E.P.A. reproves state for handling of crude shipping permits

Scott Waldman


ALBANY—The federal Environmental Protection Agency issued an unusual rebuke to state officials today for approving crude oil-handling permits at the Albany port based on a company's unverified claims.

The state approved Global Partners' proposed oil-handling facility based on air pollution data that may be three times lower than actual emissions, according to a review by the E.P.A.

In a letter sent to the state Department of Environmental Conservation on April 28, Steven Riva, chief of the permitting section for air programs at the E.P.A, took state officials to task for approving a project without adequately verifying Global's pollution claims were valid. The letter orders the state to restart the approval process based on verifiable data, which would require a more thorough review.

"[W]e recommend that the facility should provide a discussion to clarify the calculation method that was used for determination of the project emission potential," wrote Riva, in a detailed memo to an air pollution control engineer at the state D.E.C.


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