Politics & Government

Ethanol Trains Proposal Stopped in State Budget

Opposed by many in Somerville, Cambridge and neighboring communities, a proposal to ship ethanol by train through the area is close to dead.

A budget passed Monday by the Massachusetts House and Senate—and sent to Gov. Deval Patrick's desk for consideration—includes language that would effectively prevent freight trains carrying ethanol from rolling through Somerville, Cambridge and neighboring communities.

At the same time, the corporation behind the ethanol plan has indicated it's withdrawing its proposal, according to Somerville State Sen. Patricia Jehlen.

The proposal by Global Petroleum Corp. in Revere to expand its facility would have resulted in freight trains carrying up to 1.8 million gallons of ethanol, used to refine gasoline, through dense neighborhoods in Somerville, Cambridge, Boston, Revere and Everett.

There was substantial public opposition to the proposal in those communities. At a public forum about the proposal held in Somerville in March, a number of residents expressed fears that ethanol trains could cause dangerous accidents in highly populated urban communities, including Somerville and Cambridge.

The budget passed Monday includes language that prevents the state from issuing Chapter 91 licenses to companies proposing to store and blend ethanol more than 5,000 gallons of ethanol within one mile of Census blocks that have greater than 4,000 people per square mile.

Revere's population density is over 5,000 people per square mile, and the densities in places like Somerville and Cambridge are greater.

Jehlen proposed the language along with Senators Anthony Petruccelli, Sal DiDomenico and William Brownsberger, according to the state legislatures's website.

"A lot of people contributed to this victory," Jehlen said Monday evening. "All of us can sleep a little more easily without being worried" about possible accidents.

She said Global Oil, in a Monday meeting with her and other senators, said it would be issuing a statement soon saying it would withdraw its proposal.

"I'm glad that Global realized it was time to give up on this project," Jehlen said.

Although the anti-ethanol train language in the budget was passed by the House and Senate Monday, Patrick had not yet signed the budget, a process that could take days, with possible amendments proposed by the governor. 



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