This week, Senator Grisanti and I have introduced legislation to require appropriate financial insurance for crude oil facilities. This legislation (A.9926) would ensure that crude oil storage facilities must meet increased financial criteria and requirements to prevent taxpayers to be on the hook in the case of any accidents. This Petroleum Storage Surety bill would apply to crude oil stored at all bulk storage facilities in New York State and require financial security to meet all responsibilities for cleanup and decontamination costs associated with the release of such oil. The transport of crude oil by rail has increased exponentially nationwide over the past five years, from over 9,000 carloads of crude oil in 2008 to over 400,000 in 2013, and the need for storage facilities has expanded accordingly. There is a heightened awareness of safety issues related to the transportation and storage of crude oil and the Petroleum Surety bill is one attempt to address the negative impacts of any mishandling and improper storage of crude oil. Rail transportation of crude oil is regulated by federal law whereas bulk storage of crude oil is governed by state law. The exponential rise of crude oil transportation, especially with the growth of storage facilities right here at the Port of Albany, can come with devastating consequences as we’ve seen in communities across North America. This bill ensures that crude oil operators and storage facilities are responsible for their actions, not taxpayers or the public at large. The Times Union editorial board agrees with this legislation, as they wrote in an editorial published Friday. I spoke with Capital Tonight's Liz Benjamin about the bill and why this critical piece of environmental legislation is important for our region and our state. Events in and around the 109th: Afternoon Tea and Conversation. Today (Friday, June 6), the Guilderland Public Library and I will be hosting an “Afternoon Tea & Conversation” event at 4 p.m. More information is listed with the Guilderland Public Library's website. Hope to see you there! Bank of America Pride 5K this weekend. I’ll be participating in the Bank of America Pride 5K this Saturday, June 8 starting at 10 a.m. The start and finish lines are located at the Washington Park Lake House. Come out and wave! Free performances outside of the Egg. The Egg will be hosting free performances outside of the main entrance to its facility each Wednesday at noon throughout the summer. For more information, visit their Web site. Free summer camps for kids. The Plumeri Sports Complex is running a series of free summer camps from July through August. The camps are open to kids 5 to 10 (space is limited). You must register your child by Friday, July 27. For more information, call (518) 694-5189. Session 1: July 7 to July 10
Session 2: July 14 to July 17
Session 3: July 21 to July 24
Session 4: July 28 to July 31
Session 5: August 4 to 7 Job Opportunities: I’ve set up a page on my Assembly website for job announcements and listings that we’ll update periodically. If you know of any job listings, send my office a note. Capital District Assembly Update: Tune in every Tuesday at 5 p.m. on Channel 17 (for Time Warner Cable subscribers) for the next episode of Capital District Assembly Update, co-hosted by Assemblymember McDonald and me. You can also previous episodes and clips on my Assembly website. As always, for the latest about my office’s happenings or for upcoming events, please visit my office online, on Facebook, on Twitter, or my Times Union blog. If you would like to reach my office, please feel free to send us a note. Sincerely --- Pat