Crude oil presentation 130317

Crude Oil in Ulster County

“Virtual Pipeline” – Real Risks

March 17, 2014Presentation to the Ulster County Legislature

Kate HudsonRiverkeeper Watershed Program Director

Crude Oil in Ulster County: “Virtual Pipeline” – Real Risks

• What is crude oil?• Where is the oil coming from?• How is it transported, how much is being transported,

and where is it going?• What are the risks?• What is being done to reduce risks?• What is Riverkeeper’s role?• What can Ulster County residents, and Ulster County

legislators do?

What is crude oil?

• Crude oil is different from home heating fuel, diesel fuel, gasoline, ethanol or any of the other petroleum products that have previously been shipped on the Hudson River.

• No significant amounts of crude oil were shipped on the Hudson River until recent years, and the volume shipped has increased rapidly.

• The impacts of a crude oil spill would be dramatically different than the impacts of a spill of refined petroleum products.

Where is the crude oil coming from?

Source: New York Times

Where is the oil coming from?

• Most of the crude oil now moving through the New York State is from the Bakken formation in North Dakota, Montana and the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

• Some may now or soon come from the Alberta tars sands.

Source: EIA

Not all crude oil is the same

Bakken crude is volatile. It floats. Tar sands oil is heavy. It sinks.

Photo: Ben Garvin Photo: DOI

Crude oil by rail in the U.S.

2008: 9,500 carloads

2013: 400,000 carloads

By TrainHow is crude oil transported?

CSX moves 2 crude oil trains per day through the Hudson Valley.

CSX has expanded capacity on its Hudson Line.

Each oil train carries 80-120 cars.

Each car holds about 30,000 gal.

That’s 6 million gal. per day–2.2 billion gal. per year.

This crude oil is destined for refineries near Philadelphia, which have expanded capacity.

Traffic may increase with proposed expansion of Global Partners LP oil terminals in New Windsor.

Oil trains along the Hudson. Photo: Riverkeeper

By Barge and ShipHow is crude oil transported?

2 oil terminals in the Port of Albany—owned by Global Partners LP and Buckeye Partners LP—are permitted to transfer 2.8 billion gallons per year of crude oil from trains to Hudson River ships and barges.

Approximately one articulated river barge per day on the Hudson, with about 4 million gallons of crude oil each.

The tanker Afrodite holds 7 million gallons or more, and fills in Albany about every 8-10 days.

This oil is destined for refineries in New Jersey and New Brunswick, Canada. Afrodite at Walkway Over the Hudson State

Park. Photo: Riverkeeper

What are the risks?

1. A train derailment involving Bakken crude oil, resulting in a spill and explosive fire, with great risk to life and property.

2. A spill of Bakken crude oil in water. A successful spill response in the Hudson might recover 15-20% of the oil.

3. A spill of tar sands crude oil in water. A successful spill response might recover just 5% of the oil.

Lac-Megantic, QuebecJuly 2013

47 people killed, downtown buildings leveled, after Bakken oil train derailment.

Photo: Sûreté du Québec

Aliceville, Ala.November 2013

“Dark, smelly crude oil still oozing,:” four months after Bakken oil train derailment–AP

Photo: John Wathen, Hurricane Creekkeeper

Casselton, N.D.December 2013

Thousands evacuated within five miles of Bakken oil train derailment.

Photo: EcoWatch

Crude oil spilled by rail in the U.S.

1975-2012:800,000 gal.

2013:1,150,000 gal.

Source: McClatchy News

Mississippi RiverFebruary 2014

65 miles of river closed after 31,500 gallons of Bakken crude oil spill following barge crash.

Photo: The Advocate

NYS “Virtual Pipeline” Accidents

December 2012, New Baltimore: The Stena Primorsk runs aground in Hudson with 12 million gallons. The Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons 25 years ago.

December 2013, West Nyack: Empty oil train hits tractor trailer.

December 2013, Cheektowaga: Oil train derailment.

February 2014, Town of Ulster: Empty oil train derailment.

February 2014, Selkirk: Oil train derailment.

Ulster oil train derailment. Photo: Chad Gomes / Riverkeeper

CommunitiesWhat is at risk in Ulster County?

SaugertiesTown of Ulster KingstonEsopusLloydMarlborough

At-grade crossing, Town of Esopus. Photo: Riverkeeper

Public Health, Economy and Quality of LifeWhat is at risk in Ulster County?

Port Ewen drinking water

Town of Lloyd drinking water

Public investments in waterfront restoration and public access

Waterfront businesses

Tourism

Real Estate

Recreation (fishing, sailing, kayaking, swimming)

Bass fishermen near Saugerties Lighthouse. Photo: Riverkeeper

EnvironmentWhat is at risk in Ulster County?

There are 7 state-designated significant habitats on the Hudson River in Ulster County, and on the Esopus, Rondout and Black creeks, each deemed “irreplaceable.”

Ulster Landing Sojourner Truth County Park / Turkey Point State Forest. Photo: Riverkeeper

Food web at risk

Fish, including striped bass, American shad, river herring, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon (both endangered species).• Birds, including bald eagles, waterfowl, shore- and wading birds.• Mammals, like river otter, muskrat and beaver.

Heavy crude oil largely sinks, and would contaminate the food web from the river bottom up.

Bakken crude oil largely floats, and would blacken the shoreline.

Oiled geese from a 2010 tar sands crude spill in the Kalamazoo River, Michigan. Three-plus years later, the cleanup is still incomplete. Photo: USFWS

Billions of dollars invested in restorationAt Risk: Hudson River

National Heritage River

$3.1 billion Hudson Valley tourism economy

$1 billion PCBs cleanup—three-fourths complete

Public investments:• toxic waste cleanups• sewage treatment infrastructure• public parks and access

Federal actions to reduce risk

U.S. Department of Transportation• Emergency Order on testing Bakken crude• Voluntary agreement with American Association of Railroads

to lower speed in designated cities (only Buffalo and NYC), routing and train improvements, increased track inspections and attention to emergency response.

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin. • Warnings on flammability of Bakken crude oil

National Transportation Safety Board• Warnings on dangerous inadequacy of DOT-111 tank cars

State actions to reduce risk

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Executive Order• Called for federal action • Ordered a 3-month state agency review of emergency

preparedness

Joint state-federal inspection “blitz”• Identified 42 defects in just six miles of track in Albany and Buffalo• Found more than 8 defects in oil train DOT-111 cars

NYS Comptroller• 2013 audit found deficiencies in state’s railroad bridge inspection

program, and identified corrective action

Local actions to reduce risk

Albany County • Moratorium on Global Partners LP oil terminal expansion pending Health

Department investigation (The company claims county lacks jurisdiction)

Rockland County • Speed check on oil trains

City of Albany• Call for hearings and environmental justice review of proposed Port of

Albany expansion• Mayor has called on Albany Planning Board to issue a “positive

declaration” on SEQRA review of proposed Global Partners oil terminal permit to facilitate transfer of heavy crude from rail car to barge

What risks remain?

“Bomb trains” using outdated and dangerous DOT-111 cars continue to transport crude oil through the Hudson Valley.

Barge and tanker traffic continues on the Hudson despite inadequate spill response capabilities.

The Department of Environmental Conservation still has not studied the environmental impacts or risks to communities of this new industry. The tanker Afrodite is loaded with crude oil in the Port of

Albany. Photo: Riverkeeper

What is Riverkeeper’s role?Call for moratorium on NYS crude oil shipments

A barge like those that carry crude oil travels toward the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge in Winter 2014. Photo: Michael Neil O’Donnell

What is Riverkeeper’s role?

No transport of heavy crude on the Hudson.• Best-case cleanup of 5% recovery shows this is product is too risky for the Hudson

River.

No transport of any crude oil by rail until: • all obsolete, dangerous DOT-111 cars are retired, and other precautions are in place.

No transport of Bakken crude on the Hudson until:• federal and state agencies complete a full review of spill response plan for Hudson

River to account for new “worst case scenario” spill of crude oil, and test response to ensure its adequacy (best-case cleanup of 20% recovery is not adequate);

• DEC completes full environmental impact study for proposed Global Partners LP oil terminal expansions in Albany and New Windsor; and,

• DEC re-opens and completes full environmental impact reviews for existing permits that allowed Port of Albany crude oil throughput to increase from zero to 2.8 billion in two years.

What Can Ulster Legislature Do?County and local actions

• Negotiate with CSX to share operational information about crude oil and other hazardous materials shipments, as Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has done.

• Order review of county/local preparedness for an emergency response to a crude oil spill from a train or river vessel.

• Investigate insurance risk for county-owned property at risk from a spill, fire and/or explosion. Approach railroads and shippers about risks, and determine if their commercial insurance is adequate to cover liabilities for response and claims, so the county is not left with the bill, as in Lac Megantic, Quebec.

• Study and report on specific risks to Ulster County, including designated habitats of significance in the Hudson. Suggest communities with Local Waterfront Revitalization Plans (LWRPs) raise concerns with NYS DEC and DOS about the inconsistency of crude oil transport and increased risk of spill.

• Order speed checks on trains, as Rockland County Sheriff has done.

What Can Ulster Legislature Do?Call for New York State action

• Demand training, equipment and financial assistance for county and local emergency responders.

• Send a written request to the governor to include local and county emergency responders in the state-driven review of local preparedness that his Executive Order initiated and is in process right now.

• Submit formal comments to DEC requesting full environmental review of proposed Global Partners oil terminal, specifying risks of heavy crude to the Hudson River and Ulster County’s shoreline.

• Urge full environmental impact study for proposed Global Partners oil terminal expansions in New Windsor, which could increase oil train traffic in Ulster County.

• Urge DEC to re-open existing permits that allowed for Port of Albany crude oil throughput to increase from zero to 2.8 billion in two years

• Request “inspection blitz” on Ulster County rail lines.• Request information from NYS DOT and/or Comptroller about railroad bridges in

Ulster County, given 2013 findings of problems in inspection program.

What Can Ulster Legislature Do?Call for federal action

Pass a resolution calling on federal agencies to enact a statewide moratorium on crude oil shipments in NYS

Call on the U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators to advocate in Washington and in NY State for more protection:• Immediate phase out of dangerous DOT-111 rail cars• Speed reduction of crude oil trains• Routing of crude oil trains to avoid communities• Classification of crude oil as a hazardous material• Advance information sharing• Emergency planning• Local and county emergency response capacity• Training and resources

What Can Ulster County Residents Do?

• Take action at riverkeeper.org to support full study of environmental and community risks of crude oil transport facilitated by expansion of Albany and New Windsor oil terminals.

• Write to your elected leaders at all levels, and write letters to the editor expressing your concerns

• Document oil trains in your community, highlighting risks publicly. Send photos to [email protected]

• Use social media to spread the word about your concerns using the hashtag #NotOnMyWatch

riverkeeper.org/crude

Contact

Kate [email protected]

Dan [email protected] x226

Source: Riverkeeper