly for very industrialized jurisdictions, because it requires an identification of applica- ble facilities, contacting them, obtaining the information, and processing the information. Infor- mation may not be in a format that is readily usable for analysis (e.g., paper copies of shipping documents that need to be converted to electronic format). 4.2.4.2 Carriers Roadway carriers that operate within a jurisdiction may be well known to community officials, but carriers who operate mostly outside of, or through, a jurisdiction may be difficult to iden- tify. One possible solution for identifying roadway carriers is to work with commercial vehicle inspection agencies. Major (Class I) railroads are part of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and partners in the TRANSCAER® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) Out- reach Effort. LEPCs can request hazmat transport information from Class I rail carriers using AAR’s standardized form (see Appendix F). Hazmat transport data provided by most railroads is essen- tially a census of hazmat commodities transported by rail over a time period such as a calendar year. The rail traffic data may be indicated for specific rail segments or for the overall jurisdictional area. Pipeline operators and commodities can be identified by using PHMSA’s National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) or local knowledge, with additional details requested from pipeline operators as needed. For HMCFS purposes, generally it may be assumed that a pipeline is full and operational, and represents a release risk should the pipeline’s integrity be compromised. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) publishes a Vessel Company Summary that can be found at http://www.ndc.iwr.usace.army.mil/veslchar/veslchar.htm. The summary lists vessel company names, contact information, commodities carried, locations of vessel operation, and operating fleet size. Users can identify which companies may be operating in their areas, what Collect and Review Existing Data 33

34 Guidebook for Conducting Local Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Studies types of commodities they are carrying, and whether they are likely to be hazardous. These com- panies can then be contacted to request information on specific commodities and tonnage car- ried during specific timeframes, such as a previous calendar year. As with railroads, there are a limited number of air carriers that focus exclusively on cargo transport. In addition, airlines focusing on passenger transport also handle air cargo, especially on international flights. In general, availability of air cargo data is extremely limited. Release of air cargo shipment information is highly guarded by air cargo carriers, and many airports do not maintain statistics on hazmat shipments through their facilities, other than aviation fuels. This creates a challenge for obtaining existing information about hazmat transport by air, and the best option available may be to collect new data for roadway corridors serving airport cargo terminals. 4.2.4.3 Sensitive and Proprietary Information As noted, EPCRA provides LEPCs with authority for implementing emergency plans. This notwithstanding, many private or military information sources are sensitive to providing infor- mation that may affect public safety and security, as well as proprietary concerns. Some will pro- vide information for an HMCFS as “good corporate citizens,” but others may have reservations about doing so. For these, a request can be made such that the information provided for the HMCFS is at a more general level, instead of information about specific commodities. Although this does not provide information about specific hazards, it does at least provide some informa- tion. Another potential method is for an entity to provide information with the source or spe- cific location of that entity redacted from the record, so that specific hazard information can be included in the HMCFS. As a quasi-public entity, LEPCs may or may not be subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requirements. An LEPC’s ability to establish a formal legal mechanism that exempts the LEPC from disclosure requirements for proprietary information may be an option that must be validated through legal means if it is to be used. Some information provided to LEPCs (e.g., rail- road hazmat transportation data) must be labeled as sensitive security information (SSI) under 49 CFR, Part 1520. This designation effectively limits any release of data and corresponding information to entities with a need to know. Obtaining information from sources that are hesitant to provide information may require some legwork on the part of local jurisdictions. It is also likely to be difficult to obtain their par- ticipation during the study timeframe of a single year (or less) and is probably more suitable for an HMCFS effort conducted over several years, or continuously. This will allow for the develop- ment of procedures to address disclosure requirements; identify shippers, receivers, and carriers; and bring these participants on board for cooperation in the effort. 4.2.5 Trade, Environmental, and Social Advocacy Organizations Hazmat manufacturing and transportation industry trade organizations are numerous and have a vested interest in safe, efficient movements of commodities. Such associations may be able to provide further information about hazmat transport in general and many maintain member- ship listings on their Web sites, which can be used to augment local contact information. The associations identified in this chapter are not an exhaustive list. Hazmat roadway carrier associ- ations include the following: • American Trucking Association (http://www.truckline.com); • National Tank Truck Carriers, Inc. (http://www.tanktruck.org); and • National Association of Chemical Distributors (http://www.nacd.com). National-level statistics about railcar transportation are available from AAR at http://www. aar.org. These statistics can be used to provide a very general sense of the proportion of chemical

railcars that make up overall rail traffic in an area. Some regions may have very high levels of certain types of rail traffic (e.g., coal traffic in the Powder Basin region, grain traffic in the U.S. Midwest, and chemical cars in petroleum refining regions) and very little of other types of traffic depending on the season and economic conditions. The American Waterways Operators (http://www.americanwaterways.org) is the national trade association for the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry in the United States. The American Asso- ciation of Port Authorities (http://www.aapa-ports.org) is an international organization repre- senting deep-draft and shallow-draft ports, including the largest ports in the United States. These associations maintain information about their industries, including transportation statistics, on their Web sites. Regional waterway operator and port associations may be contacted as well. A large number of national and regional trade associations represent the pipeline industry. National associations include the following: • Pipeline Association for Public Awareness, which maintains information about pipeline emer- gency response (http://www.pipelineawareness.org); • Association of Oil Pipe Lines (http://www.aopl.org); and • American Gas Association (http://www.aga.org). A good list of regional pipeline operators is maintained on the Energy Personnel/Energy Associations/Crude Oil and Natural Gas Associations’ Web page at http://www.energypersonnel. com/CrudeOilandNaturalGasAssociations.html. Airline associations may be able to provide information about hazmat transport by air or air cargo carrier contact information. These associations include the following: • Cargo Airlines Association (http://www.cargoair.org), which has nine all-cargo airline members; • Air Transport Association (http://www.airlines.org), which has 19 passenger and freight airline members; and • International Air Transport Association (http://www.iata.org), a trade organization that sets guidelines and standards for the airline industry. Manufacturer trade associations include the following: • American Chemistry Council (http://www.americanchemistry.com), formerly the Chemical Manufacturers Association; • American Petroleum Institute (http://www.api.org); and • American Coatings Association (http://www.paint.org). TRANSCAER® is an effort that was started by the Chemical Manufacturers Associa- tion. The organization “is a voluntary national outreach effort that focuses on assisting communities prepare for, and respond to, a possible hazardous material transportation incident” (http://www.transcaer.com) and is well known in the LEPC community as an important partner in emergency planning. TRANSCAER® has a Web page with guidance for planning an HMCFS and examples of HMCFS results. This page can be found at http://www.transcaer.com/resources/planning- flow-studies. Collect and Review Existing Data 35 Environmental and social advocacy organizations focus on the conservation and preservation of the environment and equity and protection of people, including historically disadvantaged populations. These types of organizations also may have information on impacts of hazmat

transport relative to population and ecological vulnerability and risks. These organizations include, but are not limited to, the following: • Pipeline Safety Trust (http://www.pstrust.org/), a pipeline safety advocacy organization that maintains information about pipeline operations safety and databases of hazardous liquids and natural gas pipeline incidents; • Sierra Club (http://www.sierraclub.org); • National Resources Defense Council (http://www.nrdc.org); and • Communities for a Better Environment (http://www.cbecal.org). 4.2.6 Printed Maps and Academic Journals Print maps can be a source of transportation network information that may be used when mapping using electronic data is not an option. These sources include the following: • Rand McNally’s Motor Carriers’ Road Atlas is available at retail outlets and on the Internet at http://store.randmcnally.com. • Print railroad system maps are available from DeskMap Systems, Inc. Pricing and map avail- ability information can be found online at http://www.deskmap.com/railroad.html. • Pennwell Books’ MAPSearch (http://www.pennwellbooks.com/mapsearch.html) is a print mapping source for pipeline systems. • Print maps of the waterway system can be ordered from the U.S. Maritime Administration on the Internet at http://www.marad.dot.gov/index.htm. Academic journals publish studies conducted by researchers, such as college and university faculty members, government employees, and private-sector employees including those of industries and consulting firms. Some of this research may specifically focus on transport of hazardous materials; other research may be more general and concern transportation and com- modity movements. Access to academic journals may be by subscription, purchase of individual articles, via Internet search engines, or through college and university libraries. There are many academic journals, and those with information about hazmat transportation may include, but are not limited to, the following: • Hazardous Materials Control, • International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, • International Journal of Risk Analysis, • Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, • Journal of Hazardous Materials, • Journal of Transportation Safety and Security, • Transportation Research (there are several parts), and • Transportation Research Record. 4.3 Electronic Databases and Reports The project team can use existing electronic data sources to cover a wide variety of HMCFS information areas. Table 4-1 lists electronic database and mapping sources, and Table 4-2 lists electronic reports and other documents. The sources in these tables are maintained by federal agencies. Mode applicability is indicated for highways, railways, pipelines, waterways, airways, and other classifications. Check marks indicate that a source provides information about transport networks, commodity movements, general system information (such as traffic levels, popula- tion and critical facility locations), incidents, points of contact, and geographical and environ- mental data. Both Tables 4-1 and 4-2 indicate the smallest jurisdictional size applicability by local, regional/state, and national scale levels. General relevance to local hazmat transport is indicated 36 Guidebook for Conducting Local Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Studies

Collect and Review Existing Data 37 Information Type Source M od e(s ) N et w or ks C om m od ity M ov em en ts Sy st em In fo rm at io n Po pu la tio n, C ri tic al Fa ci lit y Lo ca tio ns In ci de nt s Po in t o f C on ta ct G eo gr ap hi c a nd En vi ro nm en ta l D at a Sm al le st Ju ris di ct io n Si ze A pp lic ab ili ty Lo ca l H az m at R el ev an ce Te ch ni ca l E xp er tis e Le ve l Notes FEMA HAZUS-MH Software H, R, W, P, A, O (facilities, critical infrastr., population) L H H Spatial data, for use with a desktop GIS FHWA Freight Analysis Framework (updated annually) H, R, W, P, A R/S L M H Spatial data, for use with a desktop GIS; datasets can be accessed independently BTS National Transportation Atlas Database (updated annually) H, R, W, A, O (critical infrastr.) L H H Spatial data, for use with a desktop GIS PHMSA Incidents Reports Database Search Web Page (updated continuously) H, R, W, A L H L New online search system; can query incidents by many criteria FMCSA National Hazardous Materials Route Registry and Route Maps (updated periodically) H L H L List and map formats; only PC and browser required FHWA Highway Performance Monitoring System (updated annually) H L L M H Dataset not readily available; online map viewer is available U.S. Census Bureau Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey H N L L Data summarized in Appendix H FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot H L M L Online search for highway carrier incident, inspection, and safety statistics PHMSA Company Registration Look-Up Tool H L L L Online search for information on hazmat carriers STB Carload Waybill Sample (updated annually) R S H M H Issues: confidential file accessibility; high level of expertise required FRA Rail Safety Data (updated annually) R L M L Hazmat detail very limited PHMSA National Pipeline Mapping System (updated periodically) P L H L Gas or liquid pipeline map display by state, county, or zip code PHMSA Significant Incident Data Access Web Page P L H L Raw data and summary reports available for pipeline incidents USACE Hazardous Commodity Code Cross- Reference File W All H H Useful for evaluation of USACE waterway data for corresponding UN/NA placard ID Table 4-1. HMCFS electronic database and mapping sources. (continued on next page)

38 Guidebook for Conducting Local Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Studies Information Type Source M od e(s ) N et w or ks C om m od ity M ov em en ts Sy st em In fo rm at io n Po pu la tio n, C ri tic al Fa ci lit y Lo ca tio ns In ci de nt s Po in t o f C on ta ct G eo gr ap hi c a nd En vi ro nm en ta l D at a Sm al le st Ju ris di ct io n Si ze A pp lic ab ili ty Lo ca l H az m at R el ev an ce Te ch ni ca l E xp er tis e Le ve l Notes USCG Marine Casualty and Pollution Database (latest incident year 2001) W L H H Waterway hazmat incidents are the rarest; required level of expertise not justified in most cases U.S. Census Bureau Census (updated every 10 years) O (population) L H L H Useful for community profiles; spatial data requires GIS USGS National Map O(topography) L H L H Topography and land-cover data USDA Web Soil Survey O (soil, topography) L H L Soil type, topographic, and ecological data NOAA National Climatic Data Center O (climate) L H L Climate data charts and tables Note: Letter designations for mode delineate highways (H), railways (R), pipelines (P), waterways (W), airways (A), and other (O); for smallest jurisdictional size applicability refer to local (L), regional/state (R/S), and national (N) scale levels; and for relevance to local hazmat transport and for required technical expertise use low (L), medium (M), and high (H) levels. by low, medium, and high levels. Required technical expertise for using the information source also is indicated by low, medium, and high levels. Notes about using the information source are provided. These databases and reports are further described in Appendix G.1 and G.2. The tables are ordered by the modes and information types covered in the data sources. These sources of information include the following: • Electronic database and mapping sources – HAZUS-MH software from DHS, FEMA; – Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) from U.S.DOT, FHWA, Office of Freight Management and Operations; – National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) from U.S.DOT, BTS, Research and Inno- vative Technology Administration; – Hazardous Materials Incidents Reports Database from U.S.DOT, PHMSA, Office of Haz- ardous Materials Safety; – National Hazardous Materials Route Registry and Route Maps from U.S.DOT, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA); – Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) from U.S.DOT, FHWA; – Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS) from U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau; – Safety and Fitness Electronic Records System (SAFER) Company Snapshot from U.S.DOT, FMCSA; – Company Registration Look-Up Tool from U.S.DOT, PHMSA, Office of Pipeline Safety; – Carload Waybill Sample from U.S.DOT, Surface Transportation Board (STB); – Rail safety data from U.S.DOT, FRA, Office of Safety; – National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) from U.S.DOT, PHMSA, Office of Pipeline Safety; Table 4-1. (Continued).

– Significant Incident Data Access Web page from U.S.DOT, PHMSA, Office of Pipeline Safety; – Hazardous Commodity Code Cross-Reference File from USACE, Institute for Water Resources (IWR), Navigation Data Center; – Marine Casualty and Pollution Database from DHS, United States Coast Guard (USCG); – The Census from U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau; Information Type Source M od e(s ) N et w or ks C om m o di ty M ov em en ts S y st em In fo rm at io n P o pu la tio n an d C ri tic al F a ci lit y Lo ca tio ns In ci de nt s Po in t o f C on ta ct Sm al le st Ju ris di ct io n Si ze A pp lic ab ili ty L o ca l H az m at R el ev an ce R eq ui re d Te ch ni ca l E xp er tis e Notes FHWA National Statistics and Maps H,R,W,P,A S, N M L Comprehensive source of information applicable to national and state levels BTS & U.S. Census Bureau Commodity Flow Survey (updated every 5 years) H,R,W,P,A S, N (for hazm at) M L Hazm at section only to national & state levels BTS Freight Data and Statistics (updated annually) H,R,W,P,A S M L Reports compiled from individual data sources (e.g., CFS) NTSB Accident Reports H,R,W,P,A L H L Reports summarizing initiating events and outco me s for significant accidents from all m odes; includes accidents involving hazmat FMCSA Crash Statistics (updated annually) H L, S M L Hazm at detail lim ited to class USACE Waterborne Commerce of the U.S. Reports (updated annually) W L M L Commodity groups aggregated; mo st hazm at tonnage is in Petroleum and Chem icals categories USACE Lock Perfor ma nce Monitoring Syste m (updated annually) W L M L Commodity groups aggregated; mo st hazm at tonnage is in Petroleum and Chem icals categories USACE Waterborne Transportation Lines of the United States, Vessel Company Summary W L M L Lists type of vessels and commodity types carried by co mp any for waterway segm ents PHMSA Pipeline Incidents and Mileage Reports Web Page P L, S H L Includes pipeline trends and information for serious and significant incidents, im pacts, mileage by state, summary tables and charts, and access to raw data Note: Letter designations for mode delineate highways (H), railways (R), pipelines (P), waterways (W), airways (A), and other (O); for smallest jurisdictional size applicability refer to local (L), regional/state (R/S), and national (N) scale levels; and for relevance to local hazmat transport and for required technical expertise use low (L), medium (M), and high (H) levels. Table 4-2. HMCFS electronic reports and other data sources. Collect and Review Existing Data 39

– The National Map from U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); – Web Soil Survey from U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); and – National Climatic Data Center from U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). • Electronic reports and other documents – National statistics and maps from U.S.DOT, FHWA, Office of Freight Management and Operations; – The Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) from U.S.DOT, BTS, Research and Innovative Technol- ogy Administration, and U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Admin- istration, U.S. Census Bureau; – Freight data and statistics from U.S.DOT, BTS, Research and Innovative Technology Administration; – Accident reports from NTSB; – Crash statistics from U.S.DOT, FMCSA; – Waterborne Commerce of the United States reports from USACE, IWR, Navigation Data Center; – Lock Performance Monitoring System reports from USACE, IWR, Navigation Data Center; – Waterborne Transportation Lines of the United States, Vol. 2: Vessel Company Summary from USACE, IWR, Navigation Data Center; and – Pipeline Incidents and Mileage Reports Web page from U.S.DOT, PHMSA, Office of Pipeline Safety. 4.3.1 Transportation Networks Identifying the routes (i.e., railways, roadways, waterways, pipelines, and airways) in a jurisdic- tion that are capable of transporting hazardous materials is an important step in conducting an HMCFS. Because not all routes are equally likely to carry hazardous materials, determining which routes are most likely to carry hazmat transport establishes priorities for the HMCFS. 4.3.2 Commodity Movements Commodity movement information covers what commodities are transported from location to location. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and U.S. Census Bureau’s Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) is one of the most well known, comprehensive national sources of this data. The U.S. Census Bureau also conducted the 2002 Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS), which includes information about hazardous material transport by different types of truck con- figurations. The 2002 VIUS national-level data were compiled and summarized for this guide- book (Appendix H). This information can be useful for a very general understanding of hazmat transport in a community. It also can be used in conjunction with new data for truck counts. Again, remember that much of the existing federal commodity movement information pub- lished in these sources is not directly applicable to many local transportation network segments. This is because the information is reported at the state level or higher, because the data are not appropriately sampled for application at the local or regional levels, and/or the aggregation of commodity groups limits identification of specific material hazards below class level. 4.3.3 System Information (Traffic) Transportation system information covers performance of the transportation network (i.e., traffic levels on network segments). Although this information is not specific to commodity movements, it can help prioritize network components for consideration in an HMCFS. Some sources may be based on model estimates rather than observed traffic levels. 40 Guidebook for Conducting Local Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Studies

Collect and Review Existing Data 41 4.3.4 Facility, Population, and Infrastructure Locations Fixed facilities, population centers, critical infrastructures, and future developments may be affected by, or alter patterns of, hazmat transport associated with such facilities. Special popula- tions are comprised of anyone who requires special consideration to be appropriately protected. For example, congregate care facilities, such as hospitals, nursing homes, day care facilities, and schools may require special arrangements to overcome populations with physical handicaps or may have reduced capacity to fully comprehend warnings. Prisons, juvenile detention centers, and other institutions of confinement may require special security arrangements. Any facility where large numbers of people congregate en mass—stadiums, arenas, fair grounds, convention centers, auditoriums, and churches—may require special arrangements to accommodate the large numbers of potential exposures. 4.3.5 Incidents and Accidents Information about incidents and accidents can help characterize hazmat transport risks in a community and identify risk hotspots (discussed further in Section 6.3.8). The number, location, and types of accidents occurring in the area can be identified by reviewing the historical record of local transportation accidents. Such an historical record is useful because carriers are often reluc- tant to change routing practices. To the extent that environmental conditions (e.g., traffic, infra- structural conditions, or weather) contribute to accidents, specific locations of prior accidents may be more likely to experience future accidents if those conditions are repeated or persist. It should be noted that incidents are not limited to those that involve hazmat. For example, if a particular road or intersection is known to have a high rate of truck incidents, and the road has hazmat traffic, it may also have a high risk for hazmat incidents, even if a hazmat incident has not historically occurred there. Hence, high accident rates for trucks along a particular route may provide good reasons to limit hazardous materials along those routes. Further information about large truck incidents and accidents is provided in Appendix I. 4.3.6 Contact Information Obtaining contact information for hazmat transportation carriers, shippers, and receivers can allow a jurisdiction to request information from these entities about their hazmat transport activ- ities. These data sources may augment contact information that is locally available or maintained by trade associations. 4.3.7 Geographic and Environmental Data The geographic and environmental characteristics of a community are another important com- ponent of risk and vulnerability analyses. Topographic features and climatic conditions affect dis- persion of hazmat releases. Topographic information and climate data are important assumptions for release modeling and response assessments. Susceptibility of natural resources to hazmat releases may vary according to the type of flora and fauna that inhabit them. This is especially critical for en- vironmentally sensitive areas that contain endangered/threatened species and delicate ecosystems. 4.4 Review Existing Data and New Data Needs The project team reviews the existing HMCFS data during and after compiling it from various sources. The process for reviewing existing data sources is very similar to the review process for the baseline information, but more extensive. The project team reviews and evaluates hazmat

transport and other HMCFS information to identify data gaps by mode of transport, routes or route segments, frequency and volume of hazardous materials, and other classifications. As with the baseline assessment, existing data may be sufficient to meet the data requirements (as driven by HMCFS objectives) and to document limited potential risks and exposures. In this case, no new data are required. If gaps remain in knowledge, or information is not current or relevant, then new data are required. Note that in many cases, collection of new data may be performed concurrently with collec- tion of existing data. This can be done because the HMCFS objectives have been defined along with associated data requirements (Promising Practices 1, 2, and 3 in Appendix D). In addition, the sampling and precision characteristics of existing data sources and their relevance to the local jurisdiction are known or easily determined (Tables 4-1 and 4-2). By comparing the data require- ments with the existing data sources, the project team should be able to develop an idea, in ad- vance, about the needs for new data and proceed with new data collection. As the existing data is collected, compiled, and reviewed, the collection of new data (previously scoped as discussed in Section 3.3) should be reviewed to ensure that gaps in existing data will be addressed, and that sufficient data collection methods and resources will be applied. 42 Guidebook for Conducting Local Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Studies