New Haven Alders Approve Deal for Terminal Tank
NEW HAVEN, CT — The Board of Alders voted unanimously Tuesday, Sept. 22, to approve a community environmental benefits agreement with Global Partners, clearing one city step toward a state permit for a change at its New Haven Terminal. The New Haven Independent reported the vote. The deal allows higher emissions from one tank in exchange for an initial $50,000 payment and annual contributions to environmental and health initiatives.
The agreement concerns one of the company’s 10 energy storage tanks at 500 Waterfront St. Global Partners wants to change the fuel stored in the tank from diesel to gasoline. The city’s approval brings the company one step closer to a permit for that change, but does not, by itself, grant the state permit.
Tank’s VOC Emissions Would Rise to 10.1 Tons a Year
The switch is expected to increase the tank’s emissions of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, from 3.3 to 10.1 tons a year. VOCs contribute to smog. The New Haven Independent, citing the American Lung Association, reported that exposure can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, make it harder to breathe, cause nausea, and harm the nervous system and other organs.
The agreement sets out Global Partners’ payments: an initial $50,000 contribution, followed by annual payments of $40,000. From the third year on, the yearly payment grows 2.5 percent to keep pace with inflation.
The city keeps half of each payment. The rest goes to a grant fund, run by a foundation, for neighborhood environmental and health projects. How that fund will work has not been decided, so the agreement does not identify which projects or neighborhoods will receive funding.