GIS for Managing Disasters while transportingHazardous Materials Vibin Priyesh General Manager Intelligent Decisions Systems India (P) Ltd., India Email: vibin@idsigis.com 'The danger of a major chemical spill or gas leak is a significant threat during transportation of hazardous materials from the source to the destination. In many countries chemicals, gases and other hazardous materials are transported by a carrier on road or rail with habitants residing close to the peripheries of the transportations corridors. Dangerous chemicals are very often stored in the vicinity of populated areas and when transported, they pass along heavily congested routes potentially exposing thousands of people to deadly hazards in case of a spill. Spills occurring roadside may lead to hazardous concentrations of vapors and gases being distributed throughout the atmosphere. This is a specific risk occasion when the hazmat is transported by road or rail in trucks. There are GIS¡Venabled applications which can help study the behavior of spilled chemicals based on its properties like: - molecular weight - vapor density - atmospheric pressure - boiling point - vapor pressure As a rule of thumb, the higher the vapor pressure, the further the distance the vapor will disperse. There is a direct relationship between the vapor pressure of an evaporating substance and the maximum concentration that its vapor or gas may achieve when mixed with air in the open environment. Many chemicals behave in somewhat predictable ways when spilled. The way a spill of gases or liquids will disperse can be "modeled." The chemical spill will tend to dissipate upwards, and to the sides and endpoint of the plume. This plume can be plotted on the GIS map on the point of occurrence and can be used for decision making and emergency management purposes. If the same is supplemented with real time weather data, it can predict the actual vulnerability zones. GIS can play a very important role in identifying the best route possible while transporting hazardous chemicals and materials. The manufactures/supplier and Environment and Safety departments can plan a route that is less inhabited. The course of the route, traffic conditions, gradient, travel times, parking conditions and human settlement studies can be done prior to transportation of such chemicals. The described process can be automated to the point that by just entering the start and end points of the journey, a map and report can be ready for analysis. With such a GIS system, proper ¡§what if¡¨ analysis and scenario studies can be done. Once the route is planned, it can be divided into various zones for administrative purposes. An ideal situation would be to create zones for all the routes being used for transportation of such hazardous chemicals and materials after obtaining the best route from GIS. Each zone must be equipped with Emergency Response Team (ERT) who will be notified about the contents of the truck and the quantity prior to the shipment. The trucks shall be equipped with GPS to track the location. The ERT of each zone shall be notified upon the truck entering the particular zone and similarly once the truck leaves, the same is notified and mapped on the system. A tightly integrated air-modeling tool with GIS also can give preparedness for such an eventuality in each zone of the route. In the real world, the ERT office will be equipped with following information and sub-systems through a secure web-based GIS application 1. The point of origin location of the truck 2. The point of destination location of the truck 3. The passage route 4. The chemical contents 5. The Material Safety Data Sheet (Chemical properties and first aid information for each chemical) 6. The approximate time of entry into the zone 7. Inhabitant Data (Socio economic Data) 8. Emergency Plan 9. Evacuation Route and Details 10. Mass Notification System in case of Emergency 11. Communication Systems and Connectivity with First responders 12. Man and Material Inventory System 13. Current atmospheric data and wind data 14. Risk Management Self Evaluation Framework Some chemicals are highly poisonous and have a high PEC (Potential Environment Contamination), which means that evacuation has to be completed in less than 30 minutes after a spill occurs. A tightly integrated enterprise system provides all these features and facilitates management of such disasters. The aforesaid data and systems become more essential given the scenario worldwide due to the acts of terrorism and sabotage. Some of these steps can be considered as enhancements to Research and Special Programs Administration¡¦s (RSPA) Risk Management Self-Evaluation Framework (RMSEF) from Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS) DoT. The other way to transport hazmat more safely is through underground pipelines. The usage of GIS in laying and maintaining pipeline is proven and immense. It helps the Pipeline Companies to plan the cross country pipeline route based on occupancy, health hazards, least cost path, availability of resources and proximity to external factors which can endanger the transportation. Some examples include proximity to electrical lines, rail and road crossings, river crossings etc. GIS is widely used in the planning stage itself. Some major carriers who implemented enterprise level GIS for pipeline planning and management are finding it extremely useful during the maintenance of the pipelines. The system is expanded to cater to the requirements of LIS for acquisition of lands. Once the pipeline route is planned and the construction begins. It can be integrated with a SCADA system for real time monitoring of the pipeline. The system also provides instant access to all engineering details of the route like soil data, population data, crossing details and soil and pipeline profile using 3D Analysis features of GIS. Conclusion : GIS can be utilized in all the means of transportation of Hazmat like on road/rail or underground. Systems such as the ones described above increase the overall value of operations by providing systems that ensure better planning, preparedness, and directions in case of emergencies. Accidents can happen anytime. The cost of human life, physical assets, and environmental degradation are very high. The implementation of Planning and Preparedness systems, based on a GIS, provide both the security value and planning impetus that is so desperately needed to increase the overall quality of operations.