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Tonko Tours Port Of Albany

WAMC photo by Dave Lucas

One day after the latest crude oil spill at the Port of Albany, New York Congressman Paul Tonko of the 20th district toured the facilities this morning to learn more about products coming through the harbor.

The Congressman got a firsthand look at the busy port, examining shipments as he toured the grounds and getting caught up in the hubbub.  Tonko says because it is so vital to the local economy,  "the needs of the port" must be understood.     "They've been listed in one of the top five port ratings in the country, and as the dependency of commerce grows with this port, and certainly the ripple effect to the positive, of job growth for this region and New York, is a very important part of the agenda. This is about growing jobs. Its about waterfront development. It's about the stewardship of our resources to be able to enable people to have that dignity of work and to have their community quality of life enhanced"

Tonko's visit had been scheduled way before a small oil leak Wednesday at the Port's Global site, which set off fears in nearby South End neighborhoods. Crude oil shipments have been under the microscope since last year’s Quebec disaster. Albany County Executive Dan McCoy has even floated the idea of moving residents in nearby projects away from what he says is the dangerous pollution of the port.

But Tonko says the spill was not the reason for his visit.   "Meeting with this organization was long established before yesterday. And to hear about their infrastructure needs, their growth, their expansion potential, is important."

Port of Albany Manager Richard Hendrick says the facility has an eye toward expansion, and Tonko's support is critical.   "We have an application into the federal government right now for a $22 million grant to expand the terminal and start a container-on-barge service which, will relieve a lot of truck traffic in the New York City area. The Congressman has supported the grant since we put it in. He came today to see what it is we're doin', why we need it and offer his assistance as to how we can get through the Department of Transportation and be successful with the grant. As he [Tonko] said, job creation and job retention. As you can see from the parking lot where the longshoremen park, we have a lot of people workin' but we want more."

Hendrick says the expanded service will have a positive environmental impact by taking many trucks off the road. The grant is expected to come through in September.

Wednesday, the Department of Environmental Conservation was summoned to investigate a crude oil leak reported down the street at the Global site, where 100 gallons of crude oil leaked in an area 10 feet in diameter from a service pipe that runs between two large storage tankers. Officials stressed Tonko's tour was not connected to the small spill.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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