Revere rollover brings massive diesel mess
A tractor-trailer truck hauling 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel rolled over in a Revere rotary early Wednesday, sparking a massive fuel spill that wreaked havoc on the roads and fouled a nearby marsh.
The truck apparently had defective brakes when it rolled over onto its right side after entering Revere’s Brown Circle on Route 60 at around 4:30 a.m., according to state police.
Most of the 10,000 gallons in the Goguen Transportation tanker was spilled because of multiple breaches in the tank compartments, according to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection — which responded to the mess with police, fire, Coast Guard and transportation workers.
Roads were shut down all around the area, and the cleanup of the fuel spill continued throughout the day.
Around 1:30 p.m., Route 60 eastbound and westbound were open but lanes remained closed on Route 107, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
MassDOT planned to repave the impacted sections of the roadways overnight.
The red-dyed diesel fuel was also affecting a drainage ditch that runs along Route 107 toward Diamond Creek, which is part of the Rumney Marsh.
“Hard boom was deployed in the ditch and additional boom was deployed by the Revere Fire Department and MassDEP first responders in that area,” said a spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
“MassDEP has mobilized one of its state environmental cleanup contractors, Cyn Environmental, which has brought in two vacuum trucks, spill response equip- ment and a crew to begin the assessment and cleanup of the diesel fuel in the area,” he added.
One oiled but alive bird, a cormorant, was discovered by MassDEP personnel, and they were trying to reach a wildlife rehabilitator.
The U.S. Coast Guard completed a helicopter over- flight of the spill.
The operator of the tanker was a 41-year-old man, according to Massachusetts State Police.
“The Massachusetts State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section determined that the vehicle had a defect in its braking system at the time of the crash and placed the vehicle out-of-service until the defect is repaired and certified as such (obviously in addition to any repairs necessitated by crash damage),” a State Police spokesman said.
Revere Police will determine whether any criminal or civil motor vehicle violations should be issued.