Cooperative Research for Hazardous Materials Transportation Defining the Need, Converging on Solutions -- Special Report 283 (2005) / Chapter Skim
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3 Federal Research and Hazardous Materials Transportation
3 Federal Research and Hazardous Materials Transportation
Pages 42-59
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From page 42... ...
Likewise, research that leads to fewer derailments can be expected to reduce the number of accidents involving tank cars and other rail cars containing hazardous materials. While the focus of this chapter is on describing fed eral research specific to hazardous materials transportation, research in many areas outside the traditional bounds of hazardous materials can affect hazardous materials safety, security, and efficiency.
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From page 43... ...
. The review reveals a modest amount of federal research pertaining to hazardous materials transportation, with no major sponsor.
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From page 44... ...
Pipeline Safety The Office of Pipeline Safety is the lead federal agency responsible for pro moting and regulating pipeline safety. It conducts and supports research to further regulatory and enforcement activities and to provide the tech nical and analytical foundation necessary for planning, evaluating, and implementing the federal pipeline safety program.
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From page 45... ...
the Research and Development Program, which is intended to build a stronger technical foundation for these functions and to sup port the development of emergency response guidance. Together, these two programs spend about $1 million per year in the following areas: · Hazard classification and risk assessment: In support of specific rule making initiatives, RSPA typically sponsors research to analyze the risks associated with individual hazardous materials transported in particular types of packaging.
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From page 46... ...
The tests, which are being conducted in coop eration with industry, involve about 100 trucks equipped with a variety of technologies such as driver verification systems, vehicle tracking, off route vehicle alerts, cargo tampering alerts and electronic seals, and remote vehicle disabling. Special Studies In addition to contributing funds to this study of the concept of a haz ardous materials transportation cooperative research program, RSPA is sponsoring another National Academies study of issues associated with the transportation of spent nuclear fuel to a national repository.
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From page 47... ...
The following is a brief synopsis of the kinds of research performed by FRA relating to hazardous materials transportation. Much of the work focuses on railroad tank cars, which account for the largest amount of hazardous materials moved by rail.
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From page 48... ...
Further gains in tank car safety remain a priority for FRA since they represent nearly one-fifth of the rail car freight fleet and account for most of the hazardous materials moved by rail. FRA's tank car research program focuses on ways to ensure the struc tural integrity of tank cars during normal service life and under accident scenarios.
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From page 49... ...
They include studies of acoustic emission technologies and nondestructive methods to replace hydrostatic testing. Other FRA Research on Hazardous Materials Transportation Railroads transport hazardous materials in flatcars, hopper cars, and inter modal containers and piggyback truck trailers, in addition to tank cars.
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From page 50... ...
FMCSA's research and technology program focuses on the major safety factors under the agency's purview, including driver and vehicle performance, carrier compliance, and safety systems and technologies. Most of the agency's research projects do not deal directly with hazardous materials transportation.
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From page 51... ...
· Vehicle safety performance: The Vehicle Safety Performance Program focuses on improving truck and bus performance through vehicle based safety technologies. Projects include the development of deploy ment plans for forward collision avoidance, rollover avoidance, and lane-departure warning systems.
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From page 52... ...
Likewise, USCG research in support of marine environmental protection is relevant to hazardous materials transportation. Two major USCG research initiatives to strengthen marine safety and security that relate to hazardous materials transportation are the devel
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From page 53... ...
Also related to hazardous materials transportation is USCG's Tanker Damage Assessment and Countermeasures Project. The aim of this research is to develop a suite of integrated technologies to rapidly assess tanker damage, contain the product in the vessel, and transfer the product quickly and safely to lightering ships.
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From page 54... ...
FAA has therefore sponsored research to develop protocols for assess ing the diligence of air carriers, freight forwarders, and shippers in com plying with hazardous materials regulations. It has devoted research funds to developing more suitable packaging for hazardous materials transported by air.
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From page 55... ...
Its research and analysis programs address several areas relevant to hazardous materials transportation: · The development and maintenance of safety databases and data collec tion systems such as the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, National Automotive Sampling System, Special Crash Investigations, State Data Program, and Data Analysis Program. As mentioned earlier, NHTSA works with FMCSA in undertaking the Large Truck Crash Causation Study and in administering CVARS.
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From page 56... ...
In this role it coordinates and establishes quality standards for transportation data. Perhaps its most important role in hazardous materials transportation is in working with the U.S.
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From page 57... ...
With DOE support, for example, Argonne National Laboratory develops risk assessment models for transporting hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with the support of DOE, NRC, and DOT, operates the National Transportation Research Center.
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From page 58... ...
The R&D conducted by other federal agencies that pertains to haz ardous materials transportation tends to be focused on specific topics (for example, research by DOE and NRC focuses on the transporta tion of nuclear materials) or more general and overarching issues (for example, research by FHWA and NHTSA focuses on improving the highway safety environment)
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From page 59... ...
REFERENCES Abbreviations DOT U.S. Department of Transportation GAO General Accounting Office TSA Transportation Security Administration DOT.
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