| This study was conducted to provide a quantitative risk assessment for road transportation, railway transportation, and storage of hazardous materials in Washington County, Tennessee. A roadside survey, railroad hazardous materials survey, and a chemical inventory were conducted. It revealed an estimated 267,858 HAZMAT shipments per year on primary and secondary roadways and an estimated total of 9.4 x 109 tons of HAZMAT shipped by rail per year. There are 49 facilities that store a daily average of 33,722,700 lbs of HAZMAT. The risk of a hazardous materials incident occurring in Washington County is highest for Interstate transportation. The risk for a HAZMAT incident within the county is lower or equal to similar locations in the United States for other roadways surveyed, rail transportation, and fixed storage. Low risk does not mean there is no risk. In order to be prepared for a future incident planning, training, and research should continue. |
