The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued the following news release on November 12, 2014.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has reached two settlements, totaling $55,100 and $7,187 respectively, with J.P. Noonan Transportation, Inc. of West Bridgewater for Natural Resource Damages (NRD) and Clean Water Act violations that resulted from a 9,600-gallon home-heating oil spill into the Mystic River on May 31, 2013.
The spill occurred on Route 60 in Arlington when an oil tanker truck crashed while going around a rotary on the Mystic Valley Parkway. As a result of the crash, the 10,000-gallon compartment of the tanker was breached, dumping nearly all of its contents onto the roadway, which then flowed into storm drains and subsequently into the nearby Mystic River. Emergency response crews from Arlington, Medford, other nearby towns, MassDEP and a private contractor hired by J.P. Noonan were able to contain and clean up virtually all of the oil that spilled during the ensuing days and weeks.
"The recovery of the Mystic River and its continued protection will not be set back by this unfortunate incident," said MassDEP Commissioner David Cash. "The NRD Trust will use the settlement to directly assist in repairing the damage done to natural resources there, and the funds will help MassDEP continue our important work protecting the environment from a host of hazardous materials."
"We are very happy that MassDEP has successfully pursued Natural Resource Damages in response to this spill," said Mystic River Watershed Association Executive Director EkOngKar Singh Khalsa. "Support for the restoration of the Mystic River provided through this settlement is an important component of strong state and local response to the accident. MassDEP emergency response and local fire and DPW personnel also deserve much credit for fast action that prevented more catastrophic impacts from this oil release."
In April 2014, J.P. Noonan submitted documentation stating that all necessary remediation responses had been completed and a permanent cleanup had been achieved along the river in the Arlington and Medford areas. The cost of that cleanup was borne by J.P. Noonan as the responsible party, and its insurance company.
The $55,100 settlement for NRD damages will be deposited in to the NRD Trust, which is administered by MassDEP, and will eventually fund projects that will restore natural resources that were damaged by the oil spilled into the Mystic River. The restoration projects are expected to improve water quality within the river in the area of the spill. The $7,187 penalty is to resolve the Clean Water Act violations that occurred as a result of the spill.
MassDEP is responsible for ensuring clean air and water, safe management and recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources.
