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Heating Oil Delivered to Wrong City Floods Medford Basement With 385 Gallons

State environmental officials are overseeing an extensive cleanup with liability unresolved.

Overview

  • Officials say a Fawcett Energy driver pumped roughly 385 gallons into 48 Linwood St. in Medford instead of the intended address in Malden.
  • The oil flowed through an accessible exterior fill pipe even though the home had no tank after converting from oil, a configuration state code generally requires to be removed.
  • Medford Fire and hazmat crews responded to contain fumes and surface oil as the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the local building inspector began investigations.
  • A contractor hired by the oil company is ventilating the structure and using absorbents and booms, and the home remains unsafe with six residents displaced and aided by the Red Cross.
  • No injuries were reported, and an industry official said determining who pays for remediation could take several months to a year.