Government officials in Albany County, NY, have issued a moratorium on Global Partners LP’s plans to increase the processing of Bakken crude oil at the Port of Albany pending a public health investigation by the county’s health department.
Though primarily targeting Bakken crude deliveries, the order, which was issued on Mar. 12, stipulates a county-wide moratorium on the heating of any type of crude oil, including volumes arriving from Canadian oil sands.
According to the order, the heating and storage of Bakken crude arriving to the port could pose a threat to the safety of county residents due to a combination of its extreme volatility and flammability as well as the inferiority of most of the tank cars used to rail those crude volumes into the county.
The order additionally places a moratorium on any expansion or increase in Global Partners’ current operations and on the initiation of any activities related to crude oil heating by any other companies, including but not limited to the construction or expansion of crude processing operations at the Port of Albany.
The moratoria are to remain in effect until the county health department concludes its investigation, the order states.
http://www.ogj.com/articles/2014/03/new ... arch182014