Larkin Supports Oil Shipping Safety Efforts

Senator Bill Larkin (R-C, Cornwall-on-Hudson) today praised two state agencies for their efforts to protect New Yorkers by making crude oil shipments safer.

Earlier this week the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) wrote to North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple in support of proposed North Dakota state regulation changes that require oil producers to remove volatile gasses from Bakken crude oil before shipping the oil through other states, including New York. 

“Billions of gallons of Bakken crude oil from North Dakota pass through the Hudson Valley each year en route to refineries in New Jersey,” said Senator Larkin.  “Removing dissolved gas prior to shipment reduces the oil’s volatility and makes transporting the oil much safer.”

In the letter, the DEC and DOT point out that although railroads are controlled by the federal government, North Dakota can, “through its oversight of oil and gas wells, enhance safety and reduce downstream risk to many states before the crude oil enters the federally-regulated railroad network.”

“North Dakota’s adoption of this proposal would be a huge win for New York and the Hudson Valley.  I applaud the DEC and DOT for their efforts and certainly hope this change is swiftly adopted,” said Larkin.