Is the analysis of territorial compatibility in the vicinity of road hazmat transport routes a necessity for developing countries? A case study of Romania

The way dangerous goods are transported on roads within the European Union is regulated by international agreements that have been transposed into national legislation. Unlike European policies that focus on preventing major accidents involving dangerous substances in the industry, the component of territorial planning in areas exposed to technological hazards is not given similar attention when it comes to transport routes of dangerous goods. Since both the transport of hazardous materials and the activities of large industrial operators involve the handling of the same types of dangerous substances, they share similar associated hazards. Within this framework, a question arises as to whether decision-makers should accord greater consideration to the land use policies in the areas adjacent to transportation routes. In this study, the case of Romania was analyzed in detail, with the objective to firstly identify some particularities in how the primary road infrastructure is developed in relation to other European countries. Since the territorial compatibility near large industrial operators is established based on specific regulations at the national level, but there is no similar regulation for the transport of dangerous substances, another objective was to adapt and implement a methodology for the analysis of the territorial compatibility in the proximity of the national roads network. The proposed methodology utilizes open-source data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for analysis. It also involves the extensive application of existing rules on territorial compatibility for technological risks, specifically in the context of hazmat transport. The results of this study indicate that the primary road transport network in Romania has different characteristics compared to that of other countries, which determines a higher level of exposure to the hazards specific to the road transport of hazardous materials. Additionally, from an analysis of gasoline and diesel transport on national roads and the implementation of a territorial compatibility matrix, we observed instances of territorial incompatibility in the current state, particularly in areas close to the road, especially for scenarios with a relatively high accident frequency. Thus, the way future large road infrastructure development projects address risks related to dangerous goods transportation and the implementation of environmentally conscious land management strategies can contribute to society's sustainable development.