Swampscott crews clean up brake fluid spill

SWAMPSCOTT – HazMat crews were at the intersection of Reddington and Blainey streets early Thursday morning cleaning up a spill.Fire Lt. Remo Zimbaldi, who was the officer in charge at the scene, said a garbage truck spilled hydraulic brake fluid at approximately 7:30 a.m. and crews were on the scene until 10:15 a.m.”The hydraulic line broke and the fluid spilled,” he said.Zimbaldi said when the fire department arrived they immediately spread absorbent material onto the spill and contained the fluid with a dike. But Zimbaldi said some of the brake fluid had run into the storm drain prior to their arrival.”It was a good sized spill,” he said. “And there was a considerable amount of fluid in the drain. But we were lucky we were able to contain it. “Zimbaldi said EnPro, which works with the Department of Environmental Protection, brought in a vacuum truck and suctioned out the drain. He said EnPro also placed a boom in the drain, which would remain in place for a couple of weeks.”That particular storm drain drains on an upward slant,” he said. “Then it flows into several storm drains before it reaches the ocean. Crews were able to clean out the drainage system before the brake fluid made it into the ocean.”