The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has informed Global Partners an air quality renewal permit for its oil terminals at the Port of Albany, approved more than four years ago, would be subject to a new environmental review process.
New York state regulators will require an entirely new environmental review of crude oil terminals at the Port of Albany, according to a statement from Hudson River environmental advocacy group Riverkeeper.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has informed Global Partners LP that an air quality renewal permit for its Albany terminals, approved more than four years ago, would be considered as a new application, which requires the department to begin the environmental review process anew.
Waltham, Mass.-based Global Partners owns and operates one of the largest terminal networks of petroleum products and renewable fuels in the region.
According to Riverkeeper, DEC’s 2012 approval of Global Partners’ facilities in Albany came “before many concerns about crude oil shipments came to light, with minimal public awareness, and with no study of environmental impacts.”
The group has called for a comprehensive environmental review of Global Partners’ operations, which it claims “present environmental threats not only at and around its Albany facility, but also by the crude oil transport by rail and barge required by Global’s operations that threatens communities and environmental resources including from Lake Champlain and to New York Harbor.”
The DEC said the new permit application will include a public comment period and possibly a public hearing in order to incorporate the concerns of area residents and environmental groups, as well as require Global to develop an improved outreach plan to examine the impacts of existing and proposed operations on the environment.
DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said Friday the agency “will ensure that this process includes a meaningful and thorough opportunity for public engagement.”
The new review will require Global Partners to conduct emissions testing and address what Riverkeeper called a “material change in environmental conditions.” Those changes, according to the group, include increased benzene levels in the air, noise impacts to the adjacent community, odor issues, potential incidents involving oil spills and fires stemming from the shipment and translating of crude oil, and the potential for increased greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the facility.
“A re-starting of a comprehensive SEQR process is exactly what Riverkeeper has demanded, and even litigated, for the past two years,” said Kate Hudson, director of cross watershed initiatives at Riverkeeper. “The permitting agency has taken critical steps to allow them to require a full review of the broad range of impacts associated with this facility.
“That review must include impacts to the entire Hudson River, and the potential of oil spills to set back the river’s recovery, threats to communities along the transportation routes connected with Global’s operations from the Canadian border to New York Harbor, as well as climate change,” she added. “The agency now acknowledges the need to fully involve the impacted public in that review and we look forward to the opportunity to participate in a full examination of the potential impacts of all of Global’s operations and the development of a comprehensive environmental impact statement.”
According to a report from Reuters news service, Global Partners said in a statement Friday it disagrees with the DEC’s decision and has fully complied with the required permit application process.
Regulators order new environmental review of Albany crude terminal
