Somerville Couldn't Handle Ethanol Accident Alone, Says Fire Chief

Somerville Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher said an ethanol train derailment in Somerville would require help from the Greater Boston region, specifically when it comes to stockpiling enough special foam to fight such an accident.

Kelleher spoke Tuesday at a meeting of the Somerville Board of Aldermen, who asked him about the fire department's ability to handle an accident involving a freight train carrying ethanol.

A proposal to ship ethanol, an inflammable liquid, to Revere along rail tracks through Somerville, Cambridge, Boston, Chelsea, Everett and other nearby communities has sparked opposition from local officials and members of the public who fear an accident could be catastrophic.

Fighting an ethanol accident would require a special foam, and Kelleher told the aldermen Somerville and other nearby fire departments have been in discussions about creating a regional stockpile.

"If we had one of these rail tankers go up [in Somerville] … we couldn't stock enough foam" to deal with it, Kelleher said.

Efforts to halt the transport of ethanol by rail through the densest communities in New England have gained traction recently, according to Boston.com, which says a recent amendment to the state budget would effectively put a stop to the proposal.

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