 Coalition for
Responsible Waste Incineration
SAFELY TRANSPORTING HAZARDOUS WASTE
Although hazardous wastes are treated at the site of
generation whenever feasible, at times these wastes must be transported
to another facility for proper treatment and disposal. In these cases,
preventing transportation accidents from occurring and protecting the
public in the event of an accident are priority concerns.
SAFETY STATISTICS
Federal agencies and carrier associations maintain
transportation safety statistics on the millions of shipments per year
of hazardous materials. Hazardous materials include gasoline, commodity
chemicals and hazardous wastes. Shipments of hazardous waste account
for less than 3 percent of all hazardous materials shipments in the
United States. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department
of Transportation do not separate safety statistics on hazardous
materials into a distinct category. A review of the transportation
accident statistics for all hazardous materials will tell us the upper
limit on hazardous waste transportation accident statistics.
According to the US Department of Transportation, between 1975
and 1985, there were an average of 1,750 reportable accidents per year
involving cargo tank trucks carrying hazardous materials. Similar data
between 1986 and 1997, shows an average of 1,371 reportable accidents.
When we look at the millions of hazardous shipments annually, this
translates into an accident frequency of 1.1 accidents per million
miles between 1975 and 1985 (0.9 between 1986 and 1997), a figure less
than one-third the accident frequency for all motor vehicles in the
United States.
Hence, there have been about 0.06 accident-related releases
per 1 million miles of hazardous materials other than petroleum
products. The hazardous materials that may have been releases include a
number of products and compounds, only some of which may have been
hazardous wastes.
To keep this number as low as possible, various government
agencies and local communities are working cooperatively with industry
to make sure that every precaution is taken to transport hazardous
materials and wastes safely.
DOT REGULATIONS
The Department of Transportation (DOT) regulates the shipment
of hazardous wastes as part of its regulations on shipping hazardous
materials.
For shipments of hazardous materials, DOT regulations call
for:
- Specific packaging requirements
- Proper identification and labeling of hazardous materials
- Vehicle safety standards
- Driver training and qualification standards
EPA REGULATIONS
In addition to the DOT requirements for hazardous materials,
hazardous waste transportation is also regulated by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA). EPA has extended the scope of the DOT requirements to apply
to all shipments of hazardous wastes, whether they are being
transported within a state or between several states.
PRIVATE INDUSTRY ACTION
Over and above the requirements set forth by DOT and EPA,
private industry dedicates vast resources of expertise, manpower and
money to maintaining and improving the level of safety in all modes of
hazardous material/waste transportation.
For example, the chemical industry developed a special "head
shield" which reduces the chances that a tank car will be punctured in
a derailment; railroad tracks have been improved; and a number of
companies require detailed safety inspections of a hauler's truck
before allowing the firm to transport hazardous materials/wastes.
Additionally, specially engineered containers and cargo tanks are used
to minimize the chance of a release in case of an accident.
Furthermore, chemical companies train their employees on ways to
prevent hazardous materials transportation accidents.
In addition to the DOT requirements, RCRA stipulates that a
transporter may only haul hazardous waste that is accompanied by a
properly signed manifest shipping document. The manifest contains basic
information about the waste and the generator.
The transporter can only deliver the waste shipments to the
facility specified on the document. The transporter cannot deliver the
waste to an alternate location without the consent of the generator.
Each link in the chain - the generator, the transport and the treatment
facility - receives a copy of the manifest as the waste is transferred
in turn. Additionally, a copy goes to the state environmental agency
where the treatment facility is located.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Despite all these efforts, should a transportation emergency
occur, an effective response is ready. Through the Chemical
Manufacturers Association (CMA), chemical companies sponsor the
Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (CHEMTREC) to ensure an
effective response to transportation incidents involving hazardous
materials.
CHEMTREC communicators, on duty around the clock, work from a
file of more than 40,000 hazardous materials listings to provide
immediate information to those at the scene of an emergency. Drawing on
an equally comprehensive file of telephone numbers, the communicator
then notifies the shipper who can provide additional expert advice and,
if needed, on-the-scene assistance. Many companies have emergency
assistance to the carrier and to local police and firefighters who have
primary responsibility for handling the situation. Additionally,
CHEMTREC has sponsored a number of workshops where emergency response
personnel from chemical companies get "hands-on" experience in what to
do at the scene of an accident.
SUMMARY
With such extensive regulations and industry programs in
place, hazardous material/waste transportation safety has far surpassed
overall vehicle safety records. Efforts to improve the safety of
shipping hazardous materials have seen a steady decrease in the number
of incidents involving trucks over the last 10 years. Continuing to
improve the safety of all forms of hazardous materials/wastes
transportation is a constant objective shared by the many industries
involved in transporting hazardous materials and wastes.
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