How IEM Helps Communities Plan for Hazardous Materials Transportation Risks 

When hazardous materials move through a community, emergency leaders need more than a general inventory. They need clear, current, and actionable data to protect people, infrastructure, and the environment. Without accurate insight into what chemicals are being transported, how often, in what quantities, and along which routes, state and local governments can be left making critical hazmat response decisions with incomplete information. Since 2009, IEM has helped governments and Local Emergency Planning Committees strengthen hazardous materials planning through commodity flow studies that turn complex transportation data into practical emergency response plans, stronger stakeholder coordination, and safer communities. 

Recognizing the Need: From Traditional Studies to Actionable Plans 

For many communities, traditional commodity flow surveys leave critical gaps at the exact moment emergency leaders need confidence: What chemicals are moving through the area? How often? In what quantities? And which neighborhoods, facilities, infrastructure, and environmental assets could be affected? Without that level of detail, state and local governments face greater uncertainty when making protective action decisions, including whether to evacuate residents or direct them to shelter in place.

The IEM Approach: Industry-Based Planning 

IEM builds each commodity flow study around the chemicals that pose the greatest potential risk to people, infrastructure, and the environment. Through a priority chemical methodology, our team identifies extremely hazardous substances (EHS), high-volume commodities, and other materials that require focused planning attention.

We work directly with the industries that store, manufacture, and transport these materials to gather route, volume, frequency, origin, and destination data. This gives state and local governments more than a static inventory. It gives them decision-ready insight to meet EPCRA planning requirements, improve hazmat response training, and strengthen protective action planning.

Just as important, IEM helps build the trust needed to keep planning moving. By connecting industry partners, regulatory agencies, LEPCs, and government leaders, we support stronger coordination before an incident occurs.

The IEM Impact: Better Insight. Stronger Planning. 

Metric spotlight: LEPC meeting attendance increased by up to 70% in some states following IEM’s engagement, signaling stronger stakeholder participation, renewed confidence, and greater investment in local hazardous materials planning.

IEM’s commodity flow studies turn complex hazmat transportation data into practical planning tools. Using GIS-based flow maps, Isolation Protection Zone analysis, and corridor-level risk insights, our planners help governments identify sensitive populations, critical infrastructure, and environmentally sensitive areas that may be affected by a hazardous materials incident. The result is clearer data, stronger hazmat response planning, and more confident decision-making when time matters most. 

Why State and Local Governments Choose IEM for Commodity Flow Studies 

• Decision-ready data – Route, volume, frequency, origin, and destination insights that improve hazmat response planning. 
• Stronger coordination – Trusted engagement among industry, LEPCs, regulatory agencies, and government leaders before an incident occurs. 
• Actionable EPCRA planning – Commodity flow studies that translate requirements into practical response plans, training priorities, and protective actions. 

Clearer data. Stronger plans. Safer communities.

Connect with IEM’s Hazmat Experts →

Krista Houk

Director of Planning and Preparedness

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Sean Fontenot

Director of Air, Transportation, and Logistics

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Tori Siears

Deputy Manager of Air, Transportation, and Logistics

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