August 28, 2014

Joe Martens
Commissioner
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, New York 12233-0001

Dear Commissioner Martens:

In recent years the Port of Albany has become a major hub for the shipment of crude oil. As you
well know, residents living in the nearby community are voicing their concerns about the impact
of crude oil shipping on their quality of life. This comes as there is a national debate concerning
oil transportation in communities across the country.

I wish to again convey specific concerns voiced by residents living in the Ezra Prentice Homes,
which are located within 100 feet of a rail line frequently used for transporting oil. These
residents of Ezra Prentice Homes are being subjected on a regular basis to the odors and volatile
organic compounds that may be released by rail cars during transport. I have heard firsthand
about how many residents at this location have asthma and recently have been reporting cases of
headaches and other health issues that may have been caused by the strong and offensive odors
coming from the rail cars. Air pollution, like that from petroleum, can trigger asthma attacks in
those with this disease and are known cancer agents.

The DEC recently held a community forum at Ezra Prentice Homes where the agency reported
that the levels of air toxics were well below the states shortterm exposure guidelines.
However, DEC staff indicated that the air sampling was conducted in a period of just five days,
and not in overnight hours, which I believe is hardly adequate to fully determine the risks to
residents in the South End.

I recently learned that the DEC has announced plans to conduct a year-long air quality study in
the neighborhoods near the Peace Bridge in Buffalo. This seems to be a common sense measure
to ensure the protection of the residents in those neighborhoods, but it raises a question about the
efficacy of the testing done here in Albany County. How did agency staff determine that just six
hours of daytime air sampling testing was adequate to determine there were no adverse effects
for residents of Ezra Prentice from exposure to odors? Certainly it can be argued that a more
comprehensive study needs to be undertaken to fully assess the impact of the oil trains on local
residents.

DANIEL P. MCCOY
COUNTY EXECUTIVE
COUNTY OF ALBANY
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE
112 STATE STREET, ROOM 900
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12207-2021
(518) 447-7040 - FAX (518) 447-5589
WWW.ALBANYCOUNTY.COM
PHILIP F. CALDERONE, ESQ.
DEPUTY COUNTY EXECUTIVE
This letter is my formal request that the DEC undertake an extensive, year-long air quality study
be completed at the Port of Albany on par with the study your agency will undertake in Buffalo,
and that no decision be made on Global Oils application until such time as the results of this
study are complete. It is only fair that the area affected by the crude oil trains be given the same
consideration as the people of Western New York.

As always, I am available at your convenience for further discussion. Thank you for your
consideration.

Sincerely


Daniel P. McCoy
Albany County Executive