Press Release  MassDEP Fines Charlestown Property Management Company for Failing to Clean Up Oil Spill on Residential Property in Barre

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has assessed a $16,500 penalty and issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to Charlestown-based property management company, 73 Willard Road, LLC, and its construction company, Edgewater Construction Incorporated, for multiple state cleanup law violations related to a release of heating oil during renovation work on the residential property it owns at 148 Main Street in Barre.

In 2021, the Barre Fire Department notified MassDEP of a release of a mixture of approximately 200 gallons of fuel oil and water that was discharged by Edgewater from the basement of a home owned by 73 Willard Road, LLC. The release ran through a hose to the yard of an adjacent residential property, impacting the soil on that neighboring property and requiring actions to stabilize the situation and prevent further releases.

MassDEP performed initial cleanup activities at the site with a state-funded contractor and notified 73 Willard Road, LLC of its liability and requirements to hire a Licensed Site Professional (LSP) to oversee cleanup of the oil. Both the management company and its construction company failed to engage an LSP or conduct any of the required actions.

Under the terms of the penalty and the Administrative Order, the property management company and the construction company are required to pay $16,500, conduct cleanup with oversight by an LSP, and perform an environmental site investigation.

“Contractors and businesses that cause a substantial oil release on any property must take the necessary cleanup actions under MassDEP’s guidance,” said Mary Jude Pigsley, Regional Director of the MassDEP Central Regional Office in Worcester. “Timely action is critical and responsible parties are obligated to ensure cleanups are conducted effectively in the interest of public health, safety, welfare and the environment.”

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.

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