1. Crude Oil in Ulster County
“Virtual Pipeline” – Real Risks
March 17, 2014
Presentation to the Ulster County Legislature
Kate Hudson
Riverkeeper Watershed Program Director

2. 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?

3. 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.

4. Where is the crude oil coming from?
Source: New York Times

5. 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

6. 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

7. Crude oil by rail in the U.S.
2008:
9,500
carloads
2013:
400,000
carloads

8. By Train
How 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

9. By Barge and Ship
How 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

10. 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.

11. Lac-Megantic, Quebec
July 2013
47 people killed, downtown buildings leveled, after Bakken oil train derailment.
Photo: Sûreté du Québec

12. Aliceville, Ala.
November 2013
“Dark, smelly crude oil still oozing,:” four months after Bakken oil train derailment–AP
Photo: John Wathen, Hurricane Creekkeeper

13. Casselton, N.D.
December 2013
Thousands evacuated within five miles of Bakken oil train derailment.
Photo: EcoWatch

14. Crude oil spilled by rail in the U.S.
1975-2012:
800,000 gal.
2013:
1,150,000 gal.
Source: McClatchy News

15. Mississippi River
February 2014
65 miles of river closed after 31,500 gallons of Bakken crude oil spill following barge crash.
Photo: The Advocate

16. 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

17. Communities
What is at risk in Ulster County?
Saugerties
Town of Ulster
Kingston
Esopus
Lloyd
Marlborough
At-grade crossing, Town of Esopus. Photo: Riverkeeper

18. Public Health, Economy and Quality of Life
What 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, swimmi
ng)
Bass fishermen near Saugerties Lighthouse.
Photo: Riverkeeper

19. Environment
What 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

20. 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

21. Billions of dollars invested in restoration
At 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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

31. 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
dshapley@riverkeeper.org
• Use social media to spread the word about your
concerns using the hashtag #NotOnMyWatch

32. riverkeeper.org/crude
Contact
Kate Hudson
khudson@riverkeeper.org
Dan Shapley
dshapley@riverkeeper.org
914-478-4501 x226
Source: Riverkeeper