MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Local emergency officials estimate that one of every two tractor-trailer rigs traveling through Berkeley County on Interstate 81 is carrying hazardous materials.
About 33 percent of the trucks carrying hazardous materials are hauling flammable liquids such as gasoline, diesel fuel or jet fuel, according to a survey completed last June by the Berkeley County Office of Emergency Services.
Emergency Services Director Steve Allen said the survey did not contain any surprises.
The various types and amounts of hazardous materials being hauled on the interstate were what officials had expected, Allen said.
Allen said he believes the county is well-equipped to handle accidents involving the materials.
The survey was conducted after emergency officials spent four days identifying hazardous material shipments on 262 trucks.
The loads were identified at rest stops in the northbound and southbound lanes, said Allen.
Of the trucks carrying hazardous materials, 20 percent were hauling corrosives such as acid and 18 percent carried such gases as oxygen and argon, according to the survey.
