An Andover trucking company must pay $33,000 to the state for failing to properly address a fuel spill, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection said. (File photograph)
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has slapped an Andover-based trucking company with a $33,000 fine for failure to properly address a fuel spill following an accident on Route 495 in August 2016.
Airfreight Express Corporation failed to notify the MassDEP of the 100-gallon spill from one of its company vehicles in the aftermath of an accident on the Massachusetts Turnpike and did not submit any of the required documentation relating to the accident, the state agency said.
Companies like Airfreight are required to notify the agency within two hours of the spill and hire a contractor to address the spill. Neither was done by Airfreight, who forced MassDEP to hire a state contractor to facilitate the cleanup.
“Operators of commercial vehicles involved in motor vehicle accidents must take prompt action to address releases of fuel oils that are released to the environment,” MassDEP’s Mary Jude Pigsley said. “This includes filing all necessary plans and documents to ensure proper cleanup of any spilled fuel or oils in the interest of public health, safety, welfare and the environment.”
The fuel spill involving Airfreight impacted the roadway and soil at the accident site, the agency said.