On Friday evening, 6/24/05, at approximately 6:00 PM, OSC Dan Wainberg was dispatched to an oil spill on the Merrimack River in Lowell, MA. Upon arrival, OSC Wainberg coordinated efforts with the MA DEP responder, the Lowell Fire Department, and representatives of the responsible party (RP). The source of the spill was determined to be a hydraulic oil tank within the Boott Hydro Power Facility, located at 145 Pawtucket Street in Lowell. The volume of discharged oil was between 100 and 400 gallons. Four towns downstream of the facility that have water intakes on the Merrimack were notified of the spill. The RP, DEP, and EPA were working with the Town of Tewksbery on a contingency plan to protect their water supply facility in case of additional discharge. On 6/25, commercial divers hired by the RP will examine the tailrace of the Boott plant and work on preparing the race to pump out the standing water. Once the water is pumped out, a manway can be accessed which will allow plant workers to determine the amount of oil remaining and therefore the volume that was actually released. Any remaining oil will be pumped out and disposed of prior to making any necessary repairs.
