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ROTTERDAM
Board tables ethanol pump waiver
Fire response cited as concern
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

    Rotterdam planners postponed a vote on the town’s fi rst E85 fuel pump this week after concerns arose over whether local fire departments would have enough flame retardant foam to battle a potential blaze.
    Contractors representing the Cumberland Farms gas station off Duanesburg Road had initially sought a waiver of site plan review to install a pump and 40,000-gallon tank of the fuel mixture, which consists of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. If approved, the pump would be one of the fi rst in both the town and county,
    But members of the town Planning Board decided to table the waiver after a discussion over the tools local responders might need to battle E85 fires. Chairman Lawrence DiLallo said several members noticed an article in The Daily Gazette last weekend, in which Albany fire officials questioned their ability to fight a major alcohol-based fuel fire.
    “It just clicked,” he said Thursday. “[The fire departments] should be the fi rst to know before its brought in and they should be prepared to battle it.”
    The board has since contacted South Schenectady and other volunteer departments to inform them the E85 is proposed for Rotterdam. Town Planner Peter Comenzo said the intent is to heighten awareness of the hot-burning fuel so that departments can prepare.
    “It’s not that we’re against it,” he said. “We just want to make sure we’re covering all our bases and that the appropriate safeguards are in place.”
    Water alone is insufficient to put out ethanol fires, and foam traditionally used to extinguish gasoline blazes is ineffective against grain alcohol fuel, which burns much hotter. Alcohol-resistant foam differs chemically from traditional foam. It is also nearly 30 percent more expensive.
    Fire officials from South Schenectady said the department recently increased foam capacity up to 200 gallons, half of which is fitted to the main fire engines. Also, the company has a mutual aid agreement with the Air National Guard Fire Department stationed at the Stratton ANG Base, which carries a significant supply of foam.
    South Schenectady Fire Chief James Delorenzo said the prospect of having an E85 tank near the Golub Corp. headquarters was enough to draw his concern, since the department might need to evacuate hundreds of workers. He intends to review Cumberland Farms’ plan to ensure the station has the proper fire suppression system in place and his department has the proper foam.
    “I do have a general cause for concern,” he said.
    The station recently upgraded its fire suppression system, said Mike Crandall, the vice president of Valley Petroleum Services, which is the contractor on installation of the E85 tank. He was unsure how much alcoholresistant foam would be needed to battle an E85 fire at the station or if local fire departments were equipped with it.
    “I haven’t had it come up in previous installations,” he said.

We don't need ethanol.  Especially this close to a large distribution warehouse and especially when the local fire department said that it may not be able to keep enough foam to put this out.  The fact is, this is only raising gas prices, as it lowers mileage, therefore driving up demand for more gas, more oil.  Want something sitting right there to go BOOM on Route 7?  Well, I guess it's my turn to be a NIBMY.  

NIBMY?

Not In M y Back Yard.

I'm not a fan of ethanol but at least the safety issue is being addressed. It was no different with the Golub Corporation who uses ammonia in some of their cooling facilities. The Golub Corporation and the surrounding fire departments went through training in case of an ammonia leak that could be hazardous to the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses.

So I think that this is just updating another safety measure for another compound.

Just think about all the tank cars carrying chlorine, propane, naphtha, and liquid gasses of all types rolling along the railroad tracks near Golub and near the NYS Thruway at Exit 25a and none of us is really safe. We also have a couple of high pressure natural gas lines running thru the town as well I believe one is a 16" pipe and the other is a 20" pipe under 900 lbs pressure when demand is high.

Exactly Shadow!!!

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ROTTERDAM
Developer submits plan for fast-food restaurant
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Repoter

    Rotterdam’s Planning Commission reviewed concept plans for a high-volume fast food restaurant in the works for Carman Road, a short distance from Exit 25 of the Thruway.
    The project would place a 2,200-square-foot restaurant and drive-thru on about 2 acres. Town Planner Peter Comenzo said the restaurant would be located near several residences and would also require a zoning change.
    “It’s a prime commercial spot,” he said.
    Developer Tom Burke hasn’t stated the type of restaurant planned for the site. Burke is the developer of the three-store plaza that will include a Starbuck’s and Moe’s Southwest Grill near Exit 6 of the Northway in Colonie.
    Comenzo said the project could become one of the first to come under proposed design standards being considered as part of the town’s Exit 25 corridor study. The study is expected to be concluded later this month or in early May and then incorporated as an amendment to the town’s Comprehensive Plan this summer.
    “Obviously, we’d be looking at how it would fit into the context of the study,” Comenzo said.
    Commission members requested the developer return with more information, including the number of residential properties in the area. The commission also requested the developer discuss plans for the intersection with state Department of Transportation officials.
    “The big concern is traffic,” Comenzo said.
    In other business, commission members were unanimous in recommending the Town Board not support a change of zone request for an acre near a cul-de-sac neighborhood at the end of Tower Avenue. Developer Fred Valentine had requested the parcel be switched from single-family residential to multi-family so he could build an eight-unit apartment.
    Comenzo said the “keyhole lot” proposal would have placed the development behind a cluster of single-family homes.
    “It really didn’t fit with the existing neighborhood.”
     Commission members also approved a waiver of site plan review for Schenectady County’s first E85 tank. The waiver will allow the Cumberland Farms off Duanesburg Road to install a pump and 40,000-gallon tank of the fuel mixture, which consists of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

That's nice how they just kinda stuck that there in the end isn't it?

sheesh.

Quoted Text

Rotterdam’s Planning Commission reviewed concept plans for a high-volume fast food restaurant in the works for Carman Road, a short distance from Exit 25 of the Thruway.
    The project would place a 2,200-square-foot restaurant and drive-thru on about 2 acres. Town Planner Peter Comenzo said the restaurant would be located near several residences and would also require a zoning change.

how freakin' cheesy......that's ambience and comprehensive planning for ya.......hellooooo----- where is the comp plan and what is the ambience and patina for the town-----ya'll dont know and are in such a hurry to make a quick buck.....dorks....... > > > > >

Well we shouldn't be that surprised. I mean we knew it was coming to a gas station near us eventually.

They've moved quite a ways towards making a mess putting in the E-85 tank so far.  It's being buried up against the Golub property.  At least that's where the mess is for now.  Don't know where the pump is going to be that they're going to run it to.

I just did some checking.  If you want to know if you can use E85 (since there is already 1 pump going in and there's one over in Albany on Rt 20), check out this site and follow the instructions.

http://www.e85fuel.com/information/vin.php

It goes by make and model, then a specific character in your VIN, so have your registration or insurance card handy.

How much is milk a gallon......if gas is more than that is okay......I guess?????.........feet and legs come in handy right about now.......anyone get a raise for this crock of s@#$..........?