Flows of Hazardous Materials Through States by Rail

Hannon, Richard; Zebe, Paul; ,

Flows of Hazardous Materials Through States by Rail

by Richard Hannon, U.S. Dept of Transportation, Washington, United States,
Paul Zebe, U.S. Dept of Transportation, Washington, United States,

Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: State and Local Issues in Transportation of Hazardous Waste Materials: Towards a National Strategy

Abstract:

This paper presents information on the tonnages of hazardous materials passing through each of the contiguous 48 states (and the District of Columbia) by rail. The quantities are estimated using data from the 1986 Rail Waybill Sample and a BEA-to-BEA rail flows model. Based on the quantity estimates, it appears that most of the hazardous materials traffic moving by rail in a majority of states is passing through, rather than originating or terminating The states with the most through traffic are (in order) Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. In 27 states and the District of Columbia, 50 percent or more of the traffic, measured in tons, is passing through. In one of these, the District of Columbia, 100 percent of the rail traffic is passing through. In 21 states, less than 50 percent of the hazardous materials traffic moving by rail is passing through. In three of these, Connecticut, Maine, and Rhode Island, there is no hazardous materials through traffic moving by rail.

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