Allen County, in Local Emergency Planning Committee Commodity Flow Study 2014
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Allen County, IN Local Emergency Planning Committee Commodity Flow Study 2014 www.nilessafetyservices.com 284 West 1050 North Chesterton, IN 46304 (219)764-3090 Allen County Local Emergency Planning Committee COMMODITY FLOW STUDY 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 GENERAL The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPRCA) establishes requirements for Federal, State, local governments, Indian Tribes, and industry regarding emergency planning and “Community Right-to Know” reporting on hazardous and toxic chemicals. In 1986, EPCRA was passed by Congress to assist communities planning for emergencies involving hazardous substances. EPRCA Sections 301 and 303 require every community in the United States be part of a comprehensive emergency response plan. In 1993 the State of Indiana implemented the EPRCA planning process with the passing of Indiana Code Title 13 Article 25 - HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES. The Indiana Emergency Response Commission (IERC) serves as the administrative body for this statute at a State level. On a local level the Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC) serve the counties in Indiana by working to understand chemical hazards in their communities, developing emergency response plans in case of an accidental releases, and looking for ways to prevent chemical accidents. Under Indiana Code 13-25-2-5 the LEPC is responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive emergency response plans. The process for developing these plans include conducting various hazard analysis and risk assessment studies. The purpose of this Commodity Flow Study is two-fold, first it is intended to meet the requirements set forth in IC 13-25-2-5(c)(1)(b) where the LEPC is charged with identifying “routes likely to be used for the transportation of substances on the list of extremely hazardous substances”. Secondly, this study is the beginning of the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) process as defined in the National Mitigation Framework and outlined in FEMA’s National Preparedness System. The data gathered will be used by the LEPC to establish a general understanding of the hazards associated with the transportation of hazardous substances as they are transported throughout Allen County. 1.2 AREA OF FOCUS This commodity flow study consisted of three parts, a highway placard survey, mapping of major highway transportation routes and identification of intersections were accidents occur most frequently. The highway commodity flow focused on the trends and patterns of hazardous materials transported on Allen County’s major highways including Federal and State Highways subject to transportation of hazardous cargo. This study is not intended to be an exhaustive examination into the transportation of hazardous substances in Allen County, instead it was intended to provide preliminary data for use by the LEPC in identifying which transportation methods warranted further planning efforts. 1.3 DESCRIPTION OF ALLEN COUNTY Allen County, Indiana is located in the northeast corner of Indiana, with its eastern-most border on the Indiana – Ohio state line. At 660 square miles, Allen County is the largest county in Indiana in terms of area. The City of Fort Wayne is the county seat and is the second largest city in Indiana. Allen County is home to 355,329 Hoosiers and has a population density of 545 people per square mile, this makes Allen the third largest county in Indiana in terms of population. Allen County is similar to most other Indiana counties in terms of its diverse landscape, Allen is a mixture of urban and rural areas and the county population is split 88% urban, 12% rural. Allen County is geopolitically divided into Figure 1 - Allen County three cities, five towns, and twenty townships. Image via IN.gov Two major highways dissect Allen County, Interstate 69 (north and south) and US 30 (east and west). In addition to the federal highways, State Highways 24, 27, 3 and 33 all run through the county. The county also has the Interstate-469 bypass which creates a circular hub to which the various highways connect. Allen County, IN is also home to the 2 airports, Fort Wayne International and Smith Field. There are two railroads running in Allen County, CSX and Chicago Fort Wayne and Eastern, and one active natural gas pipeline operated by Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO). The United States Department of Defense operates the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard in Allen County near the south end of Fort Wayne International Airport and the Army National Guard on the north side of Fort Wayne. Allen County has a diversified economy including manufacturing, defense and security, healthcare, insurance, and agriculture. In 2014, Forbes ranked the Fort Wayne metropolitan area 92nd on its list of 200 metropolitan areas in the "Best Places for Business and Careers" report1. Individually, Fort Wayne was ranked 9th in cost of doing business (Badenhausen, 2014). Allen County, IN is within a 200-mile (320 km) radius of major population centers, including Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Louisville, Milwaukee, and Ontario, Canada. More than half of the continental United States is within a 2-day drive of Allen County, and approximately 50 percent of all U.S. markets are within a one-day drive. Many transportation, distribution, and logistics companies call Allen County home due to it’s unique location and access to highways. Allen County hosts two major interstates, 4 U.S. highways, and 7 state roads that cross the county. Easy access to I-80/90 to the north and I-75 to the east is also available. 1 Badenhausen, K. Best Places for Business. Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com Figure 2 Fort Wayne Area Highway Systems 1.3.1 Climate The climate of Allen County, IN is influenced by Lake Michigan and to a lesser extent Lake Erie. Temperature differences between daily highs and lows average about 20. The average occurrence of the last freeze in the spring is late April and the first freeze in the autumn in mid- October. Annual precipitation is well distributed with somewhat larger amounts in late spring and early summer. Except for considerable cloudiness during the winter months, sunshine averages about 75%. 1.3.1.1 Thunderstorms There in an average of 39 thunderstorm days per year at Fort Wayne with most occurring from May to August. There are around 10 days with severe weather in the Fort Wayne area per year. Winter thunderstorms occur about twice per year. Measurable precipitation typically falls on 132 days of the year. Mid-winter through early spring is the wettest time of year, with autumn the driest. 1.3.1.2 Tornadoes Tornadoes are not common in Allen County. Funnel clouds are sighted more regularly, and cold air funnels are not unusual in the spring and fall. Most tornadoes produce F0 to F1 damage with more devastating types rare. Northeast Indiana was affected by both the 1965 Palm Sunday Outbreak and the 1974 Super Outbreak. 1.3.1.3 Winter Weather Snowfall averages 32.4" per year in Allen County, IN. Six inch or greater snowfalls usually only occur once per season. Lake effect snows from Lake Michigan rarely exceed 4" in northeast Indiana. Lake effect snows from Lake Erie are very rare. The greatest 24-hour snowfall was 13.6" March 9-10, 1964. The most likely month for heavy snow is January. The latest snow fell May 10, 1945 and May 10, 1960, and the earliest snow fell September 25, 1942. Typically the last snow of the season is in mid-April with the first snow of the autumn around the first of November. 1981-82 was the snowiest season with 81.2", while the least snowy was 1932-33 with 8.3". Snow depth on the ground at any one time rarely exceeds 10". Freezing precipitation events are not uncommon but major storms are usually several years apart. 1.3.1.4 Dense Fog Dense fog is most common in the spring when warm air masses ride over melting snowpack. 1.3.1.5 High Winds High winds exceed 50 mph once or twice a year. The winds are usually associated with strong low pressure systems moving across the Great Lakes or up the Ohio River Valley. The highest wind gust on record is 69 mph January 10, 1975. Prevailing wind for the year is 9.9mph from the southwest. 1.3.1.6 Heat The average July temperature is 74.0. The all-time high is 106 June 25, 1988 and July 22, 1934. The all-time August high is 101 and in September it's 100. There is an average of 3.8 days equal to or above 90 in June, 6.1 in July, and 4.0 in August. 1.3.1.7 Cold Winter temperatures reach their low in January with the average 22.9. Daytime highs average 30.4 and lows 15.3. Heating degree days average 6273 per season. The coldest temperature officially recorded is -24 January 12, 1918. The coldest day on record is January 20, 1985 with a low of -22 and a high of -11. 1.3.1.8 Flash Floods Flash floods and urban and small stream floods are not uncommon in late spring and summer. Serious flash floods are rare. The all-time calendar day rainfall record is 4.93" August 1, 1926. 1.3.1.9 Floods Flooding occurs several times per year in Allen County, IN rivers, but dangerously high floods that cause major damage and threats to life are not yearly events. The highest stage of the Maumee River at Fort Wayne was 26.1 feet in March 1913, second highest was 25.9 feet in March 1982. Since 1990 the highest has been 23.9 feet January 1, 1991.