Two weeks after a tanker truck overturned, spilling thousands of gallons of fuel, environmental crews were back on Massachusetts Route 3 in Billerica Thursday for work that's expected to take years to complete.
"It's a very painstaking process and you really can't shortcut it," Billerica Water Superintendent Todd Melanson said.
Environmental remediation is needed to address the Nov. 15 spill from the rolled-over tanker, which was carrying more than 10,000 gallons of gas and diesel fuel. The fuel spread quickly into basins and nearby water supplies.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection says it is monitoring the ground water and retention ponds, not only for fuel but for chemicals from the foam firefighters used right after the accident.
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"They'll be looking for any any sort of hazardous chemicals," Melanson said.
A brook running through the Billerica State Forest will need additional cleanup; monitoring wells are set to be installed along the Route 3 median.
Billerica's drinking water was not contaminated because of quick action to protect the supply as well as the work of first responders.
"If that had gone up, you probably would've lost a large section of Route 3," Melanson said.
Nobody was hurt in the accident and the driver of the tanker wasn't charged.
Dashcam video of the crash showed a pickup truck and a Tesla appearing to clip each other. The pickup then collided with a fuel tanker, which flipped over. Environmental officials have said 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel and 9,300 gallons of gasoline spilled during the crash.
