Alert: Unknown chemicals released into Fore River Basin after fire at Clean Harbors

Late last night, we received an alert from a Braintree resident of a fire at Clean Harbors. They could smell and see smoke coming from the facility. Firefighters soon responded to the fire and the Town of Braintree advised residents to remain indoors, though they only made this announcement via their Facebook page. They did not alert residents via a reverse 911 message. The fire was extinguished around 1 AM. Luckily, there were no reports of injury. 

At approximately 11 PM, Channel 7 news reported that 3 tractor trailers at the Clean Harbors hazardous waste disposal site were on fire. One of which was “burnt to essentially a shell”. It is not known at this time what chemicals were in the trailers. And therefore, it is not known what toxins the community has been exposed to. You can see a video of the tractor trailers here.

If you live close to Clean Harbors and the Fore River Basin, we encourage you to take precaution by keeping your windows closed and wearing a high-quality mask outdoors. We do not say this to cause fear or worry but to keep you informed. Again, it is not known what chemicals were the containers but we think it's important to take precautions to protect your health. If you experience any sensations like headache, itchy eyes, and/or sore throat, let us know. 

We are disappointed by the Town of Weymouth’s response to this event. Residents in Weymouth who subscribed to the Town’s “CodeRED Emergency Notification System”, said they did not receive any messages. Air pollution does not adhere to town boundaries -- residents of neighboring towns should have been alerted of this event so that they could take the proper precautions (i.e. keeping windows closed or evacuating if necessary).

The Town of Braintree made an announcement via their Facebook page but they did not alert residents via a reverse 911 message.

Braintree District 3 councilor Elizabeth Maglio alerted FRRACS about the fire when it first started. We thank her for leadership on this issue and for her commitment to protecting the health and safety of Braintree residents and beyond.

We will continue to follow up on this matter and we will continue to advocate for the health and safety of the community.