Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1995

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Civil Engineering

Major Professor

Lee Han

Committee Members

Fred Wegmann, Arun Chatterjee

Abstract

In 1992, the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) started a registration program for shippers and carriers transporting any one of five specific categories of hazardous materials. The registration program required that a fee of $300 be submitted annually, along with the registration form. The original estimate of 160,000 registrants and a subsequently revised estimate of 100,000 registrants, would have covered the funding for the Interagency Hazardous Materials Public Sector Training and Planning Grants Program. The actual registration number of 26,000 will not generate enough funds to cover this program. The RSPA is considering changing the fee schedule from a flat $300 fee to a sliding scale based on the number of activities engaged in and the quantities of materials shipped or carried. This new proposed sliding fee schedule is more complicated than the current fee schedule. Complaints from industry leaders have stated that the current registration requirements are unclear as to who should register and who should not, and that there are no directions or information written in layman's terminology. The RSPA is basing the need for a change on a registration rate that it believes is 90 percent. This research shows that the registration rate for Tennessee is much lower than 90 percent. The research did contain bias and possible sources of error, but a registration rate of 77 percent is obtained assuming no error and a bias rate resulting from the survey questionnaire.

The training and planning grant program is a necessity if hazardous materials transportation incidents are to be handled correctly and efficiently. With out an increase in funding, these grants will not be obligated. The most straightforward and inexpensive approach used to increase the registration rate would be to enforce the registration regulations and to increase the prosecution of those companies found in violation.

This research shows that the registration rate is considerably lower than 90 percent for Tennessee. Because the RSPA believes the registration rate is approximately 90 percent, the approach to raising the necessary handing is vastly different than if the RSPA believed that the registration rate was 50 percent. Enforcement and prosecution of companies found in violation of the regulations would not have a large impact on the funding if the registration rate was 90 percent. Therefore, the RSPA is not considering the most economically feasible alternative because it is felt that it would not help solve the problem.

The RSPA must raise funds to support the emergency planning and training grants hind through some means. The registration rate for the U.S. should be evaluated and not just approximated by looking at outreach, compliance efforts, and the results of ROADCHECK-93 [1].

Future research in this area should encompass a larger geographic area, or even the entire U.S., and utilize a combined source of RSPA information and commercial information, such as American Business Lists. By using a simple questionnaire and adjusting the sample size according to the bias rates that were determined through similar techniques as demonstrated in this research, the registration rate for the geographic region or the U.S. could be determined fairly easily. This information would allow the RSPA to base future changes of the regulations on fact.

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