Frequently Asked Questions

A hazardous materials commodity flow study is a special kind of transportation analysis project. It is intended to identify the types and amounts of hazardous materials transported through a specified geographic area. It is a methodical way to identify and quantify the unique hazmat transportation hazards that may be present in a community.

The Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) Grants Program provides funding for local hazmat planning and training. LEPCs can apply for HMEP grant funding through their respective SERCs. SERCs have delineated that HMCFS will be prioritized as a high priority project with a limited maximum federal allocation of $10,000.00. 

Grants under this program are on a reimbursable basis; expenditures are reimbursed after completion of activities or contractual obligations, and submission of proper documentation that includes contracts, invoices and proof of payment for the commodity flow study. Grants provided under the HMEP grant program require a 20 percent local cost share. This cost share may be accomplished with County or Act 165 funds or as a "soft-match", such as the value of in-kind contributions.

The commodity flow study will assist the counties in providing a transportation threat analysis, which considers the available statistics concerning the type and amount of hazardous materials being transported into, within, and through the County and the method and frequency of the transportation.

It also considers factors as the hazardous chemicals involved, response planning and capabilities; the populace at risk; and the method of transportation by highway, rail, waterway, airway and pipelines. Modes and routes by which hazardous materials are transported will be studied. Locations of facilities that produce, store, use or transport hazmat, will be historically examined for incidents and accidents in the area.

After developing a realistic picture of the hazards that your community faces, we can begin to re-evaluate your County's prevention strategies. Are current measures appropriate? Would traffic control on priority routes make a difference? Do accident records suggest a need for driver safety training? Would commodity flow restrictions during severe weather alerts make sense?

The commodity flow study may also point to a need for additional resources to increase the County's level of preparedness (e.g., training, equipment and on-going training).

All Commodity Flow Studies are conducted in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Data and Analysis; Final Project Report, that is written by the Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program, Transportation Research Board of The National Academies and sponsored by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.