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A large volume of hazardous materials is transported to and through the County by railroad and highway, air, water, and pipeline daily. Within Indian River County, there are a number of both public and private fixed facilities that produce or use hazardous materials. Coordinating procedures for hazardous material response are found within the County's Emergency Plan for Hazardous Materials. Mishandling and improper disposal or storage of medical wastes and low-level radioactive products from medical use are also a hazard to Indian River County. For example, several years ago an incident occurred in New Jersey when improper disposal of medical wastes resulted in some of the used products ending up on Atlantic Ocean beaches. Vulnerability Assessment. Hazardous materials events can have the following potential impacts within a community: • Surface and air transportation disruption; • Human health and safety; • Psychological hardship; • Economic disruption; • Disruption of community services; • Fire; and • Toxic releases. A community's vulnerability to hazardous materials accidents depends on three factors. These are: • The major transportation routes that pass through the community; • The hazardous material generators located in or near the community; and • The resources in terms of people and property are in an area of possible impact from a hazardous materials release. Overall, Indian River County has a moderate vulnerability to impacts from hazardous materials releases. There are relatively few major generators within the County, and those that do exist are generally away from major population centers. An area of high vulnerability for hazardous materials accidents is the City of Vero Beach, due to the transportation network Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 70