Agenda Text
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That this Board opposes, with Chelsea, Revere, and Shirley, the plan of Global Oil to transport ethanol to its facility in Chelsea via train.
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Official Text
WHEREAS, The Cities of Chelsea and Revere and the Town of Shirley have all enacted resolutions opposing the plan of Global Oil to transport ethanol to its facility in Chelsea via 60-car trains, each car of which will carry 30,000 gallons of ethanol, into its facility 2x per week, every week with the end result of 187,200,000 gallons of ethanol being transported on freight trains each year; and
WHEREAS, The principal reason those communities passed these resolution is because the route of the train is extremely dangerous as it will travel through densely populated residential neighborhoods and commercial centers. Ethanol is a highly volatile, flammable, colorless liquid that burns at high temperatures. Should a fire or explosion occur, hundreds of thousands of people and dozens of businesses could be impacted; and
WHEREAS, The train is likely to travel through the City of Somerville, subjecting the residents of Somerville to tremendous risks in the event that a fire or explosion should occur; and
WHEREAS, The Board of Aldermen wishes to join the communities of Chelsea, Revere and Shirley in opposing the proposal of Global Oil; NOW THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, That the Somerville Board of Aldermen hereby declares its opposition to the proposal of Global Oil and further asks that a Chapter 91 license not be granted to Global Oil and further declares its opposition to any other land method of transport of such ethanol to the Global Oil facility in Chelsea.