Special to the Journal
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) announced today that it has assessed a $116,458.50 penalty to a Gardner-based shipping and trucking company, for environmental damage following a 2021 release of an estimated 10,000 gallons of heating oil to a protected marsh in Revere. A tanker truck operated by Goguen Transportation, Inc., overturned at the Brown Circle Rotary on October 13, 2021. The oil spill caused by the rollover entered a storm drain and discharged into Rumney Marsh, Diamond Creek, and the Pines River, injuring wetland resources.
Goguen Transportation’s payment will be made to the state’s Natural Resource Damages Trust and will be used for restoration projects that benefit the natural resources that were injured by the fuel spill.
“Rumney Marsh is an Area of Critical Environmental Concern for the Commonwealth and provides important ecological benefits to the public and the environment,” said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. “The settlement will ensure that the public is compensated for the natural resources damaged. This significant funding will be used to repair the injuries done to the marsh, wetlands, fish and wildlife, and native plant species.”
The No. 2 heating oil released from the overturned tanker truck migrated through the storm drain system, via the Ward Street Outfall, downstream into the impacted resource areas. MassDEP estimated that the oil spill damaged more than 47 acres, causing injury to the surface water, shoreline, and various plant and animal habitats.
In addition to the payment to the Natural Resources Damages Trust, Goguen Transportation is responsible for completing the cleanup of the spill under state regulations.
To learn more about MassDEP’s Natural Resource Damages program, click here.
MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and to ensure a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth; to provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives; and to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.
