This study will assess the risk of earthquake-generated hazardous material releases that could affect communities, examine local public and private sector efforts to mitigate and prepare for such emergencies, and outline policy alternatives for risk management. The study will focus upon two communities in a high seismic risk area of California. Three types of analysis will be combined in the study: earthquake effects modeling for each community, including seismic analysis of the vulnerability of facilities that handle hazardous chemicals; field work and interviews to obtain data on existing mitigation and preparedness programs; and policy analysis to determine appropriate and feasible strategies to mitigate the hazard.
