BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 will host a joint Geographic Response Strategies exercise next week to test the feasibility of plans that have been developed to contain and recover oil spilled into the Blackstone River. The exercise will be held Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Blackstone Heritage Corridor Visitor Center, 3 Paul Clancy Way, Worcester, and will be the first oil spill preparedness exercise ever held along the Blackstone River. “We are pleased to host this joint exercise with EPA and local agencies in order to test these i

“We are pleased to host this joint exercise with EPA and local agencies in order to test these important strategies and be prepared should an oil spill ever threaten the Blackstone River,” said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. “This location is of critical importance for spill response – immediately downstream of a railroad bridge crossing, a shoreline-based storage tank facility, and a number of upstream stormwater discharge points along the river.” 

“A spill of only one gallon of oil can contaminate a million gallons of water,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “We applaud MassDEP and all emergency responders for their strategic approach to this critical work.” 

MassDEP and EPA are expected to be joined during the exercise by local fire departments, City of Worcester emergency management staff, EPA’s contractor, Nuka Research and Planning Group (NUKA), and MassDEP’s contractor, Moran Environmental. 

In 2021, EPA and NUKA developed the Geographic Response Strategies for 10 locations along the Blackstone River in central Massachusetts to respond to potential oil spills and protect sensitive natural resources. This exercise will test the feasibility to contain and recover oil at this location using absorbents, booms, and other equipment contained in the inland waterway spill response trailer that MassDEP has provided to local communities. The trailer to be utilized in this exercise is stationed in the Town of Auburn. 

Information on the inland Geographic Response Strategies program can be found on EPA’s website. 

MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and to ensure a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth; to provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives; and to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

###