Daily Gazette | February 1, 2015 | LTE by George Hebert

The city of Cohoes recently overhauled its filtration plant, costing millions of dollars. Its reservoir is fed by the Mohawk River. The Lynchburg derailment sent three new CPC-1232 tankers into the James River. In spite of the newly designed hatches, they spilled.

The two unrelated facts do have a common denominator. There have been many derailments along Route 5. Fortunately, not into the Mohawk River. But what if there were? Would warning be given in time to close intake valves?

CSX operates the Route 5 corridor. Its recent actions over the summer in the town of Fonda puts its dependability into question. Likewise, Global's bantering with the Albany County executive over derailments is not very reassuring.

If the Cohoes filtration plant was compromised, the cost to our 16,000 residents would be staggering. Mohawk Paper and Bilinski Meats would close. So would our schools. Sanitation would be impossible.

Global wants an increase to its crude oil permits. More oil trains means the odds of an accident go up. It's time for the state Department of Environmental Conservation to say no.

Reduce their permits and reduce their threat. Protect people, not Global's profits.

George Hebert

Cohoes

http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2015/feb/01/0201_print/