Tanker Overturns, Spills Fuel onto Road, into River
Story Updated 2:10PM Saturday, June 1, 2013
– Allison Goldsberry
A gasoline tanker truck overturned late Friday afternoon on Mystic Valley Parkway on the Medford/Arlington line, snarling traffic, closing the road, and sending thousands of gallons of gasoline onto the road and into the river.
The truck, owned by JP Noonan of West Bridgewater, was on its side at the Mystic Valley Parkway and Medford Street for several hours on Friday while emergency personnel responded to the scene.
Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan said the tanker was coming on to Route 60 from Medford into Arlington when it failed to successfully make the turn in the rotary and flipped.
According to State Police, the truck driver, a 65-year-old Framingham man, is in serious condition at Beth Israel Hospital. It is unclear at this point exactly what caused the accident.
As a precaution, several homes in the immediate area were evacuated until the contents of the truck could be identified and the scene secured.
Booms were set up in the Mystic River to contain the spill. As of 9:30PM Friday night, the spill was contained, according to State Police. Approximately 1,000 gallons of gasoline leaked from the truck. The State Police Marine Unit and Clean Harbors worked together to contain what was spilled into the Mystic River.
“A major spill like this one falls under the jurisdiction of MassDEP and we are cooperating fully with them in their cleanup efforts. I am very concerned about the effects on the Mystic River and the health of the abutting neighbors and we want to ensure that the Mystic River Watershed Association is fully involved with the situation,” said Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn.
As of 9PM Friday, the tractor-trailer had been removed from the scene, and crews were working to grind down and repave the road, said Captain Richard Flynn of the Arlington Police Department.
The road opened around 10:00AM on Saturday. State Police said it would be closed again briefly to allow for the movement of a clean up crane.
About 4:15 p.m. Friday, members of the Arlington Police Department responded to the area of Medford Street (Route 60) and the Mystic Valley Parkway. On arrival, officers determined that the operator had been ejected from the tanker, which was actively spilling an undetermined amount of fuel on the roadway.
Members of the Arlington Fire/Rescue stabilized the operator on scene before transporting him to the hospital.
In a 10 p.m. May 31 news release, police said, “At this time state and municipal agencies want to assure the community that this incident does not pose a danger to the public and are now conducting cleanup operations, which are expected to continue through the night and into Saturday,” June 1.
The Arlington Police Department said it is asking for the public’s assistance “as we deal with the aftermath of this incident.”
People are asked to “make every attempt to avoid the area of the Mystic Valley Parkway and Route 60 as emergency crews continue the cleanup efforts.”
In West Medford, the odor of gas was so strong that some residents said it burned their eyes and throat. According to a statement from the city of Medford, MassDEP said residents “are likely to continue to smell oil as it is rapidly vaporizing due to the heat” and that fumes are being carried by the wind.
MassDEP and Clean Harbors are expected to be on the site for clean up for about a week.