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8/11/2022 Rep. McNamara asks DEM chief to intervene in stockpile of hazardous waste near Pawtuxet River in Warwick
STATE HOUSE — Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston) has penned a letter to Terrence Gray, asking the director of the Department of Environmental Management to exercise emergency powers and order the immediate removal of the hazardous waste at 175 Post Road in Warwick.

“The stockpile of PVC and High Density Polyurethane pipes and tanks are a threat to both the environment and the citizens of the surrounding communities,” Representative McNamara wrote. “These sunbaked PVC and High Poly products could be easily launched into the Pawtuxet River during the next flood leading to contamination of Pawtuxet Cove and the bay.”

The property in question has become a bone of contention in the city. Recently the owners posted a no-trespassing sign on the Pawtuxet River Trail, which cuts through the property and has been in use for decades.

In his letter, Representative McNamara also wrote of the potential fire hazards at the site: “… if these materials were ever ignited, a fire would result in the release of dioxins in the ash and contaminated soot that would endanger the health of the surrounding neighborhoods. These items have become an attractive nuisance to both the environment and to the health and safety of the citizens living in the surrounding communities.”

McNamara noted that there is no commercial value to these piles of tanks and pipes, saying that no contractor or vendor could legally purchase the material without a CFC (Certificate of Compliance) from the manufactures, and the company that produced the products no longer exists.


For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922