ALBANY – The State Department of Environmental Conservation and
New York State Thruway Authority are going to jointly conduct an environmental
impact review of the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline that would run from Albany
to Linden, New Jersey.
Pilgrim Transportation of New York would like to construct two buried,
parallel lines, one to carry crude oil southbound from Albany and the
second parallel mainline to carry refined petroleum products – gasoline,
diesel, heating oil and kerosene – northbound from Linden.
A little over 116 miles of the 170-mile lines would run through New York
with 79 percent of that running along the Thruway’s right-of-way.
The pipelines would be located in Albany, Rensselaer, Greene, Ulster,
Orange and Rockland counties.
The state agencies have determined that there is a potential for significant
adverse impacts associated with the construction, operation and maintenance
of the pipeline.
Conor Bambrick, air and energy director for Environmental Advocates of
New York said that as a matter of law, the state needs to conduct the
review. He said even though the governor wants to move the state completely
away from fossil fuels by 2050, the Pilgrim Pipeline company is “intent
on remaking Albany into ‘Oilbany,’ and continue to push a
project that communities along the route have rejected and that is completely
out of line with New York’s cleaner, healthier future.”
