What's happening
This bill requires major facilities in New York to provide advance notice of crude oil shipments received by rail, with details shared with emergency agencies and posted online.
Why it matters
Increases transparency of crude oil transport. By requiring detailed, advance reporting of crude oil shipments to state authorities, the bill enables better tracking of potentially hazardous materials moving by rail through New York, which can help inform local planning and risk assessment.
Enhances emergency preparedness. Sharing shipment details with the state emergency management office and municipal emergency response agencies ensures that responders are better equipped to plan for and react to potential spills, derailments, or other incidents involving crude oil.
Public accountability and oversight. Posting quarterly, aggregated data about crude oil shipments—including routes, types, quantities, and spill incidents—on a public website allows communities, advocacy groups, and policymakers to monitor industry practices and advocate for safety improvements.
Balances reporting with operational flexibility. The bill acknowledges the unpredictable nature of rail schedules by allowing facilities to update their notices if deliveries change, reducing the risk of penalizing facilities for factors beyond their control while still ensuring timely information is provided.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Notify Oil Shipments to Facilities
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Referred to environmental conservation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Notify Oil Shipments to Facilities
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Patricia Fahy
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4560
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 17, 2017
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the navigation law, in relation to notice of crude oil shipments to major facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The navigation law is amended by adding a new section 174-c to read as follows:
§ 174-c. Notice of crude oil shipments to major facilities. 1. A major facility that receives crude oil from a railroad car must provide advance notice to the commissioner as provided in this section. The advance notice must, at a minimum, include the route to be taken to the facility within the state, if known, and the scheduled time, location, volume, region per bill of lading, and gravity as measured by standards developed by the American petroleum institute, of crude oil received. Each week, a facility that provides advance notice under this section must provide the required information regarding the scheduled arrival of railroad cars carrying crude oil to be received by the facility in the succeeding seven-day period in a manner specified by the department. A major facility is not required to provide advance notice when there is no receipt of crude oil from a railroad car scheduled for a seven-day period.
2. The commissioner shall share information provided by a major facility with the state emergency management office and shall provide information to any municipal emergency response agency upon request.
3. The commissioner must post information collected under this section on a quarterly basis on the department's internet web site provided that the information published by the commissioner may be aggregated on a statewide basis by route through the state, by week, and by type of crude oil. The report may also include other information available to the department including, but not limited to, place of origin, modes of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02746-01-7
S. 4560 2
transport, number of railroad cars delivering crude oil, and number and volume of spills during transport and delivery.
4. A facility providing advance notice under this section is not responsible for meeting advance notice timeframe requirements under subdivision one of this section in the event that the schedule of arrivals of railroad cars carrying crude oil changes during a seven-day period; provided, however that any such arrivals must be included in the following week's notice.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the navigation law, in relation to notice of crude oil shipments to major facilities
Purpose or general idea of bill
To require the owner or operator of a major facility to provide notice of crude oil shipments by railroad to major facilities
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1: amends the navigation law and adds a new section 174-c
Section 2: effective date
Justification
The Crude Oil Shipment Reporting bill is in response to recent accidents resulting in substantial financial and personal losses to both public and private entities due to injuries, loss of life, damages and clean up costs, all as a result of explosions and would require advance notification to first responders and officials that hazardous crude oil was being transported through the affected region enabling advanced preparation for potential rail car accidents. This bill would apply to all crude oil shipments to major facilities by rail and requires said facility to, at minimum, report the route taken to the facility within the state, the scheduled time, location, volume, and volatility of the crude 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 in2008 to over 400,000 in 2013, and accidental spills and explosions of crude oil have increased accordingly, highlighting the need for advanced notification to affected communities. There is a heightened awareness of safety issues related to the transportation and storage of crude oil and the Crude Oil Shipment Reporting bill is one attempt to address the negative impacts that may result from an accident in transporting crude oil by rail. Rail transportation of crude oil is regulated by federal law, however, state law can require proper notification of crude oil by rail shipments.
It is necessary that reporting measures be put in place to ensure that communities are made aware and take appropriate steps in preparation of a potentially hazardous crude oil by rail accident thereby lessening the impact such an accident would have.
Prior legislative history
A.7986/S.7577 (2015-16)
Fiscal implications
None to the State
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.