The Lowell Conservation Commission voted Sept. 24 to issue a City of Lowell standard order of conditions for remedial work at 169.2 Bridge St., where periodic sheens of number‑6 fuel oil have migrated into the Concord River from the courtyard between industrial buildings. The commission closed the public hearing following presentations from the owner’s representatives and consulting engineers.

Kayla Lesson, managing representative for Mullins Management Company, described recurring oil migration into the Concord River during low-flow drought conditions and noted existing boom-and-absorbent systems in the river. Ray Johnson, the licensed site professional on the project with Tetra Tech, summarized prior investigations and remedial work at the site (including tank removals and soil disposal completed in 2018–2019) and said residual, weathered number‑6 fuel oil remains in soils behind the river retaining wall. “The oil that's appearing in the river is just residual that's trapped in the soil,” Johnson said, adding that the material is heavy and not amenable to simple well‑extraction methods.

GEI Consultants’ Mike Zbulas presented the selected remedy: targeted grout injections behind the existing retaining wall coupled with placement of concrete‑filled sacks by hand to close voids beneath the wall, sealing migration pathways and preventing oil from reaching the river. The work area will include work pad limits and in‑river booms and absorbent systems during construction.

Commissioners asked technical questions and discussed MassDEP comments. No members of the public spoke during the hearing. After discussion, a commissioner moved to issue a City of Lowell standard order of conditions for the project; the motion passed on a voice vote. The commission directed the applicant and consultants to follow the plan and MassDEP/Municipal limits identified in their filing and to maintain the in‑river containment measures during construction.