Preliminary Evaluation of the Risk of Accidental Spills of Hazardous Materials in Illinois Waterways

摘要

Accidental spills of hazardous materials from various sources into navigable waterways are a major concern because of their frequency in the United States in recent years. Illinois is highly dependent on waterborne commerce, and barge shipments in Illinois account for about 15 percent of the total U.S. barge shipments on inland and intracoastal waterways. Associated with large volumes of waterborne commerce is the risk of accidental spills of hazardous materials into the waterways. The major considerations concerning such spills are likely to be in the areas of waterway ecology and public water supply. The report discusses the historical frequency of accidental spills in Illinois waterways and identifies facilities that store, load, and unload hazardous materials. Information and data gathered from different agencies were processed, checked, and organized into datafiles on facilities and terminals, spills, and water withdrawal points. These datafiles have been incorporated into one database to provide information at the time of future accidental spills and to aid in assessing the potential impact of accidental spills in the state.