Albany South End Community Air

Quality Screening
NewYorkState
DepartmentofEnvironmentalConservation

DivisionofAirResources
August14,2014

Inresponsetocommunityairqualityconcerns,theNewYorkStateDepartmentofEnvironmental
ConservationmetwithAlbanySouthEndcommunityleadersonseveraloccasionsanddevelopedanair
screeningplanfortheirneighborhood.TheairqualityanalysisconductedbyNYSDECsDivisionofAir
Resourcesfoundnounusualresultsinthiscommunity.

Page1

Executive Summary
ResidentslivingnearthePortofAlbany,intheAlbanySouthEndcommunity,havevoicedconcernabout
potentialairqualityimpactsduetothemovementandstorageofcrudeoilinthearea.Residentsasked
theNewYorkStateDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservation(NYSDEC)toperformasurveyofair
qualityintheareaandNYSDECagreedtoconductairsampling.
NYSDECstaffmetwithresidentsinthecommunityanddesignedashorttermairqualitysurveyto
addressthecommunitysconcerns.NYSDECstaffexplainedthattheareahasmanysourcesofair
contaminantsincludingthosefromtheKenwoodrailyardaswellasfrommanufacturingsources,
industry,localresidentialandcommercialspaceheatingandfrommobilesourcesonnearbyInterstate
787andotherroadways.Thescopeofthesurveyislimitedandwasntdesignedtousethedatafor
enforcementorcompliancepurposes,orforidentifyingsourcespecificambientaircontributions.
NYSDECplannedtocomparetheresultstoapplicablehealthbasedairconcentrationvaluesand,if
unusualvalueswerefound,wouldconsiderfollowupactivitiesatspecificfacilitiesoradditionalair
qualitymonitoring.
Thedesignofthesurveyincluded1hoursamplescollectedsimultaneouslyatthreelocationsinthe
AlbanySouthEndcommunityonfiveseparatedays.Inaddition,acommunityvolunteercollecteda
sampleonsixdays.WhileNYSDECcollectedsampleswhenmeteorologicalconditionsfavored
potentiallyhighaircontaminantconcentrations,thesamplescollectedbythecommunityvolunteer
targetedinstancesofpubliccomplaintsandodorepisodes.
NYSDECslaboratoryanalyzedallsamplesforasuiteofaircontaminantsknownasVolatileOrganic
Compounds(VOCs).Thesetypesofaircontaminantsvolatilizereadilyintotheatmosphereandarepart
ofthecompositionofcrudeoilandpetroleumproducts.Additionally,NYSDECanalyzedthesamplesfor
specificlightweightalkaneswhichhavebeenidentifiedascomponentsofcrudeoiloriginatingfromthe
NorthDakotaandSaskatchewanBakkenformation.
1

NYSDECsurveyfoundtheconcentrationsforVOCsandlightweightalkanesfromallofthesamplesare
belowNYSDECsshorttermhealthbasedairconcentrationvaluesandmostarebelowthelongterm
healthbasedairconcentrationvalues.Additionally,theresultsaresimilartoconcentrationsroutinely
foundatotherlocationsintheState.
InMay,theU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(USEPA)collectedairsamplesonsiteattheGlobaland
BuckeyepetroleumstorageandtransferterminalsandoneairsampleintheAlbanySouthEnd
neighborhood.USEPAcollectedshortdurationairsamples,approximately20seconds,withsimilar
equipmenttowhatNYSDECusedinitssamplecollection.USEPAevaluatedtheairsamplesfor79
individualconstituents,includingVOCsthatarepartofthecompositionofcrudeoilandlightweight

1
Safety debate eyes taming Bakken Crude before it hits rails. Thomas Reuters news, posted May 12, 2014.
Available online at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/12/us-davegrailways-safety-crude-analysis-
idUSKBN0DS18620140512. Accessed 7/2/2014.

Page2

alkanes.Fortheneighborhoodsample,theconstituentscommonlyfoundincrudeoilandpetroleum
productswerefoundtobesimilartoconcentrationsinthisscreeningassessmentandconcentrations
routinelyfoundatotherlocationsintheState.
TheanalysisoftheNYSDECsimultaneoussamplesdidrevealalocalimpactthatindicatedthepresence
ofanearbysourceorsourcesofairtoxicsasrepresentedbybenzene.Howeverthecontributionof
benzenefromthesespecificlocalsourceswerelessthanthecontributionfromallsurroundingsources
asawhole.
Inconclusion,NYSDECslimitedshorttermscreeningassessmentidentifiedthepresenceofevaporative
emissionsinthecommunitymostlikelyattributableinparttothenearbyoperationsatthePortof
Albany.However,noneoftheconcentrationsoftoxicaircontaminantsareconsideredtobeof
immediatepublichealthconcernandallconcentrationsaresimilartowhatismeasuredinother
locationsoftheState.
Background
Community Concerns
ResidentslivingnearthePortofAlbany,intheAlbanySouthEndcommunity,havevoicedconcernabout
potentialairqualityimpactsduetothemovementandstorageofcrudeoilinthearea.Theproduction
ofcrudeoilfromtheBakkenformationinNorthDakotaandSaskatchewanhascreatedaneedforrail
transportationofcrudeoiltoseaportswhereitcanbetransportedtorefineriesontheeastcoast.The
GlobalandBuckeyepetroleumstorageandtransferterminalsinthePortofAlbanyusetheirfacilitiesto
unloadcrudeoilfromrailcars,storeitintanks,andloaditontobarges,forshipmentdowntheHudson
River.Thesetwofacilitiesalsostoreandtransferotherpetroleumproducts,e.g.gasolineandfueloil.
NYSDECissuespermitstofacilityownerswhoseoperationstriggerapplicableregulationsforthestorage
anddistributionofpetroleumproducts.TheseStateandfederalregulationsaredesignedtoensure
potentialemissionsofaircontaminantsdonotadverselyimpactthearea.Majoroilstoragefacilities
alsoarerequiredbyStateregulationstoobtainalicensetooperate,andmustemployequipmentand
procedurestopreventspills,providesecondarycontainmenttocapturespills,employequipmentand
procedurestodetectleaks,andregularlyinspectthefacilitytoensurethatequipmentisingood
operatingorder.NYSDEChasnojurisdictionoverthemeansandmethodsoftransportationtoandfrom
thefacilities,includingthetrains,trucksandbarges.TheU.S.DepartmentofTransportation(theFederal
RailroadAdministrationandthePipelineandHazardousMaterialsSafetyAdministration)implements
regulationstargetinglocomotiveemissionsandthesafemovementofrailcars.TheNewYorkState
DepartmentofTransportation(NYSDOT)alsoregulatestracksafetyinNewYork.
ConcernedresidentsaskedNYSDECtoperformasurveyofairqualityintheirneighborhood.

Page3

Community Description
ThesamplingareaincludestheneighborhoodsofAlbanySouthEnd,MountHopeandKrankPark
CherryHill.
2
Allthreeneighborhoodsareconsideredpotentialenvironmentaljusticeareasfollowing
NYSDECsguidanceforidentifyingtheseareas.
3
TheseneighborhoodslieadjacenttoInterstate787
whichisthemainhighwayfortravelintoandoutofdowntownAlbany.ThestretchofInterstate787
thatcrossesSouthPearlStreethasanannualaveragedailytrafficcountof58,172vehicles.
4

TheareaisamixtureofindustrialusesinthePortofAlbanyandwestandnorthofthePortare
residences,commercialentitiesandsmallbusinesses.Interspersedinthecommunityareparksand
communityservicefacilities(e.g.,schools,churches,historicproperties).Thereareafewsolidwaste
managementoperationslocatedinthePortsuchasasolidwastetransferstation,aconstructionand
demolitiondebrisprocessingoperationandarecyclableshandlingandrecoveryfacility.Therearefive
majoroilstoragefacilitiesontheAlbanysideoftheHudsonRiverandsevenontheRensselaersideof
theriver.ThefacilityclosesttotheAlbanySouthEndneighborhoodistheGlobalCompaniesLLCfacility.
Twofacilities(GlobalCompaniesLLCandBuckeyeAlbanyTerminalLLC)inthePorthavethemost
comprehensivelevelofairpermitting,aTitleVpermit.
5
Intermsofairpermitting,otherfacilities
(asphalt,flourmillingandwastewatertreatment)oroperationsintheareaholdaRegistrationpermitor
CertificatetoOperate.TheoperationsatthePortofAlbanyalsoincludealargerailyard.
Thepopulationdensityfortheareais2,750peoplepersquaremile.
6
Forthepurposeofcomparisonto
otherairmonitoringlocationsintheState,theareawillbecharacterizedasurban.
7,8
Mostpeople,
28.5%areemployedinthesectorsofeducationalservices,healthcareandsocialassistance.Retail
tradeemploys15.7%.Thethirdlargestsector,consideredotherservices
9
(notclassifiedelsewhere),
employs10.1%.
10

2
For ease of discussion, the area will be referenced as Albany South End.
3
NYSDEC Environmental J ustice Policy CP-29, March 19, 2003. The guidance can be found here:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/911.html.
4
New York State Department of Transportation, 2012 Traffic Volume Report. The section of Interstate-787
referenced is noted by marker: 787I11011016.
5
To learn more about the permitting of facilities by NYSDEC, read The Development of the State Program in
Appendix A Controlling Sources of Toxic Air Contaminants.
6
Estimates from census tract 36001002600 were used, based on 2010 census data.
7
Comparison to other locations in the State can be found in the Results section.
8
The US Census has formal criteria for selecting urban and rural locations. In general, the Census classifies areas
with more than 500 persons per square mile as an urban location. Federal Register, Vol. 76, No. 164, Department of
Commerce, Urban Area Criteria for the 2010 Census. August 24, 2011
9
Example services in this category include equipment and machinery repairing, promoting or administering
religious activities, grant making, advocacy, and providing dry cleaning and laundry services, personal care services,
death care services, pet care services and photofinishing services.
10
U.S. Census Bureau Selected Economic Characteristics, 2006 2010 American Community Survey 5-Year
Estimates. Accessed online 10/1/2012 at :
http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/searchresults.xhtml?refresh=t

Page4

Community Meetings
OnMarch21,2014,NYSDECmetwithmembersofthecommunityandstafffromtheAlbanyCounty
HealthDepartmenttobegindiscussionsaboutairsamplingintheAlbanySouthEndcommunity.
Discussionsfocusedontheselectionofaircontaminantsforanalysisandlocationsforsampling.The
communityandDr.DavidCarpenter
11
raisedconcernsaboutambientconcentrationsofhydrogensulfide
andformaldehyde.Additionally,thecommunityaskedforsamplingequipmenttoobtainitsownsample
followingtheprotocolofNYSDECsCommunityAirScreen(CAS)Program.
12
Overthenextmonth,
NYSDECstaffcontinueddiscussionswithstakeholdersonthescreeningplan.
OnApril29,2014,NYSDECstaffpresentedandreceivedinputonthedraftAlbanySouthEndCommunity
AirQualityScreeningplanatacommunitymeetingintheEzraPrenticeHomes.Inadditionto
communitymembersandotherstakeholders,stafffromtheAlbanyCountyHealthDepartment
attended.Thescreeningplandocumentedtheselectionofaircontaminantsandthethree
neighborhoodsamplelocations.Italsodetailedthedeploymentofsamplingequipmenttobeusedat
thecommunitysdiscretionwiththegoalofsamplingduringperiodsofconcernsuchasodorepisodes.
Includedinthescreeningplanwasinformationonhowthesampleresultswouldbeinterpretedandthe
limitationsanduncertaintiesofthistypeofshorttermsamplecollection.Finally,thescreeningplan
emphasizedthattheinitialfocuswillscreencurrentlocalairqualityfromexistingsources.
Duringthecommunitymeeting,NYSDECstaffannouncedtheirintenttoperformbaseline
measurementsofhydrogensulfideandformaldehyde.Staffemphasizedthatthiseffortwouldbe
consideredseparatefromthecommunityairscreensincedelayswithequipmentpurchasingmaydeter
thestartoftheairscreening.Itwasagreedthattheinformationcollectedonthesetwocontaminants
maybehelpfultodetermineifpotentialchangesincrudeoilcompositionhaveameasurableimpacton
ambientconcentrations.
ThedraftscreeningplanbecamefinalandstaffbegancollectingsamplesonMay8.Thecommunity
obtaineditsfirstsampleonApril28.

11
Dr. Carpenter expressed concern that hydrogen sulfide and formaldehyde were present in high concentrations
during the extraction of crude oil. He asked NYSDEC to monitor current, local concentrations of these two air
contaminants.
12
For more information about the Community Air Screen Program, visit: http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/81629.html

Page5

NYSDEC and Community Sampling

Selection of Air Contaminants
NYSDECmetwithresidentsfromtheAlbanySouthEndcommunityonseveraloccasionstoobtaintheir
inputduringdevelopmentofthecommunityairqualityscreeningplan.Residentsintheareaspecifically
askedthatsamplingeffortsfocusonthecrudeoilhandlingoperationsatthePortofAlbany.NYSDEC
selectedspecificaircontaminantsthatareknownasVolatileOrganicCompounds(VOCs).Thesetypes
ofaircontaminantsvolatilizereadilyintotheatmosphereandareconstituentsofcrudeoil.VOCsare
commonlyfoundinairthroughouttheStatebecausetheyarereleasedfrommanysourcessuchas
industrialsources,motorvehiclesandresidentialspaceheating.SincetherearemanysourcesofVOCs,
itwasanticipatedthatthesecompoundswouldbedetectedinallsamplescollected.
InadditiontoVOCs,NYSDECconsideredairmonitoringforfineparticulatematter
13
(PM
2.5
)but
determineditwasunwarrantedasNYSDECcurrentlymonitorsforPM
2.5
intheneighborhoodatthe
AlbanyCountyHealthDepartment(175GreenStreet).ThismonitorshowsthatthePM
2.5
concentrationsintheareaarebelowhealthbasedNationalAmbientAirQualityStandards(NAAQS)and
lowerincomparisontootherurbanareasintheState,seeFigure1.

13
These particles are less than 2.5 microns in diameter. By comparison, human hair diameters range from 40 to 120
microns.

Page6

Albany(Urban)
WhitefaceMountain
(Rural)
Bronx(Urban)
StatewideAverage
1997NAAQS
2012NAAQS
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
C
o
n
c
e
n
t
r
a
t
i
o
n

g
/
m
3
)
PM
2.5
AnnualAverage
Figure1.AnnualAveragePM
2.5
ConcentrationsfromAlbanyandOtherRepresentativeMonitors
Selection of LightWeight Alkanes
InadditiontoVOCs,NYSDECincludedanalysisofspecificlightweightalkanesthathavebeenidentified
ascomponentsofcrudeoiloriginatingfromtheBakkenformation.
14
Thesecompoundsaresometimes
referredtoasnaturalgasliquids(NGLs)andpotentiallyincreasetheflammabilityofcrudeoil.Thelight
weightalkanes
15
evaluatedinthisscreeningassessmentwerebutane,hexane,isobutane,isopentane,
pentaneandpropane.Atambienttemperatureandpressure,thoseintheliquidstatereadily
volatilize.
16
Recentconcernoverthevolatilityandflammabilityofcrudeoilhasledtothereportingof
lightweightalkanesbysomecompaniestransportingcrudeoilbyrail.
17
Thisinformationandother

14
Safety debate eyes taming Bakken Crude before it hits rails. Thomas Reuters news, posted May 12, 2014.
Available online at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/12/us-davegrailways-safety-crude-analysis-
idUSKBN0DS18620140512. Accessed 7/2/2014.
15
Alkanes are composed exclusively of carbon and hydrogen atoms. NGLs are sometimes called light ends
because they are lower weight alkanes, comprised of two-five carbon alkanes.
16
Butane, isobutane and propane are gases at ambient temperature and pressure.
17
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Call to Action lists companies which have
voluntarily submitted testing data to the US Department of Transportation. The information shared consists of data
gathered from samples of petroleum crude oil from the Bakken region. Among the parameters tested is information

Page7

parametersareusedtoclassifycrudeoilduringrailtransporttoensurethattheappropriatehazard
classificationhasbeenplacedonrailcars.
18
Alkanesingeneral,andinparticularlightweightalkanes,are
notconsideredtobetoxicinconcentrationsfoundinambientairbuttheyareanairqualityconcern
becausetheycontributetoozoneformation.NYSDECmonitorsfortheseozoneprecursorstoevaluate
andmodifycontrolstrategiesforsources.
19

Lightweightalkaneswereincludedinthisscreeningassessmenttoprovideanevaluationof
constituentsofBakkencrudeoilandtoassesstheirrelativeimpactsonthecommunity.Althoughthis
screeningassessmentcannotbeusedtoidentifysourcespecificambientairimpactcontributions,the
concentrationsofthelightweightalkanescanbeusedtohelpdifferentiatetheimpactofsource
categoriesintheareaincludingevaporativeemissionsfromoilhandlingfacilitiesandtheemissionsfrom
vehiclesonInterstate787andotherlocalroadways.
Sampling Locations
NYSDECworkedwithcommunityresidentstofindsuitablesamplinglocations.Factorsconsidered
includedproximityofresidentstothenearbycrudeoilstorageandtransferfacilities(Globaland
Buckeyeterminals),locationofothersources(suchasInterstate787),localmeteorologicalconditions
andpubliclyaccessiblelocations(suchasparksandplaygrounds).Windsarepredominantlyfromthe
south.Withtheseconsiderationsinmind,NYSDECselectedthreesuitablelocationsasshownin
Figure2.
TheplaygroundintheEzraPrenticeHousingComplexrepresentstheclosestresidencestothecrudeoil
storageandtransferoperations.KrankParkinCherryHillislocatednearanelementaryschool.
Collectionofsamplesatthislocationprovidedairscreeninginformationincloseproximitytoanarea
wherechildrenspendtimeoutdoors.AnopenlotatthecornerofGansevoortandFranklinStreetswas
selectedasitisoftendirectlydownwindofthestorageandtransferoperations.
Thecommunitycollectedsixsamplesinvariousneighborhoodlocations.Theprimarytargetforsample
collectionwasdetectionofpetroleumodorsintheneighborhood.Communityresidentsnotifiedthe
communitysvolunteersamplerduringodorepisodesandhecollectedasample.Intheabsenceof
odors,favorablemeteorologicalconditionssuchaslightwindsfromtheeastandsouthandwarm
temperaturesdeterminedthesuitabilityofconditionsforsamplecollection.

on the chemical breakdown of light ends. PHMSA, Call to Action, available online at:
http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/osd/calltoaction. Accessed 7/2/14.
18
United States Department of Transportation. Docket No. DOT_OST-2014-0025. Amended and Restated
Emergency Restriction/Prohibition Order. March 6, 2014. Anthony R. Fox, Secretary of Transportation.
19
More information about NYSDECs Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations monitoring can be found in
the 2014 Monitoring Network Plan which is available online at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/54358.html.

Page8

Meteorological Information
NYSDECestablishedatemporarymeteorologicalmonitoringsiteattheAlbanyWastewatertreatment
plantonChurchStreet.Theportable10metertowerwaslocatedlessthan100metersfromthe
southernedgeoftheGlobalfacilitypropertyline.AClimatronicsAllinOneSensor(SerialNumber678)
collectedthedatawithintheperiodinwhichthesensorwascertifiedforusebythemanufacturer.
Therelevantmeteorologicalconditionsduringeachofthe11samplingeventsareshowninTable1.
Windroseplotsillustratingthewinddirectionandspeedforthe1hoursamplescollectedbythe
communityandNYSDECareshowninAppendixB.
Figure2.MapofNYSDECSamplingLocationsandexistingPM
2.5
Monitor

Page9

Table1.MeteorologicalConditionsduringCommunityandNYSDECSamplingPeriods(1hour)
Date StartTime
Temp(degrees
Fahrenheit)
Humidity(%) WindDirection
a
WindSpeed
(milesperhour)
28Apr14 2:50PM 60 38 East 7.6
8May14 1:50PM 69 53 South 8.0
10May14 11:43AM 75 68 South 6.0
12May14 10:00AM 77 28 South 4.9
20May14 2:59PM 74 29 East 4.6
21May14 11:00AM 74 27 Southsouthwest 6.7
29May14 2:00PM 70 41 Southsoutheast 5.5
29May14 3:28PM 70 40 South 6.3
2Jun14 8:10AM 68 56 South 6.2
17Jun14 3:05PM 88 49 South 6.0
6Jul14 4:29PM 85 40 South 5.2
a
Directionwindisblowingfrom.

Forallsamplingevents,windsfromthesouthoreastwerepresentwhichplacedmostofthesampling
locationsdownwindfromthesourcesofinterestinthePortofAlbany.Inadditiontofavorablewind
direction,periodsoflowtomoderatewindspeedsalsowerepresent.Duringsevensamplingevents,the
averagetemperatureduringthehourofsamplingwashigherthannormalexpectedtemperaturesbased
onhistoricaldataasshowninFigure3.

Page10

Figure3.TemperaturesforAlbany,NYandObservedTemperaturesfromMeteorologicalStationin
PortofAlbany.
20

20
Data source, National Weather Service from meteorological station at the Albany Airport. The daily normal and
record temperatures calculated from 1981 to 2010 observations.

Page11

Figure4.LocationsforSamplesCollectedbytheCommunity,NYSDECandU.S.Environmental
ProtectionAgency

Page12

Sample Collection
NYSDECandthecommunityvolunteercollectedsamplesbetweenApril28andJuly6,2014.NYSDEC
selectedthistimeperiodbecausethecommunityrequestedthatsamplingbeginasearlyaspossiblebut
alsorequestedthatsamplingoccurinthesummerwhenevaporativeemissionsarehigher.Allair
sampleswerecollectedfor1hourusinganevacuated6literSUMMAcanisterwithacalibrated,flow
controlledinlet.
NYSDECcollectedthreesamplessimultaneouslyforanhour.Thepurposeforsimultaneouscollections
wastoattempttodistinguishbetweensourcesclosetotheneighborhoodversuscitywidesources.
Sampledatesandtimesweredeterminedbasedonmeteorologicalforecastsforrain,temperature,and
windspeedanddirection.WorkingwithmeteorologicalstaffatNYSDEC,forecastsforconditions
includinghightemperatures,lowwindspeedsandwindsfromthesouthandsoutheastweretargeted
forsamplecollection.ThelastsamplecollectedbyNYSDEConJune2targetedtheemissionsfrom
morningrushhouronInterstate787andotherlocalroadways.
Thecommunityvolunteercollectedsixairsamples,fromlateApriltoearlyJuly,withthesame
equipmentusedbyNYSDECstafftocollectsamples.ThelocationsforthesamplesareshowninFigure
4.ThecommunitysampleswereobtainedinpubliclyaccessiblelocationsnearthePortofAlbany
operationstargetingodorepisodesorfavorablemeteorologicalconditions.Thenumberofodor
episodesexperiencedduringthesamplingperiodwasfewerthananticipated,andonlythreeofsix
sampleswerecollectedwhenodorswerepresent.Thelastsample,takenonJuly6duringanodor
episode,wascollectedatGansevoortandFranklinStreetswherethecommunityrepresentative
determinedthatodorsweremostpronouncedafterinvestigatingotherlocationsintheneighborhood.
Duringsamplecollection,bothstaffandthecommunityvolunteerfollowedidenticalprotocolsand
completedafieldlogthatdocumentedachainofcustodyforthesamplingcanisterandrecorded
informationonsamplinglocation,pressuregaugereadings,samplingtimeandweatherconditions.
Noticeableactivitiesatthesamplelocationthatmightinfluencethecollectedsamplewererecorded
alongwiththepresenceorabsenceofodors.Additionalinformationaboutpotentialnontargetsources
wasrecordedonthefieldlog,suchasnearbyconstructionequipmentandidlingvehicles.Allfieldlogs
areincludedinAppendixC.
21

Whenpossible,photosoftheKenwoodrailyardwereobtainedfromNYSDOTstrafficmonitoring
camerasduringtheperiodofsamplecollection.NYSDOToperatesanetworkofcamerasalongcertain
roadwaystomonitorandcollectinformationontrafficconditions.
22
Theviewofthecameraalong
Interstate787atthePortofAlbanyexit,althoughfocusedonhighwaytraffic,doesincludeaportionof
theKenwoodrailyard.AsshowninAppendixD,duringsamplingonMay12,May21andMay29,many
railcarswerepresentintheyard.SamplingonJune2tookplaceduringthemorningcommuteandthe
heaviertrafficintoAlbanyisnoticeableintheimageforthatdate.

21
Personal information has been removed from the field logs.
22
NYSDOT does not maintain historical images of traffic from these cameras.

Page13

NYSDECbaseddatesandtimesforsamplecollectionsoninformationandcriteriatopredictwhenVOC
concentrationswereexpectedtobehighestinthecommunity.Noinformationwasavailable
concerningtheactualloadingandunloadingactivitiesatthecrudeoilhandlingoperationsforthe
samplecollectionperiods.Additionally,thedatesandtimesforthesamplecollectionswerenot
providedtothecrudeoilhandlingfacilitiesbeforethesampleswerecollected.
Sample Analysis
Aftereachsamplecollection,allcanisterswerereturnedtoNYSDECsBureauofAirQualitySurveillance
laboratoryforanalysisusinggaschromatography/massspectrometry(GC/MS).
NYSDECanalyzedthecanistersfor43targetcompounds(showninTable2)byUSEPAsmethodTO15.
ThesecompoundsareconsistentwiththelistofcompoundsreportedbyNYSDECsAirToxicsMonitoring
Network.Theanalyticalprocessisbrieflydescribedasfollows:Aportionoftheairsampleistakenfrom
thecanisteratacontrolledflowandtemperaturebyanEntechModel7100Apreconcentrator,adevice
designedtotakeadilutetraceofasampleandconcentrateit.Thistracesampleissubsequently
injectedintoaVarianSaturnGC/MS.
Table2.USEPATO15Compounds
Chemical
CAS#
a
112(k)
b

1,1,1Trichloroethane 71556
1,1,2,2Tetrachloroethane 79345 X
1,1,2Trichloroethane 79005
1,1Dichloroethane 75343
1,1Dichloroethylene 75354
1,2,4Trichlorobenzene 120821
1,2,4Trimethylbenzene 95636
1,2Dibromoethane 106934
1,2Dichlorobenzene 95501
1,2Dichloroethane 107062 X
1,2Dichloropropane 78875 X
1,3,5Trimethylbenzene 108678
1,3Butadiene 106990 X
1,3Dichlorobenzene 541731
1,4Dichlorobenzene 106467
aChlorotoluene 100447
Benzene 71432 X
Bromodichloromethane 75274
Bromomethane 74839
Carbondisulfide 75150
Carbontetrachloride 56235 X
Chlorobenzene 108907
Chloroethane 75003

Page14

Chemical
CAS#
a
112(k)
b

Chloroform 67663 X
Chloromethane 74873
cis1,3Dichloropropylene 542756
Dichlorodifluoromethane 75718
Dichloromethane 75092 X
Dichlorotetrafluoroethane 76142
Ethylbenzene 100414
Hexachloro1,3butadiene 87683
m,pXylene 1330207
Methyltertbutylether 1634044
oXylene 95476
Styrene 100425
Tetrachloroethylene(perchloroethylene) 127184 X
Toluene 108883
trans1,2Dichloroethylene 156605
trans1,3Dichloropropylene 542756
Trichloroethylene 79016 X
Trichlorofluoromethane 75694
Trichlorotrifluoroethane 76131
Vinylchloride 75014 X
a
CAS#chemicalabstractnumberisauniqueregistrynumberassignedtoeachchemical.
b
Theseareamongthe33priorityhazardousairpollutantslistedinSection112(k)ofthe
1990CleanAirAct.ThesepollutantshavebeenidentifiedbyUSEPAasposingthe
greatestthreattopublichealthinurbanareas.

Laboratory and Field Quality Assurance and Quality Control

NYSDECslaboratoryparticipatesinUSEPA'sNationalAirToxicsTrendsStationprogramandfollowsthe
guidelinesoutlinedintheTechnicalAssistanceDocument
23
forqualityassuranceevaluations.
Additionally,USEPAsponsoredexternalperformanceevaluationsareperformedtwiceayear.NYSDEC
includedacollocatedsamplecollectionandreplicateanalysesoftwosamplestoprovidea
demonstrationthatqualityassuranceprocedureswereadequateforthisstudy.
Precisionreferstoagreementbetweenindependentmeasurementsperformedaccordingtoidentical
protocolsandproceduresandappliestobothsamplecollectionandlaboratoryanalysis.Toevaluate
laboratoryprecision,everytenthsamplecollectedwasanalyzedtwice.Thefirstanalysisislabeled
primaryandthesubsequentanalysisofthissampleisareplicate.Toevaluateoverallsample
precision,whichincludescollectionandlaboratoryanalysis,asecondSUMMAcanistersamplewas

23
United States Environmental Protection Agency 2007a. Technical Assistance Document for the National Ambient
Air Toxics Trends and Assessment Program. Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (C304-06), February 28,
2007.

Page15

collectedineverytensamples.Thesecondsample(calledcollocated)washandledbyfieldand
laboratorypersonnelusingthesameequipmentandprotocolsastheprimarysample.Boththe
laboratoryandsampleprecisionmeasurementsareevaluatedbycalculatingapercentdifference
24
for
resultsobtainedatconcentrationsgreaterthanfivetimesthemethoddetectionlimit.Comparisons
within+/25%percentdifferenceareconsideredacceptable.
NYSDECpreparedtwolaboratoryreplicatesoverthecourseofanalyzingthesamples.Thefirstreplicate
waspreparedfromthesamplecollectedbyNYSDECstaffonMay21attheEzraPrenticePlayground
site.ThesecondreplicatewaspreparedfromtheJune2samplecollectedbyNYSDECstaffat
GansevoortandFranklinStreets.NYSDECstaffcollectedonecollocatedsampleonMay21attheEzra
PrenticePlaygroundsite.ThethreeevaluationsareshowninAppendixE.Theacceptancethresholdfor
precisionwasdemonstratedacrossallanalysisrunsasshownintheTable1.
Interferencewasevaluatedbothinthelaboratoryandinthefield.Laboratoryinterference(the
possibilityofcontaminationduetolaboratoryhandling)ischeckedbyanalyzingoneblankcanisterevery
tensamples.Fieldinterferencewasassessedbycomparingthepressurereadingofthecanisteras
recordedonthefieldlog.Apressurecheckverificationisperformedoneachcanisterreturnedtothe
laboratorypriortolaboratoryanalysis.Ifthepressuredoesnotmatchtherecordedvalueonthefield
log,thenairhasenteredthecanisteraftersamplecollectionandthesamplecannotbeconsideredvalid.
Allsamplesmetthecriteriaforinterferencechecks.
USEPA Sample Collection
OnMay6,8and9,2014,USEPAsAirEnforcementDivisioncollectedfourairsamplesonsiteatthe
GlobalandtheBuckeyeAlbanyTerminalslocatedinthePortofAlbanyandoneneighborhoodair
sampleintheSouthEndNeighborhood.AllUSEPAairsampleswereshortdurationcollections,
approximately20seconds,andwerecollectedusing6literSUMMAcanisters.Twoairsampleswere
collectedinsidecrudeoilstoragetanks(vaporspaceabovetheinternalfloatingroof),insideTank32at
Buckeye(May8)andinsideTank31(May6)atGlobal.USEPAcollectedsamplesinsertingan18inch
probethroughaminimallyopenedroofhatch.Atthetimeofsampling,theBuckeyetankwasbeing
filledwithBakkencrudeoil.
Twosampleswerecollected(May6)atgroundlevelnearthecontainmentdikewallsoutsideofTanks
32and39attheGlobalTerminal.AhandheldPhotoionizationDetector(PID)
25
wasusedtolocatethe
areawiththehighestconcentrationoftotalVOCsoutsideofeachtank.ThetotalVOCreadingsranged
from8to30partsperbillion(ppb).Whenreadingswereatthehighestlevel,anairsamplewas
collectedwithacanister.

24
Percent difference is the difference between two measurements divided by the average, expressed as a percent.
25
A Photoionization Detector was used, capable of detecting total VOCs in the range of parts per billion by volume
level. The instrument is an IonScience Phocheck Tiger calibrated with 10 parts per million isobutylene. This
instrument is not as selective as gas chromatography used to analyze the samples collected by the SUMMA canisters
and therefore, is generally not used to report individual VOCs.

Page16

USEPAcollectedonecommunitysampleonMay9,onSouthPearlStreet.Atthetimeofsampling,9:16
AM,thewindswerefromthesouthsoutheastat8.8milesperhour.ThetrafficwasmoderateonSouth
PearlStreetandthetotalVOClevelwas10ppbfromthePIDreading.AllUSEPAsamplelocationsare
showninFigure4.
USEPAevaluatedtheairsamplesfor79individualconstituents.
26
Forthisreport,onlyUSEPAs
neighborhoodairsampleandanalytesconsideredasconstituentsofcrudeoilandincommonwith
NYSDECssamplingwillbediscussed.
27
AllresultscanbefoundinAppendixF,Table1.
28

Interpretation of Results
NYSDECcomparedtheairsampleresultstohealthbasedconcentrationvaluesestablishedbyNYSDEC.
First,NYSDECcomparedthemeasuredairconcentrationstoshorttermhealthbasedairconcentration
valuestoassesswhethertheresultswereofimmediatepublichealthconcern.Second,NYSDEC
comparedtheresultstolongtermhealthbasedairconcentrationvaluestoevaluatetheneedfor
followupactivitiessuchaslongertermsamplingand/orenhancedfacilityinspections.Boththeshort
termandlongtermairconcentrationvaluesarediscussedfurtherbelow.Next,NYSDECcomparedthe
airsampleresultstoambientairmonitoringconcentrationsfromNYSDECsairtoxicsmonitoring
network,sincemanyoftheVOCsassessedarefrequentlydetectedatotherlocationsintheState.This
comparisonevaluateswhetherthesamplingresultsfromthisscreeningaredifferentfromair
monitoringconcentrationsatotherlocationsintheState.Finally,NYSDECcomparedtheresultsto
screeningresultsfromNYSDECsCommunityAirScreen(CAS)program.CASisacommunitybased
programthatworkswithvolunteersfromlocalcommunitiestoscreenfortoxicaircontaminants.CAS
samplesalsowerecollectedovera1hourtimeframe.
WhatfollowsareexplanationsofNYSDECshealthbasedairconcentrationvaluesandadescriptionof
NYSDECsairtoxicsmonitoringnetworkandCASprogram.
NYSDEC's Healthbased Concentration Values
Manyorganizationsandagenciesderiveexposurelimitstoprotectworkersorthegeneralpublicfrom
adverseexposurestoaircontaminants.Eachoneoftheseexposurelimitsrequiresextensiveresearch
anddevelopmenttime.Assuch,NYSDECestablishesbothshorttermandlongtermairconcentration
valuesbyadoptingthemostconservativehealthbasedairconcentrationvaluesdevelopedbyothers,
suchastheUSEPAortheNewYorkStateDepartmentofHealth(NYSDOH).Forcontaminantswherean
exposurelimitforthegeneralpublichasnotbeendeveloped,NYSDECderivedahealthbasedair
concentrationvalue.NYSDECusesthesevaluesaspartofitsstrategytodeterminethedegreeof

26
The samples were analyzed for the suite of compounds reported by the network of photochemical assessment
monitoring for ozone precursors.
27
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, butane, ethylbenzene, hexane,
isopentane, isobutene, m,p-xylene, o-xylene, pentane, propane, styrene and toluene.
28
The results have been provided as received by USEPA in the units of parts per billion-carbon.

Page17

pollutantremovalrequiredforsourcesreleasingaircontaminants.Thesehealthbasedair
concentrationvaluesarebeingusedinthisscreeningassessment.
First,NYSDECcomparedthe1hourairsampleresultstoshorttermhealthbasedairconcentration
valuescalledShorttermGuidelineConcentrations(SGCs)todeterminewhethertheresultsrepresentan
immediatepublichealthconcern.NYSDECestablishedSGCstoprotectthegeneralpublicfromadverse
exposuretotoxicaircontaminantsforshorttermexposuresof1hour.Thegeneralpublicincludes
infantsandchildren,andotherindividualswhomaybesusceptible.Examplesofhealthoutcomesfrom
shorttermexposuresmayincludeheadaches,nausea,allergicreactions,asthmaexacerbation,and
irritationtotheeyes,noseandthroat.
Next,forthisscreening,NYSDECcomparedthe1hoursampleresultstolongtermhealthbasedair
concentrationvalueswhicharecalledAnnualGuidelineConcentrations(AGCs).Comparisonofthe
screeningsamplestolongtermvaluesisaconservativeapproachandwasconductedtodeterminethe
needforfollowupactivities.AGCsareambient(foroutdoorair)annualbasedconcentrationsthat
NYSDECderivedtoprotectthepublicshealthfromlongterm(e.g.,continuouslifetime)exposuretoan
aircontaminant.AGCsaregenerallycomparedwithairsamplesobtainedfromafullyearofmonitoring
ordispersionmodelingestimatesforannualaverages.
Therearetwohealthoutcomesfromlongtermexposurescancerandnoncancerendpointssuchas
reproductive,development,respiratoryandcardiovasculareffects.ThenoncancerAGCisderivedfrom
anairconcentrationthatisnotexpectedtocausehealtheffectsduringalifetimeofcontinuous
exposure.TheAGCairconcentrationisoftenmodifiedtobeveryconservativefromthe
experimentalvaluetoaccountforuncertaintiessuchaswhethertheeffectsinanimalscanbeusedto
estimatethelikelihoodofeffectsinhumansandwhethertheeffectsofhighexposureconcentrationsin
humansoranimalscanbeusedtoestimatetheeffectsoflowexposurelevels.Thenoncancerhealth
endpointsgenerallyrequirehigherexposurestoelicitaresponsewhencomparedtocancerhealth
endpoints.
Theotherhealthoutcomepossiblefromlongtermexposureiscancer.CancerAGCsaredefinedas
chemicalconcentrationsinairthatareassociatedwithanestimatedexcesslifetimehumancancerrisk
of1inamillion(1x10
6
).Underthe1990CleanAirAct,theacceptablecancerriskusedbytheUSEPA
tomakeregulatorydecisionsregardingtheneedforfurtherairpollutionreductionsfromsourcesorto
identifysignificantconcernsfromambientmonitoringdatais100inamillion(1x10
4
).Theacceptable
cancerriskusedbyNYSDECsDivisionofAirResourcestomakeregulatorypermittingdecisionsabout
theneedtoconsiderfurtherairpollutioncontrolsforsourcesrangesfrom1inamillionto10ina
million(1x10
5
).ThisismoreconservativethanUSEPAsacceptablelevelofconcern.Theselectionof
anacceptablelevelofconcernisariskmanagementdecision.
29

29
The interpretation of the sample results involves evaluating potential risk from the measured air concentrations.
This process is called risk assessment developing estimates of potential health effects associated with the exposure
of individuals or populations to the measured air concentrations. Risk Management is a distinctly different process

Page18

Theseguidelinevaluesarenotbrightlinesbetweenairconcentrationsthatcausehealtheffectsand
thosethatdonot.TheyarevaluesthatareusedbyNYSDECtoassesstheacceptabilityofproposednew
airpollutionsourcesduringthepermittingprocess,andarealsousedtoevaluatetheresultsofambient
airmonitoringstudiesthatmeasuretheimpactsofnumeroussourcesofairpollutioninanarea.The
purposeoftheguidelineistohelpguidedecisionsaboutreducingcommunityexposuretoairpollution.
MoreinformationaboutcontrollingairpollutionsourcesandthederivationofAGCsfromcancerand
noncancerendpointscanbefoundinControllingSourcesofToxicAirContaminants,AppendixA.
NYSDEC's Air Toxics Monitoring Network
NYSDEChasoperatedanairtoxicsmonitoringnetworkacrosstheStatesince1990.Thepurposeofthe
ambientairtoxicsmonitoringnetworkistosupportNYSDECseffortstoreducehumanexposureand
healthrisksfromtoxicaircontaminants,commonlyreferredtoasairtoxics.NYSDECestablishedthe
networktosupportfourmajorobjectives:
Establishtrendsandevaluatetheeffectivenessofairtoxicsemissionsreduction
strategies.
Characterizeambientconcentrations(anddeposition)inlocalareas.Airtoxicsoften
originatefromlocalsourcesandcanconcentrateinrelativelysmallgeographicalareas,
producingthegreatestriskstohumanhealth.
Providedatatosupport,evaluate,andimproveairqualitymodels.Airqualitymodels
areusedtodevelopemissioncontrolstrategies,performexposureassessments,and
assessprogrameffectiveness.
Providedatatosupportscientificstudiestobetterunderstandtherelationshipbetween
ambientairtoxicsconcentrations,humanexposure,andhealtheffectsfromthese
exposures.
NYSDECsairtoxicsmonitoringnetworkisdesignedtomeasureanaverageexposureoverthecourseof
ayear.Samplesarecollectedovera24hourperiod,onaoneinsixdayschedule.In2013,thenetwork
consistedof11monitorsfortoxicaircontaminantslocatedinurban,industrial,residentialandrural
areasoftheState.Inthisscreeningassessment,NYSDECcomparedyear2013airtoxicsmonitoringdata
tothescreeningsampleresultstoprovideaperspectiveonmonitoredconcentrationsobtainedinthese
variouslocationsincomparisontothe1hourresultsobtainedintheAlbanySouthEndcommunity.
Itisgenerallyknownthatareaswithhigherpopulationdensitieshavemoresourcesofairtoxicssuchas
cars,trucks,gasstationsanddrycleaners.NYSDEChasgroupedthemonitorsbylanduseclassification

from risk assessment. Risk managers use the results of the risk assessment to make further decisions such as the
need for more sampling, facility inspections or emission reduction strategies.

Page19

intourban,suburbanandrurallocations.Additionally,monitorssitedtocapturereleasesfromspecific
sourceshavebeengroupedtogether.
NYSDEC's Community Air Screen Program (CAS)
ThroughfundingprovidedbytheUSEPA,NYSDECimplementedacommunitybasedscreeningprogram
(CAS)fortoxicaircontaminants.ThegoaloftheNYSDEC'sCASprogramwastoconductairquality
screeningatthecommunitylevelwiththehelpoflocalcommunitygroupsandinterestedcitizens.
NYSDECprovidedthesamplingequipment,trainedparticipantsonhowtousetheequipmentand
workedwiththecommunitytodeterminethebestlocationandtimeperiodforairsampling.Air
sampleswereanalyzedbyNYSDECslaboratoryforasuiteofVOCsdeterminedbyUSEPAsTO15
method.
TheobjectivesofCASprogramweretounderstandcommunityconcernsarisingfromairtoxicsona
localizedlevelandtoworkwiththecommunitytoaddressproblems.NYSDECselectedparticipants
throughanapplicationprocessandsamplingbeganin2012andcontinuedintothespringof2014.The
programutilizedsamplingequipmentthatcollectedairoverashortperiodoftime,1hour.Thegoalof
thistypeofsamplingwastoprovideaquickunderstandingofthetypesofairtoxicsfoundinthe
communityusingUSEPAapprovedairsamplingequipmentandanalysismethod.Participantstargeted
samplecollectionsduringperiodsofconcernsuchasvisibleemissionsornoticeableodors.Sampling
duringthesespecifictimes,mayreflectperiodsofpotentiallyhigherairtoxicconcentrations.Ifthe
screeningdetectedairtoxicsatlevelsofconcern,additionalairscreeningandfollowupactivitieswere
conducted.Onebenefitofthescreeningapproachisthatitallowsforarapidassessmentofmany
communitiesStatewide.
Sincethesampleswerecollectedoverashortperiodoftimeandtherewerealimitednumberof
samples,theinformationobtainedcouldnotbeusedforenforcementorcompliancepurposes.
Additionally,theresultsfromtheprogramcouldnotbeusedtoprovideacompleteunderstandingof
riskattributabletoairtoxicsinthecommunity.Theresultswereusedasascreeningtool.Iftheresults
showedlevelsofconcern,thenadditional,longertermsamplingwasconducted.
Results
Air Samples Collected by NYSDEC Staff and Community
Volatile Organic Compounds
AllresultsforthefiveNYSDECandsixcommunityvolunteerairsamplingeventsareshowninAppendix
G,Tables17alongwithcomparisonstoNYSDECsairconcentrationvalues.Asshown,theresultsforall
samplescollectedbyNYSDECandthecommunityarewellbelowtheshorttermairconcentration
values.Themeasuredresultsfortheairtoxicsfromthisshorttermassessmentwouldnotbe
consideredapotentialhealththreatoranimmediatepublichealthconcern.

Page20

All43aircontaminantsanalyzedweredetectedinoneormoresamples.Only17aircontaminants
30

weredetectedinallsamples.AppendixHlistsalltoxicaircontaminantsevaluatedinthisscreening
assessmentwithinformationonusesandpossibleindustriesorothersourcesthatreleasetheseair
contaminants.
TheresultsforVOCstypicallyassociatedwithcrudeoil
31
canbefoundinTable3.Theresultsare
comparedtoNYSDECsshorttermhealthbasedairconcentrationvalues.Asshown,theconcentrations
forthesetoxicaircontaminantsarewellbelowtheshorttermairconcentrationvalues.Themeasured
resultsfortheseairtoxicsfromthisshorttermassessmentwouldnotbeconsideredanimmediate
publichealthconcern.
Table3alsoshowsthatmanyoftheresultsforthesesamplesarebelowthelongtermhealthbasedair
concentrationvalues.Thelongtermhealthbasedairconcentrationvaluesforcarcinogensaresetata
levelthatcorrespondstoanindividualbeingexposedforalifetimeandhavingtheconcentrationaddan
additionalcancerrisk
32
ofa1inamillion.Themeasuredbenzeneconcentrationsareintherangeof1
inamillionto5inamillioncancerrisk.TheacceptablecancerriskusedbyNYSDECsDivisionofAir
Resourcestomakeregulatorypermittingdecisionsabouttheneedtoconsiderfurtherairpollution
controlsforsourcesrangesfrom1inamillionto10inamillion(1x10
5
)andtheestimatedriskfor
benzenefromthisscreeningassessmentisinthatrange.Additionally,themeasuredbenzene
concentrationstheAlbanySouthEndscreeningarewellbelowUSEPAsacceptablelevelofconcernat
100inamillioncancerrisk.
NYSDECcomparedtheresultsto1hoursamplescollectedinNYSDECsCASprogram
33
,monitoring
resultsfromNYSDECsAirToxicsNetworkandtheUSEPAneighborhoodsample.
34
Asillustratedin
Figure5thebenzeneconcentrationsfrombothsamplers,thecommunityvolunteerandNYSDECstaff
aresimilarwithlittlevariabilityinthemeasuredresultsbetweenthe11samplingevents.TheAlbany
SouthEndresultsalsoarecomparabletoscreeningsamplemeasurementsinNYSDECsCASprogram
(seeAppendixIforallcomparisons)andfallwithintherangeofurban,suburbanandrural
measurementsinNYSDECsAirToxicsNetwork(seeAppendixJforallcomparisons).

30
The 17 air contaminants are 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, benzene, bromoethane, carbon
tetrachloride, chloroethane, chloroform, chloromethane, dichlorodifluoromethane, dichloromethane,
dichlorotetrafluoroethane, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, o-xylene, toluene, trichlorofluoromethane and
trichlorotrifluoroethane.
31
NYSDECs factsheet DEC Responses to Community Questions & Requests Regarding Global Companies Plan to
Heat Crude Oil at the Port of Albany, March 6, 2014 provides a link to a table of chemical constituents commonly
found in crude oil, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NYSDECs factsheet is
available online at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/95623.html. CDCs table can be found online at:
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/gulfoilspill2010/pdf/chemical_constituents_table.pdf
32
This risk would be an excess cancer risk that is in addition to any cancer risk borne by a person not exposed to
these air toxics.
33
Twenty-three community groups participated in the CAS program. Over the course of the program, approximately
70 samples were collected in urban, suburban and rural areas of the State.
34
Further discussion of USEPA samples can be found in the section Air Samples Collected by USEPA.

Page21

TheStateaverageconcentrationforbenzenefromthe2013monitoringresult
35
isincludedinFigure5
andmostoftheresultsfromtheAlbanySouthEndscreeningarebelowtheStateaverage.Overallthe
rangeofbenzeneconcentrationsinFigure5isnarrow,suggestingmobilesources(cars,buses,trucks,
trains)astheprimarycontributoracrosstheState.ComparisonswithotherNYSDECresultsconfirmsthe
ubiquitousnatureofbenzeneinurban,suburbanandrurallocations.
AppendixG,Tables17alsoshowsthatmanyoftheresultsforthesesamplesarebelowthelongterm
healthbasedairconcentrationvalues.Thelongtermconcentrationvaluesforcarcinogensaresetata
1inamillioncancerrisk.Theresultsfromthecommunitysamplingfor1,2dibromoethane,1,2
dichloroethane,1,3butadiene,benzene,carbontetrachlorideandhexachloro1,3butadiene,arein
NYSDECsriskmanagementrangeof1inamillionto10inamillioncancerriskandwellbelowUSEPAs
acceptablelevelofconcernat100inamillioncancerrisk.AsillustratedbythegraphsinAppendixI,the
concentrationsofthesesixairtoxicsaresimilartothe1hoursamplingconcentrationsintheCAS
programandsimilartothemonitoringconcentrationsfoundaturbanandsuburbanlocationsin
NYSDECstoxicsnetwork,seeAppendixJ.

35
The results from the two monitors cited to capture source information have been removed from the State average
calculation.

Page22

Table3.ResultsforVOCsTypicallyAssociatedwithCrudeOil
Location Date
Benzene
a

(ppb)
Ethyl
benzene
(ppb)
m,p
Xylene
(ppb)
oXylene
(ppb)
Toluene
(ppb)
CommunitySamples
Mt.HopeSt.nearSouthPearlSt. 4/28/2014 0.065 0.0080 0.020 0.0090 0.063
GreenSt.nexttoInterstate787south
boundaccessroad
5/10/2014 0.17 0.049 0.16 0.060 0.37
EzraPrenticeBuilding637 5/20/2014 0.061 0.011 0.030 0.014 0.096
ChurchSt.andBroadway 5/29/2014 0.19 0.086 0.26 0.096 0.85
NorthendofEzraPrenticePlayground 6/17/2014 0.081 0.024 0.063 0.027 0.22
Gansevoort&FranklinStreets 7/6/2014 0.12 0.039 0.13 0.050 0.30
NYSDECSamples
EzraPrenticePlayground 5/8/2014 0.064 0.0090 0.019 0.011 0.057
KrankParkCherryHill 5/8/2014 0.063 0.0080 0.015 0.0080 0.052
Gansevoort&FranklinStreets 5/8/2014 0.087 0.014 0.035 0.016 0.10
EzraPrenticePlayground 5/12/2014 0.11 0.031 0.11 0.039 0.28
KrankParkCherryHill 5/12/2014 0.086 0.018 0.046 0.019 0.16
Gansevoort&FranklinStreets 5/12/2014 0.20 0.055 0.18 0.066 0.44
EzraPrenticePlayground) 5/21/2014 0.17 0.046 0.13 0.052 0.45
KrankParkCherryHill 5/21/2014 0.12 0.030 0.078 0.033 0.31
Gansevoort&FranklinStreets 5/21/2014 0.21 0.051 0.14 0.059 0.46
EzraPrenticePlayground 5/29/2014 0.070 0.029 0.068 0.027 0.16
KrankParkCherryHill 5/29/2014 0.037 0.012 0.021 0.011 0.057
Gansevoort&FranklinStreets 5/29/2014 0.047 0.013 0.024 0.012 0.067
EzraPrenticePlayground 6/2/2014 0.13 0.029 0.079 0.029 0.24
KrankParkCherryHill 6/2/2014 0.11 0.029 0.073 0.027 0.23
Gansevoort&FranklinStreets 6/2/2014 0.14 0.053 0.15 0.049 0.37

ShortTerm
(1hour)HealthBasedAirConcentrationValues
400 12,000 5,100 5,100 9,800
LongTermHealthBasedAirConcentrationValues
b
0.040 230 23 23 1,300
a
Benzeneisclassifiedasacarcinogen.
b
1hoursamplesarenotrepresentativeofannuallifetimeexposures.Comparisonstothelongterm
valueshavebeendonetodeterminewhetherfollowupsamplingand/orenhancedfacilityinspections
shouldbeconducted.

Page23

Figure5.ComparisonAlbanySouthEndBenzeneResultswithCommunityAirScreen,NYSDECAir
ToxicsMonitoringandUSEPAsampleResults

Lightweight Alkanes
NYSDECincludedlightweightalkanesintheanalysisofthesamplescollectedbystaffandthe
community.TheresultsaredisplayedinTable4.Themeasuredconcentrationsforallalkanesarewell
belowtheshorttermandlongtermhealthbasedairconcentrationvaluesandwouldnotbeconsidered
apublichealthconcern.AlthoughNYSDECmonitorsforalkanesinthePhotochemicalAssessment
Network,comparisonstoalkanemeasuredvalueselsewherewerenotperformedbecausethescreening
resultsinAlbanySouthEndwereappreciablylowerthanthehealthbasedconcentrationvalues.

Page24

Table4.ResultsforLightweightAlkanes
Location Date
Butane
(ppb)
Hexane
(ppb)
Isobutane
(ppb)
Isopentane
(ppb)
Pentane
(ppb)
Propane
(ppb)
CommunitySample
Mt.HopenearSouthPearlSt 4/28/2014 0.49 0.038 0.17 0.31 0.16 1.1
GreenSt.nexttoI787south
boundaccessroad 5/10/2014 8.3 0.57 2.6 2.9 2.5 18
EzraPrenticeBuilding637 5/20/2014 1.9 0.11 0.74 0.80 0.56 4.0
ChurchSt.andBroadway 5/29/2014 3.3 0.41 0.76 4.9 1.9 1.7
NorthendofEzraPrentice
Playground 6/17/2014 1.3 0.14 0.37 1.4 0.78 1.9
Gansevoort&FranklinSt 7/6/2014 2.7 0.47 0.59 3.2 1.8 2.5
NYSDECSample
EzraPrenticePlayground 5/8/2014 1.6 0.17 0.45 1.1 0.70 2.8
KrankParkCherryHill 5/8/2014 1.4 0.077 0.39 0.8 0.50 2.5
Gansevoort&FranklinSt 5/8/2014 3.2 0.22 0.90 1.4 1.1 6.1
EzraPrenticePlayground 5/12/2014 2.8 0.35 0.77 2.8 1.5 3.8
KrankParkCherryHill 5/12/2014 2.1 0.23 0.59 2.3 1.2 3.0
Gansevoort&FranklinSt 5/12/2014 11 1.0 3.1 5.5 3.9 20
EzraPrenticePlayground 5/21/2014 6.8 0.57 1.9 3.9 2.5 11
KrankParkCherryHill 5/21/2014 5.0 0.36 1.4 3.0 1.8 7.9
Gansevoort&FranklinSt 5/21/2014 14 1.0 4.1 5.6 4.3 27
EzraPrenticePlayground 5/29/2014 1.2 0.16 0.33 1.0 0.59 1.4
KrankParkCherryHill 5/29/2014 1.1 0.08 0.32 0.6 0.4 1.9
Gansevoort&FranklinSt 5/29/2014 2.6 0.15 0.76 1.0 0.8 4.8
EzraPrenticePlayground 6/2/2014 7.8 0.80 2.6 3.3 2.8 17
KrankParkCherryHill 6/2/2014 4.5 0.48 1.4 2.5 1.7 8.8
Gansevoort&FranklinSt 6/2/2014 4.7 0.47 1.4 4.2 2.0 7.0

ShortTerm(1hour)HealthBased
ConcentrationValues 100,000
b
100,000
LongTermHealthBasedConcentration
Values
a
200 1,400 1,400 24,000
a
1hoursamplesarenotrepresentativeofannuallifetimeexposures.Comparisonstothelongterm
valueshavebeendonetodeterminewhetherfollowupsamplingand/orenhancedfacilityinspections
shouldbeconducted.
indicatesnohealthbasedairconcentrationvaluehasbeendevelopedforthatexposureperiod.
b
Aninterimshorttermhealthbasedairconcentrationvalueof12,200ppbwasdevelopedforthe
RevisedDraftSupplementalGenericEnvironmentalImpactStatementontheOil,GasandSolution
MiningRegulatoryProgram(September2011).

Page25

Air Samples Collected by USEPA

TheUSEPAcollectedsamplesof20secondduration.Thesesampleswerenotcomparedtotheshort
term(1hour)andlongterm(annual)healthbasedairconcentrationvaluesbecauseitisnotavalid
practiceforsuchshortsampletimes.Theshorttermhealthbasedaircomparisonvalueassumesan
hourexposuretoaconsistentconcentration.Thelongtermhealthbasedaircomparisonvaluesassume
continuousexposureforalifetime(70years).Shortcollectionsamplesarenotrepresentativeofan
hourorannuallifetimeexposures.
TheresultsfromUSEPAsamplecollectedintheresidentialneighborhoodweregraphicallycompared
withtheresultsobtainedbythesamplescollectedbyNYSDECandthecommunityvolunteer.This
comparisonispresentedinthegraphsinAppendixK.Alsoincludedinthegraphsaretheresultsfrom
the1hoursamplinginNYSDECsCASProgram
36
andthemethoddetectionlimits.Thegraphsshowthat
theresultsfortheUSEPAneighborhoodsampleareconsistentwiththeresultsobtainedintheCAS
programandresultsfromtheAlbanySouthEndscreeningassessment.
Themethoddetectionlimits(MDL)arealsodisplayedinthegraphs.TheMDListheminimum
concentrationthatcanbemeasuredandreportedwith99percentconfidencethattheconcentrationis
greaterthanzero.
37
AsillustratedtheMDLsforthesamplesanalyzedbyNYSDECslaboratoryare
consistentlylowerthantheMDLsforthecontractlaboratoryusedbyUSEPA.Formanyofthe
contaminants,theambientlevelsarehigherthandetectionlimits.Butothers,suchas1,3butadiene,
althoughpresentintheair,werenotdetectedintheUSEPAsamples.Reviewersshouldconsiderthe
differentdetectionlimitswhencomparingthenumberofcontaminantsdetectedbythetwo
laboratories.
ThecomparisonsbetweenthelightweightalkanesfromUSEPAandNYSDECssamplesalsoare
illustratedinAppendixK.LightweightalkaneswerenotevaluatedintheCASprogram.Thegraphs
showthattheresultsforthelightweightalkanesmeasuredbyUSEPAintheneighborhoodare
consistentwiththeresultsobtainedfromtheAlbanySouthEndscreeningassessment.
Spatial Data Analysis
Thedesignofthestudyincludedsimultaneouscollectionof1hoursamplesatthreelocationsinthe
AlbanySouthEndneighborhoodonfivesampledays.Thethreesamplinglocationsarewithinthe
communityandarelessthan1,000metersfromeachother.Thesampleswerecollectedsimultaneously
sothatthedatafromthethreelocationscouldbedirectlycomparedtooneanother.The
concentrationsofaircontaminantsatthesethreesamplinglocationswouldnormallybeverysimilar
unlessthereisanearbysourceimpactingoneofthesamplinglocationstoahigherdegreethanthe
othertwolocations.Theconcentrationsofairtoxicsasrepresentedbybenzenewerethencomparedto
determineiftherewasanearbysource.Forthepurposeofthisscreeningassessment,theless

36
Twenty-three community groups participated in the CAS program. Over the course of the program, approximately
70 samples were collected near sources and in urban, suburban and rural areas of the State.
37
Code of Federal Regulations (Title 40, Part 136, Appendix B, Revision 1.11)

Page26

impactedsitewillbereferredtoasthebackgroundsiteindicatingthatitistheNYSDECsampling
locationwiththelowestconcentrationofanaircontaminant.Althoughnearbysourcescanimpactall
threelocations,thedifferencebetweentheconcentrationofanaircontaminantatthelocallyimpacted
siteandthebackgroundsitecanbeattributedtonearbysourcesintheupwinddirection.The
magnitudeofthedifferences(gradients)indicatethestrengthandtheproximityofthelocalsource.Itis
assumedthatemissionsourcesthatarefurtherupwindeveniftheyareofasimilartypeoraremuch
largerthannearbysourceswillmoreevenlyimpactallthreesamplinglocationsandtheresulting
gradientbetweenthesiteswillbelower.ThewinddirectiondatacollectedattheAlbanyWasteWater
TreatmentPlantonChurchStreetwereusedtodeterminethewinddirectionforthe1hoursampling
periodoneachofthefivesampledays.
Theresultsfromthreeofthefivesamplingevents(May8,12,21)indicateaclearlydefined
concentrationgradientforbenzeneandthealkanesthatisconsistentwiththelocalwinddirection.
Samplesonlywerecollectedondayswhenthewindwascomingfromthesouthorsoutheastsoforthe
1hourcollectionperiodsonMay8,12and21,GansevoortandFranklinwasthelocallyimpactedsite,
KrankParkwasthesamplinglocationwiththelowestimpactfromasourceintheupwinddirection
(backgroundsite)andtheEzraPrenticesitewaseithersimilartothebackgroundsiteorwaspartially
impactedbyalocalupwindsource.Inordertosimplifytheanalysisandpresentationofthedata,
benzeneisusedtorepresenttheconcentrationofairtoxicsineachsample.Theconcentrationsofthe
otherairtoxiccompoundsfoundineachsampleareavailableinAppendixG.Table5showsthe
concentrationsofbenzeneandthedifferencesbetweenthedownwindandbackgroundsiteforthe1
hoursampleperiodsonMay8,12and21.
Table5.BenzeneConcentrationsfromtheNYSDEC1hourSampleevents(ppb)
Sample
Date
Locally Impacted
Site:
Gansevoort &
Franklin
Background Site:
Krank Park
Locally Impacted Site
minus Background
May 8 0.087 0.063 0.024
May 12 0.20 0.086 0.112
May 21 0.21 0.12 0.082

TheresultsfromMay29andJune2didnotclearlyindicatealocallyimpactedandabackgroundsite
forthe1hoursamplecollectionperiods.Onthesedays,thebenzeneandalkanegradientsdidnot
matcheachotherindicatingthepresenceofsourcesotherthanthoseoriginatingfromfuelhandling
operations.ThebenzeneconcentrationdatafromMay29werelowforallthreeofthesitesthough
GansevoortandFranklinisthehighestofthethree.Thelastsamplecollectionday(June2)indicatesa
regionalpatternandagain,GansevoortandFranklinhasslightlyhigherbenzenelevels.Airtoxics
concentrationswereverysimilaratallthreesitesonJune2whichwasalsotheonlysampledaywhen
emissionsfrommorningrushhourweretargeted.Table6showstheconcentrationsofbenzeneforthe
1hoursamplecollectionperiodsatallthreesitesonMay29andJune2.

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Table6.BenzeneConcentrationsfromthe1hourNYSDECSampleevents(ppb)
Sample
Date
Gansevoort &
Franklin
Krank Park Ezra Prentice
May 29 0.047 0.037 0.070
J une 2 0.14 0.11 0.13

NYSDECincludedtheanalysisofalkanesinthisstudybecausethesecompoundshavebeenidentifiedas
componentsofcrudeoilincludingBakkencrudeoil.
38
Thesumsoftheconcentrationsoffouralkanes
(butane,hexane,pentaneandpropane)areusedtohelpidentifytheoriginoftheairtoxicsimpacting
thedownwindsamplinglocation.Thefouralkanesselectedforthisstudyarealsoassociatedwithother
fuelhandling,naturalgasandpropanedistribution.NYSDECmonitorstheconcentrationsofalkanesin
NewYorkCityaspartoftheUSEPAPhotochemicalAssessmentMonitoringprogram.
39
Table7shows
thesumoftheconcentrationsofthefourlightalkanesselectedforthisanalysis.Figures6through10
showthesumofalkanesandtheconcentrationofbenzeneforeachoftheNYSDECsampledays.
Table7.SumsofSelectedAlkanes(Butane,Hexane.PentaneandPropane)fromtheNYSDECSample
events(ppb)
Sample Date Gansevoort &
Franklin (ppb)
Ezra Prentice
(ppb)
Krank Park
(ppb)
May 8 10.55 5.27 4.52
May 12 36.00 8.45 6.57
May 21 46.38 20.51 14.96
May 29 8.27 3.32 3.43
J une 2 14.14 28.32 15.54

38
A Survey of Bakken Crude Oil Characteristics Assembled for the U.S. Department of Transportation: (Propane
0.80%, Butane 2.36%, Pentane 2.36%, Hexanes 4.10%), 2014
39
The NYSDEC measures the concentrations of alkanes in the summer, hourly at one location in New York City for
the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMs) program. The maximum 1 hour concentrations from
2013 were: Propane 11.43 ppb, Butane 2.70 ppb, Pentane 5.12 ppb and Hexane 0.46 ppb. These values can be
compared to study results in Table 4.

Page28

ThedatafromtheMay8(1hour)Sample(Figure6)eventshowsthatthedownwindsiteatGansevoortandFranklinStreetisimpactedby
sourcestothesouth.Itisapparentthatthealkaneshavealargerdifferencebetweenthedownwindandthebackgroundsite.Thetemperature
averaged69
0
F.duringthesamplingperiod.

Figure6.May8NYSDECSamplingEvent

Page29

The1hourconcentrationsofairtoxicsarehigheronMay12(Figure7).ThedatashowsthatthedownwindsiteatGansevoortandFranklin
StreetisimpactedbysourcestothesouththoughthesiteatEzraPrenticeisalsoimpacted.Itisalsoapparentthatthealkaneshavealarger
differencebetweenthedownwindandthebackgroundsitethanthedataindicatedonMay8.Thetemperaturewaswarmer(77
0
F)onMay12.

Figure7.May12NYSDECSamplingEvent

Page30

Theconcentrationsofairtoxicsasrepresentedbybenzenearerelativelyhighduringthe1hoursamplingeventonMay21(Figure8Figure8)and
aresimilaratGansevoortandFranklinStreetandatEzraPrentice.Thewinddirectionindicatesthatthesignificantsourcesarefromthesouth
andeast.Thetemperatureaveraged74
0
F.duringthesamplingperiod.

Figure8.May21NYSDECSamplingEvent

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Theconcentrationsofairtoxicsarelowerforthe1hoursamplingperiodonMay29(Figure9)andtheconcentrationsofalkanesarelowerat
EzraPrenticethanatKrankPark.TheconcentrationofbenzenewasloweratKrankParkwhichmakesitdifficulttodetermineabackground
siteforthissamplingevent.Thewinddirectionindicatesthatthesignificantsourcesarefromthesouthandeast.Thetemperatureaveraged70
0

F.duringthesamplingperiod.

Figure9.May29NYSDECSamplingEvent

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TheJune2(1hour)(Figure10)samplingeventoccurredat8:10amandwasdesignedtocapturetheemissionsfrommorningrushhouronI787
andlocalroadways.Concentrationsofairtoxicsweresimilaratthethreesitesandslightlyelevatedandtheconcentrationsofalkaneswere
higheratEzraPrenticethantheothertwosites.Thetemperatureaveraged68
0
F.duringthesamplingperiod.

Figure10.June2NYSDECSamplingEvent

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Thealkaneswereaddedtothestudybecausethesecompoundsaswellasothersincludingbenzeneare
foundincrudeoilandtheconcentrationsofalkanescanhelpidentifysourcecategoriesofairtoxics.In
thisanalysis,thealkaneconcentrationgradientswhenmatchedwithbenzeneprovideanindicationof
theimpactofevaporativeemissionsfromcrudeoilonairtoxicsinthecommunity.Thealkaneresults
forthesamplingperiodswithanidentifiedlocalimpactsiteandbackgroundsite(May8,12,21)exhibit
alargerconcentrationgradientthanbenzene.Becausebenzeneisattributedtoadditionalsource
categories,bothevaporativefromcrudeandotherfuelsandcombustionrelated,itisnotsurprisingthat
thebenzeneconcentrationsshowlessofagradientthanthealkanesanddontmatchatallonsome
days.Thehighergradientofthealkanesestablishthatnotallthebenzeneisattributabletoevaporative
emissionsfromlocalfuelhandlingsources.Themagnitudeoftheconcentrationgradientsforbenzene
fromMay8,12and21betweenthelocallyimpactedsiteandthebackgroundsitecanbecalculated.
Thecalculation(locallyimpactedconcentrationminusbackgroundconcentration)providesanindication
ofthestrengthofthelocalsourceforthesamplingperiod.Thevaluesare0.024,0.112and0.082ppb
forthethreesamplingperiods.Twooutofthreeofthesevaluesarelessthantheregionalbackground
benzeneconcentrationforthesamesamplingperiods.Thisalsoindicatesthatforthesesampling
periods,thecontributionofbenzenefromlocalsourcesissimilartoorlessthanthecontributionsfrom
sourcesfurtherupwind.

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Conclusions
NYSDECsDivisionofAirResourcesworkstominimizetheamountoftoxicaircontaminantsthatis
releasedtotheatmosphere.
40
AcrosstheState,thousandsoftonsoftoxicaircontaminantsarereleased
frommanmadesourcessuchascars,trucks,powerplants,manufacturingfactoriesandsmallersources
suchasdrycleanersandgasolinestations.Inandnearthiscommunity,thesourcesoftoxicair
contaminantsincludeemissionsfromcars,trucks,trains,petroleumstorageandtransfer,electric
generationunits,wastewatertreatment,manufacturing,solidwastemanagement,recycling
operations,drycleaners,residentialspaceheating,gasolinestations,autorepairandautorefinishing
shops.
Inthiscommunityairqualityscreening,airsampleswerecollectedfor1hourbyNYSDECstaffonfive
datesatthreefixedlocationsandbyacommunityvolunteeronsixdatesatvariouslocationsfromApril
28toJuly6,2014.Thesampleswereanalyzedforthepresenceof43toxicaircontaminantsandsix
lightweightalkanes.All43toxicaircontaminantsweredetectedinoneormoresamples.Thealkanes
weredetectedinallsamplesanalyzed.AllcontaminantsevaluatedwerebelowNYSDECsshortterm
healthbasedairconcentrationvalues.Therefore,theresultswouldnotbeconsideredanimmediate
publichealthconcern.Itisdifficulttodrawdefinitiveconclusionsaboutthelongtermriskfromthis
shorttermairsampling.Theresultsarewithintheacceptabletargetrisklevel(1inamillionto10ina
million)usedbyNYSDECtomakedecisionsabouttheneedtoconsiderfurtherairpollutioncontrolsfor
sourcesandwellbelowUSEPAsacceptablelevelofconcernat100inamillioncancerrisk.
NYSDECcomparedtheresultstomeasuredconcentrationsfromsamplescollectedinNYSDECs
CommunityAirScreenprogramandNYSDECsAirToxicsMonitoringNetwork.Thecomparisonssuggest
thatthelevelofcontaminantsscreenedinAlbanySouthEndcommunityaresimilartolevelsfoundin
suburbanandotherurbanlocationsoftheState.
USEPAconductedsamplingatonecommunitylocationduringNYSDECsscreeningassessment.The
samplewascollectedfora20secondperiodandanalyzedforasuiteofairtoxicsthatincludedsomeof
theairtoxicsandalkanesevaluatedbyNYSDEC.Forthecontaminantscommonlyfoundincrudeoil,the
resultsaresimilartoconcentrationsfoundinthesamplescollectedinthecommunitybyNYSDECstaff
andthecommunityvolunteer.
AspatialanalysiswasalsoperformedontheNYSDECsfivesimultaneous1hoursamplecollection
periods.Theassessmentexaminedtheconcentrationgradientsofbenzeneandalkanesbetweenthe
sitestodetermineifsiteswereimpactedbylocalsourcesofevaporativeemissions.Thecontributionof
airtoxicsasrepresentedbybenzenefromlocalsourcesofevaporativeemissionswaslesspronounced
thanthecontributionfromcitywidesourcesasawhole.

40
To learn more about State and federal programs to protect the public from adverse effects of toxic air
contaminants from both stationary (large industrial facilities and some specific small sources) and mobile sources
(such as cars, trucks, airplanes and trains and lawn, farming and construction equipment), read Appendix A.

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Inconclusion,thislimitedshorttermscreeningassessmentdidnotidentifyconcentrationsoftoxicair
contaminantsthatwouldbeconsideredanimmediatepublichealthconcernwhichwasthefocusofthis
screeningassessment.
Limitations/Uncertainties
TheassessmentislimitedtocontaminantsevaluatedbyUSEPAsTO15method.Theactivitiesrelated
tocrudeoilmovementinthePortofAlbanymayreleasecontaminantsnotcapturedbythesampling
andanalysismethods,suchasparticulatematterandoxidesofnitrogen,butthesepollutantsare
regulatedbytheCleanAirActandmustmeetspecificlimitationstominimizetheirrelease.
Thisscreeningassessmentisasnapshotintimeandtheconclusionsdrawnmaynotberepresentative
ofconditionsinthisareainthefuture.Theresultsfromthisairqualityscreeningcannotbecompared
withconfidencetolongtermhealthrisksfromexposurebecauseofthedifferentaveragingperiod.The
1hoursamplerepresentsasnapshotofinformationandcannotbedefinitelyrepresentativeofthe
entireyear.Thesamplingmethodisashorttermassessmentandmanyfactorsaffectconcentrationsof
contaminantsinaneighborhood.Factorsinclude,butarenotlimitedto,timeofday,windspeedand
direction,andactivitiesgoingoninthearea.Forexample,facilityandoperationreleasesmaybecyclical
dependingonproductionschedules.Meteorologicalconditionsalsogreatlyinfluencelocalpollutant
concentration.Becauseofthelimitsofa1hoursamplinginterval,a1hoursampleatanothertime
couldbelowerorhigherincomparisontotheresultsfromthisscreeningassessment.Someofthe
samplescollectedbythecommunityvolunteerweredoneduringodorepisodesandduringpresenceof
railcarsatthePortwhichsuggeststhattheresultsevaluatedinthisscreeningassessmentmayinclude
resultsthatreflectsingleperiodsofpotentiallyhigherconcentrations.
Finally,itshouldnotbeassumedthattheresultsfromthisscreeningassessmentrepresentan
individualsexposure.Resultsfromanysinglelocation,whetherfromshorttermorlongtermsampling,
donotaccountforthefactthatpeoplespendtimeinmanylocationsduringthedayaswellasspend
timeindoorsandoutdoors.Otherfactors(suchassmoking,pumpinggasoline,hobbiesandoccupations
usingsolvents)canleadtoincreasesinanindividualstoxicaircontaminantexposuresandcontributeto
theoveralluncertaintyincharacterizingriskfromtheshorttermsamplingobtainedinthisscreening
assessment.
Next Steps
OneofthetopicsdiscussedduringthepublicmeetingsheldintheAlbanySouthEndcommunitywas
whethertheNYSDEChadsufficientbaselinedataforcontaminantssuchasformaldehydeandhydrogen
sulfide.Thesecontaminantshavebeenassociatedwiththeextractionofcrudeoiloriginatingfromthe
oilsandsreservesinCanada.Theconcernsexpressedbythepublicwereduetothepotentialshipment
ofheavieroilsandscrudeoilthroughAlbanysKenwoodrailyard.

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Formaldehydeisacontaminantthatcanbeemittedfromasourceorformedthroughphotochemical
reactionsintheatmosphere.Theconcernforformaldehydeconcentrationsassociatedwithoilsands
developmentisprimarilyduetotheformationofformaldehydeinareaswheretheextractionofoil
sandscrudereleaseschemicalssuchasmethaneandethanethatcontributetotheformationof
formaldehydeinthepresenceofsunlight.
NYSDECdoesnothaveexistingdataforformaldehydeintheAlbanySouthEndcommunity.Inresponse
tothecommunitysrequest,NYSDECaddedaformaldehydemonitortoNYSDECsmonitoringsiteatthe
AlbanyCountyHealthDepartment(175GreenStreet)inMayand24hoursampleswillbecollectedona
onedayinsixschedulethroughAugust.Thiscollectionperiodwillcapturethesummermonthswhen
theconcentrationsofcompoundsformedthroughphotochemicalreactionsarehighest.Adatareport
willbepostedonNYSDECswebsiteandsharedwiththeAlbanySouthEndcommunityoncethedata
collectedthroughAugustareavailable.
Hydrogensulfideisacompoundthatisoftenreleasedintotheatmospherewhenoilsandscrudeis
extracted.Thiscompoundisalsoroutinelyfoundincrudeoilanditsconcentrationvariesduetothe
originofthecrudeoilandtheextenttowhichthecrudeoilhasbeenprocessed.Noconcernhasbeen
expressedthatthecurrentoilhandlingoperationsintheAlbanySouthEndcommunitywereimpacting
areahydrogensulfideconcentrations.
NYSDECdoesnothaveexistingdataforhydrogensulfideintheAlbanySouthEndCommunity.In
responsetothecommunitysconcerns,NYSDECplanstocollectbackgroundhydrogensulfidedatainthe
community.NYSDECexpectstofindhydrogensulfideinthecommunityfromtheactivitiesatthe
wastewatertreatmentplant,southoftheKenwoodrailyardandtheopengratesofthesewersystemin
thecity.NYSDECrecentlyprocuredaportablehydrogensulfideinstrumentandwilldevelopthe
necessaryprotocolstocommenceaneighborhoodsurveyofhydrogensulfideconcentrationsinthe
AlbanySouthEndcommunity.
Thedatafromboththeformaldehydeandhydrogensulfidebackgroundmonitoringstudieswillbe
availableonNYSDECswebsiteandwillsharewithAlbanySouthEndcommunityleaders.NYSDECwill
conductfollowupactivityiftheresultsfromthesamplingforthesetwocontaminantsindicateslevelsof
concern.