Contractor Set to Replace Pipes in Norwood Three Months After Massive Asphalt Spill-August 4, 1989

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Three months after a tanker truck accident dumped thousands of gallons of molten asphalt across neighborhood roadways and properties, a contractor is scheduled to begin replacing 1,450 feet of clogged drainage pipes on Dean Street in Norwood. While local homeowners Louise Thomas of 332 Dean St. and William Murray of 771 Neponset St. continue to wait for property restoration, town officials explained that the three-month lag was due to the complex engineering design, bidding, and preparation required for the project. The $126,000 project will be executed by the Richard J. Ragone Co. of Wellesley, with all costs covered by the trucking company’s insurance, D.J. Cronin of East Providence, R.I.

Both Louise Thomas and William Murray expressed patient resignation regarding the continued disrepair of their lawns, driveways, shrubs, and fencing. Thomas noted she was advised to delay final property repairs until after the new pipe installation to account for any additional construction damage. Town Manager John J. Carroll acknowledged that sections of Dean Street remained dug up since the initial cleanup, though he noted that despite minor pipe overflow incidents, no major flood damage had occurred and the state Department of Environmental Quality Engineering confirmed the spill posed no environmental threat.

The catastrophic spill occurred on May 4 at the intersection of Dean Street and Neponset Street when the driver, 21-year-old Kenneth J. Salmone of Woonsocket, R.I., lost control while turning, crashing into a utility pole and tipping the vehicle over. Kenneth J. Salmone was cited by police for negligent operation, speeding, and failure to exercise care when turning. However, Richard Cronin, vice president of D.J. Cronin trucking company, defended the driver, claiming an unidentified motorist made an illegal U-turn and cut him off, a version supported by witnesses who also maintained the driver was not speeding.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger