75-gallon oil spill on Tanner Street in Lowell
A 75-gallon lubricating-oil spill occurred during demolition at Markley Group's Tanner Street property in Lowell. The spill was contained and remediated without documented groundwater or surface-water impacts, while the city continues considering zoning rules and a moratorium affecting future data center development.
An above-ground storage tank tipped during demolition at 2 Tanner St. in Lowell, releasing up to 75 gallons of lubricating oil. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection said the incident was properly contained and cleaned up, with Clean Harbors Environmental Services performing excavation, sampling and waste management under licensed oversight. No sensitive receptors, private wells, groundwater or surface-water impacts were identified.
The property was purchased by Markley Group LLC President Jeff Markley after the retirement of the Tanner Street Generating Station. Lowell's Planning Board approved subdividing the industrial parcel, and the demolition was intended to prepare for that construction. The incident also prompted questions from Health and Human Services Director Lisa Golden about whether the state properly notified the city's health department.
The spill was disclosed as Lowell considers tighter data center regulations. The City Council previously approved a 360-day moratorium on permits for new or expanded data centers, and the Department of Planning and Development is preparing options that would either cap future growth at 15 megawatts with climate-friendly infrastructure or prohibit data centers in every zoning district.