Deer Island

Hazmat situation at Deer Island sewage plant

adamg — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:45:13 +0000

The Boston Fire Department reports it sent hazmat crews to the MWRA's Deer Island treatment plant tonight when up to 200 gallons of toxic sulfuric acid spilled around 7:45 p.m.

BFD says the acid "overflowed from a holding tank to a containment area made for overflows" outdoors. The acid, used to help break down sewage, caused no injuries and posed no threats to the public, the department says.

BFD declared the situation under control around 9 p.m.; some fire crews remained on scene to monitor the cleanup by a company called Haz Mat Techs.

Before the sewage treatment plant

adamg — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:35:49 +0000

The good burghers of Boston have been using Deer Island for stuff they didn't really want near them since colonial days. In 1849, Boston built its alms house there. The image is from the Library of Congress's prints and photographs collection.

Tour boat runs aground at entrance to Boston Harbor

adamg — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 15:05:02 +0000

Going down: Passengers being taken off the Massachusetts. More photos, video from the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard reports the Massachusetts "ran hard aground" around 10 a.m. at the President Roads South Channel off Deer Island - apparently on a rock known as Devil's Back.

The 168 passengers and six crew members were taken off the boat by another boat and brought to Pemberton Pier in Hull. The Coast Guard says one person suffered an unspecified back injury during the incident, which blocked one of the channels into the harbor.

Map showing Presidents Roads and the South Channel (larger version of this USGS map). Colors represent water depth; the closer to orange, the shallower the water. Via William Ricker:

System designed to contain oil leaks at Deer Island works

adamg — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:31:21 +0000

The Boston Fire Department reports 320 gallons of number 2 oil leaked out of a tank at the Deer Island sewage plant around 9:30 p.m., but that all the oil was "contained in the protective area made for such leaks."

The coolest photo you'll ever see of a sewage-treatment plant

adamg — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:07:04 +0000

Deer Island as work of art.

Day into night

adamg — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 02:00:09 +0000

OK, call us nuts, but we had dinner at Anthony's Pier 4 tonight. I know, I know, nobody eats there anymore, at least not anybody who lives inside 128 (and indeed, our waitress seemed a bit surprised when she asked us where we were from and we said "here!" and, yes, we were surrounded by parents bringing their kids to school and Japanese businessmen and, based on the White Sox cap one of them was wearing, people from the Midwest). But it was good - good food and good service (although we didn't order any wine; the people next to us ordered wine to go with their calamari, the wine didn't come, the waitress said she couldn't bring it and when they asked if she could send over the wine steward, the guy took his time and then slowly walked over and said "can I help you?" as if the people were disturbing him somehow and as if the restaurant weren't mostly empty).

In any case, there are some great views from the restaurant and its pier. The Deer Island sewage treatment plant (above), normally gray, gray and more gray, turned a nice orangish shade for a couple of minutes at sunset. And the new ICA is quite dramatic at night:

A walk along the water

adamg — Mon, 27 Jun 2005 23:56:18 +0000

Bradley walks off a barbecue in Winthrop by strolling along the beach on Deer Island. Yes, sewage-treatment Deer Island:

... You wouldn't imagine the home of Boston's main wastewater treatment facility as a beautiful place to be. ... but was it ever. No nasty odor, just an overwhelming mix of wildflowers, salt-water smells, and a small bonfire on the beach. Even the regular whoosh of approaching planes couldn't dampen the mood... if anything, they probably help keep the crowds down. ...