SAFE PARKING Safe parking locations need to be identified along routes in consultation with the states. OCRWM also needs to specify in its transportation plan what criteria states should use for selecting safe parking and under what conditions OCRWM will request that shipments be diverted to safe parking. Bad weather, hazardous road conditions, mechanical problems, and other unanticipated conditions sometimes necessitate the delay of radioactive materials shipments. In such instances, safe parking locations need to be identified. Safe parking is one of the 14 topics covered in the DOE Manual. According to the manual, “Safe parking is the process used to identify and designate parking locations and to identify criteria for selecting parking areas if a predesignated location cannot be reached” (DOE 2008f, p. 38). The manual requires DOE shippers to consult with the states and tribes through which shipments will pass to select safe parking locations prior to the commencement of shipments. Safe parking locations are to be designated in the transportation plan. State and tribal officials can also determine whether a route deviation, rather than safe parking, is necessary and inform the carrier through TRANSCOM or direct communication (DOE 2008b, p. 39). When selecting safe parking locations, the DOE Manual identifies the two most important factors to consider: the desirability of a particular type of parking area and the ability of the driver/crew to reach that parking area. Safe parking areas should also provide “adequate separation from other vehicles carrying hazardous materials, required security (e.g., lighting), and adequate driver/ crew services,” (ibid., p. 39). DOE or other federal facilities are viewed as the most desirable safe parking locations. States and tribes may also identify facilities to be used for safe parking. Examples of good safe parking locations include weigh stations, state highway service facilities, and National Guard Facilities. If none of these facilities is reachable, carriers should use the following avoidance factors to identify a suitable safe parking location: • heavily populated areas, • heavily industrialized areas (e.g., refineries), • hospitals and schools, • areas with difficult access (e.g., no room for fire equipment), • crowded parking areas (e.g., shopping malls), • residential areas, • highway shoulders, and • areas with numerous pedestrians (ibid., p. 40). In addition, carriers must not park within five feet of the traveled portion of a street or highway except for brief periods when the necessities of operation make this inevitable (ibid.) According to the DOE Manual, for rail shipments, safe parking areas should be selected to provide adequate separation from other hazardous materials and to facilitate required security. The most
desirable safe parking areas for rail shipments are DOE facilities. Other federal facilities and protected railroad sidings are also options for safe parking of rail shipments. The identification of safe parking locations for radioactive materials is an important issue to the states. The WGAWIPP Technical Advisory Group and DOE’s CBFO have agreed to a set of criteria for selecting safe parking locations that are laid out in the WIPP PIG. Like the DOE Manual, the WIPP PIG states that locations should be selected based on “1) the desirability of a particular type of parking area; and 2) the driver’s ability to reach that parking area” (WGA 2008c, p. IV-1). The WIPP PIG further describes the hierarchy that should be used to select safe parking locations, with the top tier of preferred safe parking locations being DOE or Department of Defense facilities. The second choice for safe parking locations is comprised of facilities identified by the states for safe parking, such as ports of entry, which the states have provided to the CBFO. If a carrier cannot reach one of the locations listed in the first or second tier, the WIPP PIG provides criteria that the driver and state should use to select a safe parking location. In addition to those listed in the DOE Manual, WGA identifies three factors to avoid in selecting a safe parking location: parked trucks carrying flammables or explosives, poorly lighted areas, or areas without driver services (e.g., food) (ibid., p. 2). The Midwestern states describe their preferences for safe parking protocols in the regional Planning Guide. The objectives and avoidance factors for safe parking locations provided by the Midwestern states echo what is stated in the DOE Manual. Additionally, the Midwestern states request that the shipper’s security plan include safe parking locations on both sides of the borders between states.
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