Application of Executive Order 12898 to risk assessment of highway or rail transport of hazardous materials has proven difficult; in general, the location and conditions affecting the propagation of a plume of hazardous material released in a potential accident are unknown. Therefore, analyses have only been possible in a geographically broad or approximate manner. The advent of geographic information systems and development of software enhancements at Sandia National Laboratories have made kilometer-by-kilometer analysis of populations tallied by U.S. Census blocks along entire routes practicable. Tabulations of total or racially/ethnically distinct populations close to a route, its alternatives, or the broader surrounding area, can then be compared and differences evaluated statistically. This article presents methods of comparing populations and their racial/ethnic compositions using simple tabulations, histograms, and chi-square tests for statistical significance of differences found. Two examples of these methods are presented: comparison of two routes and comparison of a route with its surroundings.
A key parameter in the calculation of accident dose-risks by the RADTRAN 4 code is the time assigned for evacuation of the affected area surrounding the accident. Currently, in the interest of assured conservatism, this time is set at 24 hrs. Casual anecdotal evidence has indicated that this value is overly conservative and results in assignment of overly conservative estimates of accident dose-risk. Therefore, a survey of recent truck accidents involving various hazardous materials which required evacuation of surrounding populations reported in various news media was undertaken. Accounts of pertinent scenarios were gleaned from databases citing newspapers and other periodicals, and the local authorities involved in each were contacted to get details of the evacuation including time required. This paper presents the data obtained in the study and the resultant mean evacuation time plus limits and factors influencing specific results together with conclusions regarding the appropriate value to be used in the RADTRAN 4 code.
The RADTRAN computer code for transportation risk analysis, which has been under continuous development at Sandia National Laboratorios since 1977, has evolved fiom a purely research tool into a publicly available system with a variety of applications. This expansion of the user community has substantially increased the need to make the system easier to use without decreasing its capabilities or the quality of output, A large set of modifiable W T R A N input files has been available via "'RANSNET for several years. Orre approach to assisting the user invofves adding annotations/ information to each of these files. A second approach is providing additional help in building new/modifjring old hput files.Keeping the proposed informatiodannotation files separate from but closely coupled to the modifiable input files within the TRANSNET shell system allows the modifiable input files to remain as regular input files while providing rapid, automatic access to useful information about the analysis. Tn this way, the sample input files m a i n intact as regular RADIXAN input files and any files generated using associated on-line menus or editors may be readily converted into new input files. A single samplc fiIe is selected and used as an example to illustrate the prototype help features.
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