Broken MWRA valve dumps 1,000 gallons of oil into Charles River

By adamg on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 11:41am

The Coast Guard reports a valve malfunction at an MWRA facility in Cambridge let 2,000 gallons of Number 2 heating oil drain out around 3:45 this morning. About half that is in the building; the rest flowed into the River, where a contractor is now attempting to contain and clean up the spill.

Neighborhoods:

Cambridge

Free tagging:

MWRA

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Comments

I'd check to make sure all

By NotWhitey on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 12:06pm.

I'd check to make sure all the employees of Clean Harbors have alibis.

Any idea where in Cambridge this is?

By Ron Newman on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 12:30pm.

The Coast Guard page doesn't say.

Wicked Local to the rescue

By adamg on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 12:39pm.

Reports it was an unmanned pumphouse near Magazine Beach.

Implications

By Jay Levitt on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 12:30pm.

So the swim meet is definitely canceled, then?

Gotta love it.

By ken on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 12:58pm.

The first and most prominent thing that comes up on the Wicked Local page is an ad for an oil delivery co.

Sweet irony

By c1josh on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 2:14pm.

The MWRA, our government agency tasked with protecting the water of the Commonwealth has polluted it.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Considering ....

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 02/10/2010 - 2:53pm.

That the MWRA was formed after a court order that resulted from a federal judge stepping in human feces at the beach ... a little spilled oil is trivial after 20 years, no?