Type of Hazard
Local Hazard
Governmental Overseer
Information Source
Availability of Information
Freight Trucks
Can’t determine at this point if there are any trucks bringing oil from Bakken fields to New York.
NYS DOT
NYS Thruway Authority
US DOT

limited
Rail Transport
Oil trains coming into Port of Albany from North Dakota (Bakken Oil). Parked right next to low-income housing.
NYS DOT
US DOT – Federal Railroad Administration
Times Union Article
NY Times

US DOT website
On DOT FRA website.
Industrial
Surpass Chemical Company in downtown Albany which produces dangerous chemicals such as chlorine gas and hydrochloric acid. Another chemical company named SI Group, has a facility in Rotterdam (Schenectady) which also has considered “high risk”(may be outside the scope of this research however). There is also Global Partners and Buckeye Partners (oil companies) at the PoA.
EPA (Federal Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976)
DOH (to an extent)
Washington Post Article

EPA
On EPA website.
Pipelines
Proposed Pilgrim Pipeline would transport highly-volatile, Bakken Crude Oil from Albany to Linden, NJ. Pipelines have lower chance of failing, but spill more oil when they do.
State Thruway Authority (for PP)

U.S. DOT – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

NYS Dept. of Public Service – Office of Gas&Water

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
National Conference of State Legislatures

News Articles12

FERC

DOT-PHMSA
Multiple agencies seem to claim responsibility for pipelines, without going into much detail about exactly what they control. Does require further research.
Barges/Cargo Ships
After trains bring oil to Albany, barges and tankers help bring it down Hudson to Canada, NJ etc. Tugboats are not inspected/loosely regulated and create potential spill hazards. DOT seems to regulate transport of oil, coast guard regulates clean up and sets standards for barge dimensions.
NYS DOT
U.S. DOT – Maritime Administration
US Coast Guard
Article in Professional Mariner

U.S. DOT MA
On DOT MA website. Coast Guard website is a joke, found information from news website and congressional research service studies.