DEC targets truck traffic in air pollution study in Albany

ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) - For the past couple of years, equipment like an air quality monitoring station at the Ezra Prentice Community on South Pearl Street has been gathering data on air pollution being generated in the area.

On Monday, the DEC released a report which pointed to truck traffic as the main cause of the pollution.

"And that's what this study did, it answered that question, we know what kinds of trucks are the source of the problem and now we're working with some of those trucking companies to upgrade their fleet,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos.

The study itself launched back in 2017 because residents were concerned about health issues that were going on in their South Albany community.

Diesel trucks frequently come and go past the Albany Housing Authority homes to the rail yard near the Port of Albany.

“There is a lot of problems with asthmatic kids and adults, some who developed cancer, lung cancer and everything else because of the pollution,” said Ezra Prentice resident Tammy Miller.

The study used a number of new cutting-edge types of equipment designed to localize pollution types and sources. The data from the equipment was able to pinpoint how the truck traffic was specifically impacting the area. Now the goal is to ultimately re-route the majority of the truck traffic out of the neighborhood.

“Ultimately reclassify the roads on the inside if the port, get trucks headed into the port as opposed to this street,” Seggos said. “This is not an tenable situation for the people of Ezra Prentice Homes or anywhere in South Albany to have this many trucks going by. We want to transition that into the port area where its already industrialized."