Press Release  MassDEP Penalizes A.A.S. Trucking for Oil Spill in Auburn

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued a $32,000 penalty to A.A.S. Trucking LLC of Manchester, New Hampshire, for violating the oil spill cleanup regulations after a truck accident in September 2020 at the westbound ramp to Route 90 from Route 290 in Auburn.

MassDEP issued several notices to A.A.S. Trucking over a five-year span that the company repeatedly ignored. The 2020 accident resulted in 65 gallons of diesel fuel being released from the company’s damaged truck onto the roadway and adjacent shoulder. When MassDEP was unable to contact the company owner, a state-funded contractor stabilized the spill and removed 17 drums of oil-contaminated sand and absorbents from the site. After stabilizing the site, MassDEP informed the company that additional response actions were necessary. The company refused to complete the required cleanup. The company violated state oil spill cleanup regulations by failing to submit an environmental response plan and complete the cleanup of the spill after receiving written notice from MassDEP.

"Commercial truck owners and operators involved in accidents are responsible for timely cleanup of any resulting oil spills," said Mary Jude Pigsley, director of MassDEP’s central regional office in Worcester. "Failure to act or respond increases the cost of cleanup, threatens the environment, and will ultimately result in penalties." 

In addition to the penalty, MassDEP’s order directs A.A.S. Trucking to complete the cleanup by hiring a Licensed Site Professional, conducting corrective actions, and submitting documentation as required by state regulations.

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