Bouchard B-120 Oil Spill
On April 27, 2003, the Bouchard B-120 oil tank barge spilled 98,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil after striking a shoal that tore a 12-foot hole in its hull. The oil washed up on 100 miles of the shore in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The oil killed or harmed many bird species, including the threatened piping plover and the endangered roseate tern. The oil spill also injured fish, shellfish, and other aquatic life. Several towns restricted boating and beach access. All shellfish beds within Buzzards Bay were closed immediately following the spill.
In 2011, the Trustees reached partial settlement for NRD claims with the responsible party. The settlement included $6,076,083:
- $1,522,000 for Shoreline and Aquatic Resources
- $3,305,393 for Recreational Resources
- $1,249,000 for Ram Island Shoreline
- $715,000 for Piping Plovers
In 2014, the Trustees released a Final Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment. Following public review and comment, the Trustees selected 16 restoration projects in Massachusetts and 5 in Rhode Island.
In 2018, a second, $13.3 million settlement was reached to address injuries to common loon and other birds impacted by the spill. The settlement included:
- $7,300,000 for Common Loon
- $5,000,000 for Common and Roseate Terns
- $1,000,000 for Other Birds
In June 2020, the Trustees released a Final Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment for Common Loon and Other Birds Impacted by the Bouchard B-120 Oil Spill. The Plan selected six projects using $8.2 million in bird restoration funding. Remaining bird injury restoration funds for terns will be addressed through a separate, forthcoming restoration plan.
The Trustee Council includes MassDEP, State of Rhode Island, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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Rumney Marsh Oil Spills
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has entered into two NRD settlement agreements for oil spills into Rumney Marsh in Revere, MA.
On April 17, 2020, 10,000 gallons of gasoline and 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel were released from an overturned tanker truck at the Brown Circle Rotary in Revere. The fuel entered a storm drain and discharged to the nearby Rumney Marsh and migrated downstream to Diamond Creek, the Pines River, and the Atlantic Ocean. In 2021, MassDEP entered into an NRD settlement agreement with P.J. Murphy Transportation, Inc. for $52,746.00.
On October 13, 2021, an estimated 10,000 gallons of heating oil were released by an overturned tanker truck at the Brown Circle Rotary in Revere. The fuel entered a storm drain and discharged into Rumney Marsh, Diamond Creek, and the Pines River. In 2023, MassDEP entered into an NRD settlement agreement with Goguen Transportation, Inc. for $116,458.50.
Settlement funds from both spills will be available for restoration projects via a grant solicitation to be annouced in the future.
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Lower Mystic River Oil Spill
In 2018, an oil sheen was observed to have impacted approximatley 1.8 miles of the Mystic River, from the Amelia Earhart Dam in Somerville and Everett to the confluence with the Chelsea River in Chelsea and Charlestown. The sheen injured surface water, shoreline, and biota. The sheen was discovered to be from an estimated 6,780 gallons of dielectric pipe-type cable fluid associated with electrical transmission lines connected to an Eversource Energy substation. In 2019, MassDEP entered into an NRD settlement agreement with Eversource Energy for $58,137.00.
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Upper Mystic River Oil Spill
On Friday, May 31, 2013, a tanker truck carrying 10,000 gallons of red-dyed diesel fuel overturned at the intersection of Mystic Valley Parkway and Medford Street in Arlington. All but about 400 gallons of fuel spilled from the tanker onto the roadway. The fuel flowed into catch basins and then into the Mystic River in Arlington and Medford.
On October 16, 2014, MassDEP entered into an NRD settlement agreement with J.P. Noonan Transportation, Inc. totaling $55,100. In 2016, MassDEP awarded funds to the Town of Arlington and the City of Medford to implement restoration projects. These projects will create native riparian habitat and improve water quality.
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Mystic River/Hallmark Oil Spill
In 1999, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts reached an NRD settlement with Hallmark Health Systems for releasing No. 6 fuel oil into the lower Mystic River. The settlement totaled $26,801.97. Multiple releases occurred to the River from a leaking underground storage tank into a storm drain.
In 2014, MassDEP awarded funds to the Mystic Valley Development Commission (MVDC) to complete a restoration project along the Malden River. In 2016, MVDC created wetland habitat, restored and stabilized degraded river bank, and expanded public access.
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T/V Posavina Chelsea Creek Oil Spill
On June 8, 2000, the T/V Posavina was rammed by its own tug boat and the collision punctured a hole in its hull, spilling 59,600 gallons of bunker fuel oil. The oil spill coated salt marsh, deteriorated bulkheads, and rip-rap walls along the shore of Chelsea Creek, a tributary to the lower Mystic River.
The Trustees prepared a Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for public review and comment. The Plan identified two salt marsh restoration projects to receive a total of $100,000. In 2004, the Trustees entered into an NRD settlement with the responsible party.
The Trustees worked with the Chelsea Open Space and Recreation Committee to restore 1.5 acres of salt marsh along Mill Creek. The Trustees also worked with the City of Boston to remove tons of concrete, wood, brick, and other debris and plant 1.6 acres of native salt marsh plant species at the former Belle Isle Fish Company site.
The Trustees include the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Global/Irving Chelsea Creek Oil Spill
On March 8, 2006, approximately 18,000 gallons of Number 2 heating oil spilled into Chelsea Creek. The oil spilled from a pipeline used to transfer oil to and from storage tanks and the fuel dock. Oil also migrated upstream into Mill Creek. The oil affected surface water, sediments, shoreline and marine communities.
In 2008, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts reached a $312,500 settlement with Global and Irving. Of these funds, $12,500 compensates for natural resource injuries to the Chelsea and Mill Creeks and $200,000 for other environmental impacts.
In 2014, MassDEP awarded funds to the Chelsea Collaborative (now GreenRoots). When completed, the funded project will improve water quality in and enhance habitat along Chelsea Creek. It will also expand access to Chelsea Creek for environmental justice neighborhoods.