Citing broad public and community interest, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has extended the public comment period for the Global Companies permit application at the Port of Albany for an additional 60 days until August 1st. Global Companies submitted a permit application in January to modify its Air Title V Facility permit to allow the company to heat petroleum products, including crude oil, residual fuel and biofuels at its facility at the port. Local officials and the community at large reacted swiftly. Several forums were held that gauged public response not only to the proposal itself, but to the perceived danger posed by so-called "oil trains" following a rash of a serious of incidents across the continent. In March, acting on a directive from Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, the county issued a moratorium on the expansion of the processing of crude oil at the Port of Albany pending a public health investigation by the Albany County Health Department. The order stated that the heating and storage of crude oil at the Port of Albany could create a “condition detrimental to the public health and safety of the residents of Albany County.” On March 24, DEC sought additional information from Global regarding the company’s Port of Albany facility and permit modification that will help inform the decision-making process. Global complied by providing that information, now under review by DEC, which is now extending the public comment period. Marc Gerstman is Executive Deputy Commissioner with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. "The DEC extended the public comment period to enable the community leaders and the environmental community to have additional time to investigate and review the activities at the port. The DEC and the state have spent extraordinary amounts of time identifying issues that need to be addressed in order to ensure that the communities are protected and that our natural resources are safeguarded. This process continues that effort and we will continue to have outreach to the community to ensure that their concerns are addressed." County Executive McCoy was "elated" to hear the public comment period has been extended. "I think this is great news coming from DEC that they are extending the comment period time to August from June. And it shows that the governor and the DEC commissioner really are concerned for the residents of Albany County. And also shows that Global that look they're not just gonna put this up without addressing the safety issues and concerns of the people of Albany County. So I commend the governor and DEC commissioner for the extend commentary time and it lets everyone know we've crossed our t's and dotted our i's doing our due diligence on this issue." Among pains taken to reassure concerned neighborhoods, Governor Andrew Cuomo urged President Obama to take immediate federal action to replace outdated and dangerous crude oil tank cars. The Cuomo administration then invited reporters to an emergency services drill in downtown Albany, staged to show firefighters are prepared to battle any rail mishap. Nevertheless, former Albany Common Council member Dom Calsolaro says the tension is thick among residents in his South End neighborhood. "I don't think they've reassured anybody. I think it's been just the opposite. We had the derailment 10 days ago down at the Kenwood Yards. The concern level has actually I think gone up more despite all the action that the governor's taken that the county executive's taken, the DEC is doing with the air study. People are actually more concerned now with what's gonna happen should there be a derailment or a spillage." The DEC promises it will continue to work with community leaders to coordinate on any further requests deemed necessary to supplement the information Global provided. DEC has taken steps to assure the community that it will continue its dialogue with citizens to ensure all questions are answered fully and objectively. | 
