ExxonMobil’s oil storage terminal endangered nearby waterways and loomed over residential neighborhoods in Everett. Photo: Alex Maclean
For years, neighbors regarded the massive storage tanks at the ExxonMobil oil terminal in Everett as an eyesore and a hazard. But families long accustomed to the 100-acre tank farm’s fumes and spills into the nearby Mystic River were largely unaware that the danger to their homes and businesses had grown steadily due to climate change. More extreme rains were overwhelming ExxonMobil’s treatment system, flushing more and more toxic carcinogens into the river. Worse yet, ExxonMobil’s refusal even to consider climate risk was putting the community and Boston Harbor one storm away from a catastrophic spill.
But no longer. In a victory for residents in Everett, ExxonMobil, under pressure from a CLF lawsuit, ceased operations and has agreed to sell…