When Global Petroleum officials chose to withdraw their application for bringing Ethanol trains to its Revere/East Boston terminal via tracks through Chelsea and Everett, residents—particularly those living adjacent to the railway or terminal—received welcome news.
The explosion that occurred last week in Canada involving crude oil offers a sobering reminder of what could have happened had Ethanol trains begun traveling through our tracks, considering that Ethanol is significantly more flammable than crude oil.
Throughout our community’s history, the oil and gas tanks along our shorelines and the factories in our neighborhoods never seemed cause for concern as we grew up here. That complacency has proven costly, as many of these familiar sites have become brownfields requiring years and millions of dollars for remediation.
The Ethanol proposal, however, represented a risk that exceeded what residents were prepared to tolerate.
Revere resident Ed O’Hara launched a two-year campaign against the Global Petroleum plan to stop it.
O’Hara’s efforts proved relentless—he first mobilized residents in Revere along the train tracks, where his daughter and grandchildren also reside. He attended City Council meetings to urge Councillors to pass opposing resolutions. He worked to place the Ethanol proposal on the ballot, where Revere voters decisively rejected Global’s plan.
Nearly every week, Ed would visit the newspaper offices carrying another letter filled with data about train accidents and potential catastrophes threatening these communities.
O’Hara subsequently connected with organizations across the affected areas, including The Chelsea Human Service Collaborative and NOAH in East Boston, enlisting their support.
State Senators Anthony Petruccelli and Sal DiDomenico eventually incorporated language into a Senate bill that would have made obtaining necessary state approvals extremely difficult or impossible for Global.
Last Monday, Global officials abandoned their plan rather than pursue litigation after witnessing the unified resistance from residents. Though Global might have ultimately prevailed in court, they chose the responsible path and shelved the proposal.
This Ethanol train outcome validates a Chinese proverb: “Victory has many fathers.”