Propane Tank Explosion Tunnel Scenario; Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland | 1988-Aug-01

Initial Notification: The two harbor tunnels in Baltimore, Maryland provide the primary access for the southern portion of the city. Recently, the Maryland Department of Transportation reviewed tunnel regulations that presently prohibit the passage of vehicles carrying compressed flammable gasses in the tunnel, to assess whether the regulations should be relaxed. Some agencies in Maryland advocated permitting recreational vehicles to pass through the tunnels with propane gas cylinders in place and in operational condition. The Baltimore Fire Department, however, believed this proposal to be risky, inherently unsafe, and unnecessary. USCG district 5.