Barge Industry Facts
Barge Industry Facts
Avalon Integrated Services, Arlington, VA
Navigation Information Connection Tracks Inland Towing Vessels
•The barge, working along the inland waterways, is one this country's earliest modes of transporting goods and people.
•The inland waterway system consists of rivers, canals, bays, sounds and lakes, as well as the intercoastal waterways.
•There are about 25,000 miles of navigable waterways in the contiguous United States.
•Barges are safe, clean, and efficient.
•There are approximately 6,000 working tugs in this nation.
•There are about 30,000 barges at work.
•Barges transport $1 billion in products, annually, representing 15% of all U.S. freight.
• about one-half of all export grain.
• 20% of all coal in the nation
• 20% of all oil/petro chemicals
•Barges transport wood for paper products, cement and asphalt for our bridges, ore for steel, chemicals for our everyday products.
• Barges consume less than 2% of America's transport costs.
• Products from barges reach 25% of today's population.
• Barges carry:
• 5 times more than air freight
• 15 times more than railroad cars
• 60 times more than semi-trailers
•The average barge tow today consists of 15 barges, equally the carrying capacity of a three-mile long freight train, or a line of semi-trucks 35 miles long.
•Not only do barges carry more cargo, but are more energy efficient in terms of number of miles per gallon of fuel.
•Barge towboats today are equipped with the most modern and safest computers and geo-transponders for tracking vessels.
•Today's barges feature environmental protection through new double-hulls; highly reliable and safe.
•Barges avoid creating highway bottlenecks and keep potentially hazardous materials off the roads and away from heavily populated areas.
•Barges regularly serve as a vital link between air, rail and highway freight carriers.
•Barges represent the oldest American cargo vehicle still in use, and today even more efficiently transporting our newest elements of industry and everyday life, with the least environmental impact.
Ohio River Response System (ORRS) Demonstration Project
Dana Robertson
Director, National Maritime Enhancement Institute
Rahall Transportation Institute, Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia, U.S.A.
robertson@marshall.edu
James W. Boone, PhD.
President, Operation Respond Institute, Inc.
Washington, D.C. U.S.A.
jimb9478@yahoo.com
A computer-based information system was developed for the US Army Corps of Engineers to demonstrate the capabilities of a fully operational alert and messaging system in responding to navigation accidents along the Ohio River. Upon input of either latitude /longitude coordinates, street address, or river mile, the system indicates to the user graphically on a GIS map described above the location of those inputs. The system indicates the location of both the upstream and downstream access points and provides the user with the county names and the telephone number for county emergency management officials nearest the accident. Input of the vessel identification number compares this input to a database that contains data regarding the identity of the cargo contained in the vessel. The system provides data regarding substances/materials contained in vessels that would be useful to the emergency management community by linking to existing databases maintained or made available from organizations such as the Chemical Transportation Emergency Center and other publicly available organizations. Information of potential use includes: health, fire, and/or explosive hazards associated with the substance; precautionary actions to take to protect first responders and the public to include recommendations/requirements for protective clothing and evacuation limits; response actions required for substances that are spilled/leaking or on fire, as well as information for administering first aid to individuals. The potential value of ORRS goes beyond providing emergency responders with information regarding hazardous materials. Specifically, in the near term, ORRS has the potential of assisting on-shore responders, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Corps of Engineers when responding to a wide range of natural disasters, accidents, security incidents, bridge failures, railroad, truck, pipeline and utility incidents, men overboard, and recreational boating accidents.
Ohio River Response System (ORRS) Demonstration Project
Background and Purpose of the ORRS Project
In the US, public agency emergency responders serving communities located on or near the Ohio River’s 981 miles of navigable inland waterways face considerable challenges when dealing with potential incidents and the unique vulnerabilities of waterway infrastructure. These challenges include the day-to-day need to maintain the resources needed to respond effectively to a full spectrum of potential accidents, incidents, natural disasters or criminal/terrorist actions occurring on or alongside the waterway and within port and related industrial/commercial facilities and recreational areas.
These challenges manifest themselves in a time when emergency response and dispatching/call center resources at local, county and state levels are confronting unprecedented levels of emergency service needs, including Homeland security issues. Fire, rescue and EMS departments, and police and sheriffs’ departments now have increased responsibilities for Homeland security, which also impact the nation’s 911 Centers and other Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP’s). Few such organizations possess internal resources that can be devoted exclusively to meet these new requirements, especially in volunteer organizations with limited budget sources, high personnel turnover and constant training needs.
Emergency responders and their dispatchers require certain data and information in order to properly “size up” the situation and start the proper response actions. Dispatchers must make immediate judgments regarding the nature of the emergency (on-board or shore side fire, medical emergency, criminal activity, man overboard, spill, theft, terrorism, hazmat, etc.) Once having done so, the exact location (addressing) of the incident will determine the jurisdictions to be involved and the status of available units. In many cases, the dispatcher and responding units may need supplemental information on how to reach the incident scene, in terms of road access to the river shoreline and obstacles/dangers to equipment or personnel, if any.
Clearly, river environments, shorelines and infrastructures present unique addressing and response issues to emergency dispatchers attempting to satisfy the above requirements, especially those personnel not familiar with the immediate physical environment or the prevailing conditions at the incident scene.
The National Maritime Enhancement Institute (NMEI) of the Rahall Transportation Institute, Marshall University and the Operation Respond Institute were engaged by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a prototype self-contained, GIS based computer information system that would assist the Ohio River waterway’s civil emergency responders when responding to navigation and other incidents on the Ohio River.
The Ohio River Response System (ORRS) project was conceived and structured as a technical feasibility demonstration and proof-of-concept effort. The project focused on two discrete areas of the Ohio River: the first phase centered on an area surrounding the Hannibal Locks and Dam, located near New Martinsville, West Virginia, at approximate Ohio River mile 126.5. The second phase centered on the reach of the Ohio River from the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers in Pittsburgh, PA (Ohio River mile 0) downriver to Ohio River Mile 77. See Figure 1. ORRS Demonstration Area.
The intent was to examine the potential usefulness of a modified and enhanced OREIS™ software suite , adapted for use by emergency responders dealing with commercial barge incidents on the Nation’s inland waterway system. This premise was based on the successful use of OREIS™ to confirm a specific vehicle’s hazardous material cargo contents in railroad and motor carrier accidents and incidents by over 56,000 North American emergency response and public safety organizations and data sharing networks.
The ORRS project’s primary purposes were (1) to test the feasibility of adapting OREIS to allow county 911 centers to input vessel identification numbers to obtain confirmation of vessel hazardous cargo, and (2) to work with the Ohio River’s emergency responders to adapt and format electronic navigation chart features and information to serve as a unique GIS feature set for use by public safety dispatch points for use in precisely locating incidents and to assist in dispatching activities, such as determining the best means of physical access to that location.
The demonstrations were conducted on 16 November, 2007 at New Martinsville, WV, and on 26 February, 2008 in Pittsburgh, PA, respectively, and proved conclusively that a computer-based system allowing county 911 Centers to input vessel identification numbers to obtain critical information regarding the vessel and its hazardous cargo contents is technically feasible.
Because weather often impacts river-based response operations, we added an optional weather alert feature to OREIS, and made provisions for its recognition as a potential factor in the scenarios developed for the demonstration/exercise. The ability to provide situational weather at an incident scene, including severe weather warnings and predictions of time of arrival (TOA) information regarding any approaching severe weather phenomenon was added to the battery of OREIS features for demonstration purposes. (This information is actionable information provided through the commercial services of AccuWeather, Inc.)
The OREIS™ Inland Waterway Version
A modified version of the OREIS™ computer-based information system was developed and utilized with menus and programming redesigned and configured to display a unique set of capabilities and functions for potential use in responding to navigation accidents along the Ohio River. See Figure 2. ORRS Main Menu. As noted above, this demonstration system is purposefully similar to the existing OREIS™ computer system used for responding to accidents/incidents occurring on railways and/or highways.
In addition, efforts were undertaken to adapt and format electronic navigation chart features and information to serve as a unique GIS feature set for application and use by 911 Centers and other public safety dispatch points, to identify and locate critical river features as dispatching reference landmarks.
The primary purpose of the GIS effort was to generate supplemental GIS information and mapping capabilities regarding the river environment for incorporation into E-911 Center console and field addressing GIS databases, for use in precisely locating incidents and to assist in public safety dispatching activities, such as determining the best means of physical access to that location.
Listed below are the major elements of the prototype software, as redesigned and configured for the demonstrations as a simulation of actual information retrieval and network interactions:
-- The OREIS™ Inland Waterway prototype system’s revised Main Menu contains a Barge ID button, which upon activation, would allow the registered and pre-cleared emergency responder user to select the barge operator from a listing. The responder could then input the specific vessel identification number to relay to the selected barge owner through a secure connection, to obtain hazardous cargo confirmation. This series of actions and authentications follows a secure Internet-based procedure identical to that currently used by OREIS™ on all major North American railways. Note: For purposes of the demonstration and “proof of concept,” a simulated barge ownership and barge number database was constructed. The Main Menu also serves as the gateway to a list of additional functionalities to assist the emergency responder. In addition to the (simulated) match of vessel identification numbers with hazardous cargo files of the barge owner, the cargo data retrieved and confirmed could then be used to key and display the wide variety of emergency guidance imbedded in the software, in addition to barge schematic diagrams showing important safety features.
-- The OREIS™ Inland Waterway DVD also contains a searchable imagery, river feature and street map GIS, which was developed utilizing a combination of existing Corps of Engineers Electronic Navigation Charts, commercial GIS mapping products and the West Virginia state imagery program, with the assistance of the GIS staff of Marshall University. The GIS feature is engaged by activating the Incident Location button on the secondary menu. The intent was to use as much existing, publicly available data and imagery as possible to create the GIS. Features depicted in the GIS either as layers or as searchable indexed items on the base map included the shoreline; river miles and tenths; highway and railroad bridges; highways, streets and railroads; urban and political subdivisions; barge fleeting/mooring areas; locks and dams and access points to the river. (Note: To simplify the features display and reduce the size of the program files, shoreline shape files were not utilized, but the GIS’s orthorectified aerial imagery accurately indicates the shoreline on both sides of the river.) Searchable items include river mile, latitude/longitude, street address, and other selected, layered features. The developed system also allows the responder to observe and reference the location of both the immediate upstream and immediate downstream access points, including public boat launch ramps or docks.
-- A prototype searchable listing of area emergency responders and other public safety and response organizations was also developed, in cooperation with the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications Network, and the National Public Safety Information Bureau. Features include the ability to search for specific categories of response organizations by function (fire, police, EMS, etc.), location, and those within a prescribed radius of an incident. Information provided included agency contact names and telephone numbers. A mechanism to assemble lists of critical agencies by function, geographic location or other user-determined criteria for purposes of targeted alerts or notifications was also developed. Development of a communication system or wireless handheld system for inputting data in the field was discussed during the demonstrations, but was not included in this scope of work.
-- The OREIS™ Inland Waterway version, just as the railway and motor carrier version of OREIS™ it was based upon, provides a wide range of data, emergency guidance and related life safety information useful to the emergency community. Hazardous materials information and guidance is imbedded in the software, and is searchable by shipping name, by Standard Transportation Commodity Code and grouped by United Nations number and placard reference. In addition, schematic diagrams of commonly used tank cars and trailers are included, as are intercity and commuter passenger cars and Alaska ferryboats. These were used as precedents for the proposed inclusion of barge and riverboat schematics as a matter of public safety.
The demonstrations were founded upon exercise scenarios scripted to showcase ORRS features simulated depicting both a breakaway barge and incidents involving barges in tow. Utilizing those scenarios, the system fully demonstrated its ability to:
• Accept user inputs to include vessel identification number, latitude/longitude coordinates, street address, and river mile;
• Indicate to the user by reference to the integrated GIS map the location of the above inputs and the immediate upstream and downstream access points to the river, as well as county/locality information and geographic references for critical river navigation features, emergency facilities and other important emergency references adjoining the river.
• Utilize information regarding hazardous cargo shipments directly from the US Coast Guard’s Maritime Information Exchange System that contains vessel specific information derived from the US Coast Guard’s Marine Information Safety and Law Enforcement System (MISLE).
Other capabilities demonstrated included:
• River geo-references incorporated in a searchable GIS database, to assist in incident location, physical access and surrounding geography. Incident imagery and maps accessible on secure Web site, and protected by password access were also demonstrated;
• A notification feature enabling barge/tow operators, 911 Centers, the USCG, the Corps and other involved organizations to quickly and affirmatively notify others and provide a means to continuously update and forward situation and incident reports, as may be needed during the life cycle of an incident.
The system fully demonstrated the ability to provide data and protective action guidance regarding substances/materials contained in vessels that would be useful to the emergency management community by linking to existing databases maintained or made available from organizations such as the US Coast Guard (CHRIS hazmat database system), Association of American Railroads (Chemical Database and the Centers for Disease Control (Target Organs database).
Findings and Conclusions
The ORRS development process and the simulations and demonstrations, taken together, revealed a number of important findings and conclusions. While stated in specific terms relating to the Ohio River, the ORRS Project Team believes that these findings and conclusions reflect similar situations and solutions applicable to commercial transport on inland waterways throughout the world:
-- Emergency responders, including firefighters, police officers and EMS workers, need timely and accurate information to properly respond to any incident in the safest and most efficient manner possible. As configured in these demonstrations, OREIS™ has the capability to provide onshore emergency responders with the hazardous materials contents of barges and tow boats that have been involved in an incident. The ability to utilize U.S. Coast Guard databases to provide emergency managers and first responders information relating to navigation accidents involving hazardous and/or toxic substances along the Ohio River would be a major plus for safety in such responses.
-- Implementation of the OREIS system would afford the US Coast Guard, US Army
Corps of Engineers and emergency response personnel with the opportunity to quickly access emergency response information concerning hazardous materials transported on the Ohio River. This ensures that in the event of an accident, responding emergency personnel will be able to quickly identify the materials at hand, the safety precautions they must employ and the correct methods to contain the situation.
-- The prototype ORRS system also provides guidance for responders and schematics highlighting important safety and security features aboard vessels and security incidents, bridge failures; railroad, truck, pipeline and utility incidents and forest, grass and structure fires, floods, men overboard, recreational boating accidents .
-- Barge operators in most instances are the most qualified to deal with their own emergencies and to identify when external assistance is required. Towboat companies and on-shore responders may need to respond to a wide range of accidents, security incidents, bridge failures; railroad, truck, pipeline and utility incidents; and forest, grass and structure fires, floods, men overboard, recreational boating accidents, etc. This all-hazards approach is the foundation for our proposed use of the thousands of OREIS™ users and their public safety communications networks along the river as an assistance network for the river communities and industries -- to help the water carriers, the Corps and the US Coast Guard reach out to the civil responders along the river when they need to.
-- Another important functionality that could be a beneficial outcome of a deployed, operational ORRS system would be the wider application and use of enhanced of alert and notification mechanisms. Specifically, chemical industry representatives suggested to the ORRS Project Team that a positive alert/notification mechanism alerting industrial and chemical plants to turn off water intakes in case of upstream hazmat emergencies, to avoid expensive damage or contamination of their processes that use water would be a potential enhancement to existing notification mechanisms. With industry support, the ORRS could become the backbone of an "all hazards" alert network that includes industry and local responders, which would supplement existing alerting networks by allowing more affected stakeholders to receive direct alerts and appropriate action recommendations.
--Adapting and integrating the ORRS system as an “all-hazards” guidance, incident location and external communications resource, incorporating its external public safety network linkages and railroad cargo confirmation capabilities for internal deployment and use by Corps and Coast Guard personnel in their emergency and disaster planning and response activities is another key benefit of the system.
-- Finally, the ORRS Project Team found that the potential value of ORRS goes beyond providing emergency responders with information regarding hazardous materials. Specifically, in the near term, ORRS has the potential of assisting on-shore responders, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Corps of Engineers when responding to a wide range of natural disasters, accidents, security incidents, bridge failures, railroad, truck, pipeline and utility incidents, men overboard, and recreational boating accidents.