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(both highway and rail) that passes through the area. <br />Risk Assessment. Historic Events. Due to the low probability <br />of occurrence, this hazard will not be fully profiled. <br />d. Transportation System Accidents — Hazard Identification. <br />Florida has a large transportation network consisting of major <br />highways, airports, marine ports, and passenger rails. The <br />heavily populated areas of Indian River County are particularly <br />vulnerable to serious accidents, which are capable of <br />producing mass casualties. With the linear configuration of <br />several major highways in Indian River County, such as <br />interstate highways and the Florida Turnpike, major <br />transportation accidents could occur in a relatively rural area, <br />severely stressing the capabilities of local resources to <br />respond effectively. Installing cameras on interstate highways <br />and major transportation routes can assist in monitoring <br />movement throughout the County, as well as provide for <br />quicker response to traffic system accidents as well. A <br />notorious example is the crash in the Everglades of ValuJet <br />Flight 597 on 11 May 1996, which resulted in 109 fatalities and <br />cost millions of dollars, severely taxing the financial and public <br />safety resources of Dade County (FDCA, 2001). Similarly, a <br />major transportation accident could involve a large number of <br />tourists and visitors from other countries, given Florida's <br />popularity as a vacation destination, further complicating the <br />emergency response to such an event. In the past, wildland <br />fires in Florida have forced the closing of interstate highways, <br />creating tremendous impacts on the transportation systems. <br />As a major industrial nation, the U.S. produces, distributes, <br />and consumes large quantities of oil. Petroleum-based oil is <br />used as a major power source to fuel factories and various <br />modes of transportation, and in many everyday products, such <br />as plastics, nylon, paints, tires, cosmetics, and detergents <br />(EPA, 1998). At every point in the production, distribution, and <br />consumption process, oil is stored in tanks. With billions of <br />gallons of oil being stored throughout the country, the potential <br />for an oil spill is significant, and the effects of spilled oil can <br />pose serious threats to the environment. <br />In addition to petroleum-based oil, the U.S. consumes millions <br />of gallons of non -petroleum oils, such as silicone and mineral - <br />based oils and animal and vegetable oils. Like petroleum <br />Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 71 <br />