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Summary:Â The law firm of Mintz Levin has been hired by Albany County in its fight over crude oil transport by Fortune 500 company Global Partners.Â
An environmental law firm from Boston has been hired by Albany County to help in its fight against a Fortune 500 company, according to Capital New York. The company is bringing millions of gallons of crude oil into the county each day.
Mintz Levin has been placed on retainer by the county, according to county attorney Tom Marcelle. The firm has been brought on to help in the legal battle with Global Partners. The company has threatened to sue after Albany County placed a moratorium on expanding crude-handling facilities in the Port of Albany.
Marcelle told Capital New York that the county has subpoena power and that the law firm could help enforce the right to question the company’s officials if it withholds information that the county wants to know.
“The county executive wanted to ensure the people of Albany County had the best to represent their health and safety,” he said.
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Marcelle also said that the county will likely spend somewhere around $100,000 while working with the law firm.
Mintz Levin will also be able to help the county submit comments to the Department of Transportation for its new regulations for oil trains. Rail cars that carry a specific type of crude oil are being phased out by the new federal regulations. The cars in question are more likely to rupture and leak crude oil if they should derail.
Officials from the county are not thrilled with the federal proposal because the older cars will still be allowed to transport the heavy crude that the company wants to bring into the county. The lawsuit was threatened by Global Partners not long after the county issued the moratorium, but has yet to file the lawsuit.
