A Multi-Modal Assessment of Hazardous Materials Transport Risk

As developing countries in the world become increasingly more dependent on modern industrial processes, the hazardous materials transport issue has become a more significant environmental and public safety problem. The increased frequency of these incidents has led public agencies to take a more active role in the study and regulation of hazardous materials transport. This paper describes the process by which estimates of incident rates and expected damages for hazardous materials transported by truck, rail and water. Subsequently, a multi-modal comparison is made to determine conditions under which modes may be preferred from a safety perspective. The paper concludes with suggestions for a framework under which the risk estimates can be used too handle routing and hazardous waste treatment site location problems.