Press Release: 2022-10-04

MassDEP Penalizes R.M. Packer Company for Non-Compliance and Failure to Respond Following Fuel Spill Investigation in Tisbury

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

10/03/2022

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has assessed a $15,000 penalty to R.M. Packer Co., Inc. for failure to act and respond to several notices – including a 2021 Notice of Noncompliance (NON) – related to a 2002 Notice of Responsibility for a liquid petroleum product identified in the soil from their bulk fuel oil storage facility in Tisbury. MassDEP’s penalty is the result of several years in which R.M. Packer Company had failed to not only conduct response actions at their site, but also submit required waste site cleanup documents to MassDEP for review.

In a consent order with MassDEP, the company is required to pay $7,500 of the assessed penalty with the remainder suspended provided the company does not incur additional violations within two years.

“Our notices serve an important purpose and companies are expected and required to fully comply with them,” said Millie Garcia-Serrano, director of MassDEP’s Southeast Regional Office in Lakeville. “MassDEP continues its efforts to ensure fulfillment of requirements and compliance with regulations for the benefit of public health, safety and the environment.”

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 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, provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives and ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities served by the agency.

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