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Sheehan castigates DEC over Albany port review
Aug 14, 2014 5:46 am
Brian Nearing is reporting in the Times Union Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan has sharply rebuked the state Department of Environmental Conservation over its review of a planned oil terminal expansion at the Port of Albany. In a letter to the DEC last month, Sheehan claimed the state agency has illegally approved a surge in oil shipments piecemeal, rather than taking an overall perspective. The mayor accused DEC of something called segmentation, which is a review of a project's environmental impact in isolated segments, rather than as a unified whole. Segmentation is illegal under the state Environmental Quality Review Act. Sheehan maintains DEC segmented its review of plans by Massachusetts-based Global Partners to add a crude-oil heating facility to its terminal in Albany. The company applied to DEC for the heating project last year, and nearby residents have since grown increasingly vocal over safety concerns. When contacted by the Times Union, a Sheehan spokeswoman said the letter spoke for itself and the mayor had no further comment. The DEC press office did not respond to requests for comment. Read the full story in the Times Union.