Dutchess lawmakers call for state crude oil spill study

POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County legislators will vote Monday night on a resolution asking the state Department of Environmental Conservation to conduct a study of the potential impacts of a crude oil spill in or near the Hudson River.
If approved by the full county legislature, the resolution would request that the DEC complete a full environmental impact study related to a crude oil spill in or near the river.
There have been increased shipments of crude by rail and barge.
In January of last year, the governor issued an executive order directing state agencies to perform a review of “safety procedures and emergency response preparedness related to rail and water shipments” of crude oil.
On average, two crude oil freight trains travel through Ulster County per day, and each day one barge passes along the Hudson River between Dutchess and Ulster, carrying more than four million gallons of oil.