Albany County Executive Dan McCoy has announced that the county will issue a Request For Proposals for a consultant to complement the health and safety study by the Albany County Department of Health on the impact of crude oil and the heating of crude oil at the Port of Albany.
The RFP calls for a consultant that will assist the DOH in carrying out County Executive McCoy’s March 12 Order requiring a comprehensive investigation of the potential for any risk to county residents as a result of activities by Global Companies at the port, and its moratorium on the heating of crude oil at the port and any expansion of the operations there, until a health and safety review is complete.
McCoy says the county is working to protect the public and to get the answers to residents' questions regarding the safety of oil heating and transportation, to make sure the issues are fully vetted.
Since Albany County imposed the moratorium, the issue has attracted national headlines. Albany County is the first in the state to address the issue pursuant to state Public Health law.