In spite of massive problems afflicting the gasoline infrastructure in the New York metro area, State Senator “Marty” Golden thinks that he can change things with a simplistic press release, or blog posting, or open letter, or whatever it was on his “official” website — addressed to nobody in particular — that “calls” on the U.S. Department of Energy to open a petroleum terminal in Brooklyn as well as eight others closed by "Sandy".
According to a very up-to-date journalistic report on the status of petroleum based fuel terminals in the New York Metropolitan area, and other east coast terminals effected by “Hurricane” Sandy by Reuters, “The New York harbor remained crippled from Hurricane Sandy on Sunday, with some signs of progress in restoring normal flows through the biggest and most important oil-trading hub in the country.”
In a late Sunday item, entitled, “Factbox: NY Harbor oil terminals, refineries crippled by Sandy” the Reuters News Service reported a mixed bag of results in oil and gasoline suppliers’ attempts to restore full-scale operations to New York area oil and gasoline terminals, petroleum refineries and pipelines. For anybody interested in that sort of thing, that article contains a detailed list of what is or isn’t online, and what facilities are operational, partially operational or not operational. Reading that article would give any person not familiar with the scope and complexity of the infrastructure for gathering and distributing gasoline and other petroleum products in the New York area an idea of the scope of the breakdown caused by the massive northeast storm Sandy.
Many earlier articles also catalogued the massive problems caused to the local petroleum industry and consumers by the massive east coast storm, so I have to wonder what State Senator Martin Golden is trying to accomplish with his problematic Saturday, November 10th post on his official website — “SENATOR GOLDEN CALLS ON THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY TO OPEN PETROLEUM TERMINAL IN BROOKLYN AND OTHERS CLOSED SINCE SANDY.” What is the governmental activity that New York State Senator Golden wants the Federal government to perform at this time ? How does he propose that government policy and practice change with respect to providing gasoline to the public during the current post-Sandy gasoline shortage ?
The Golden posting on his webpage specifically mentioned “... the Motiva Terminal in Brooklyn.” Although his statement failed to include that terminal on its list of “shut”facilities, according to The Situation Report issued by the United States Department of Energy Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability “... the Motiva Terminal in Brooklyn.” was listed as “shut.” However, there are no specific details as to the reason the facility is marked "shut" and the most recent update as to “... the Motiva Terminal in Brooklyn.” is dated 10/31/12. >>> If State Senator Golden wanted to demand something meaningful from the Department of Energy, he should have asked why the most recent report about the status of “... the Motiva Terminal in Brooklyn” was ten days old at the time he made his statement to them on his official website ( it was eleven days old when Reuters made its “Factbook, ...” report). <<<
Without something more specific to say or more meaningful to ask, it looks like State Senator Martin Golden is just making griping and whining noises without any real purpose. — OR — Is this just one of those kinds of “statement” meant to score some political points with a suffering public, who are looking for any public official who can do something for them, without the state senator's actually having to do anything ?
On another Stormy Front since Sandy hit:
ReplyDeleteAbout a week before the Tropical Storm/Nor’easter pummeled Gerritsen Beach and other low lying Brooklyn neighborhoods around Sheepshead Bay and Jamaica Bay, State Senator Golden hosted a “Town Hall” meeting at the Salt Marsh Nature Center, 3302 Avenue U at East 33rd Street.
According to Mr. Golden, “I look forward to leading these conversations with the community so to provide an update on a variety of neighborhood issues and important legislation which I have recently been working on,” Golden stated. “I am glad to join with representatives of key City agencies to work with residents to resolve local problems in an effort to improve our quality of life. I hope you will join me…”
Is there any similar event planned anytime soon? There is a pressing need for State Senator Golden to join with representatives of key City agencies to work with residents to resolve local problems in an effort to improve life sustaining services. Since October 23rd there has been a significant deterioration in the ability of many of State Senator Golden’s constituents to sustain any quality of life and there has been an overall decline in necessary services in several of the beach and waterfront communities in and around the southern Brooklyn salt marshes and bulk-headed waterways. Also, is there any explanation why the Evacuation Zone “B” designation for Gerritsen Beach was never raised and/or properly dealt with before the Sandy disaster ?