Pipe leak dumps oil into pond and river
Thousands of gallons of a mineral oil spilled into a Brookline pond and the Muddy River after leaking from an
The oil had insulated wires in an underground NSTAR pipe, according to Mike Durand. NSTAR found a small hole in the pipe, but it was not clear what caused it, he said. The substance, called dielectric fluid, is not toxic.
It started leaking at about 9 a.m., Durand said. A water main also burst, but Durand said the sequence of events was not clear. It appeared yesterday that 3,000 to 5,000 gallons of oil leaked, according to Ed Coletta, spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The oil and water surfaced around Strathmore and Sutherland roads in Brighton, Coletta said. The oil entered a drainage system that empties into Leverett Pond in Brookline. The pond sends water into the Muddy River, which flows into the Charles River, Coletta said. "At this point it appears that the oil has not gotten into the Charles," he said.
About 40 Canada geese were covered with some oil, said Lisa Capone, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs spokeswoman. The Animal Rescue League of Boston and Boston Animal Control were helping the geese.
The Brookline Fire Department placed booms to contain the spill.
Between 1,000 and 2,000 gallons of oil were contained in Leverett Pond, but 1,000 to 2,000 gallons had already entered the Muddy River, where a boom was also set up, Coletta said.
