From the EPA Press Release, 10/14/2011:
The Island End and Mystic Rivers in Everett are flowing cleaner this fall as a result of a two-year effort by the U.S. EPA and the Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), working with ExxonMobil to significantly improve the stormwater management system at ExxonMobil’s Everett Terminal facility.
EPA and MassDEP have issued a modification to ExxonMobil’s stormwater discharge permit to the Island End River, a tributary to the Mystic River. The permit modification incorporates the substantial improvements that ExxonMobil has made to the stormwater management system at its Everett Terminal, working in accordance with a 2009 memorandum of understanding between EPA Region 1 and ExxonMobil, which was entered into as part of a settlement to resolve a permit appeal brought by the company before the U.S. Environmental Appeals Board in 2008. The facility upgrades greatly improve the capacity of the stormwater system to collect, store and treat large storm events and provide advanced treatment for residual contaminated groundwater that infiltrates into the stormwater collection system.
“Cleaning our urban waterways unlocks the potential for these special places as a valuable resource for all our citizens. It’s a high priority for EPA to help urban waters become revitalized assets for New England communities,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “This collaborative action brings measureable results to these local urban rivers and is an important part of EPA’s work in the Mystic River Watershed.”
