Environment
Environmental issues and climate change
Mystery explosion, exposed gas pipelines and heavy construction reported in Burrillville
“We need the Governor to stop Enrbridge’s construction now," said Martley. "It’s shameful that Enbridge is trying to sneak this project in amid the COVID-19 crisis without obtaining any permits. They need to be held accountable.” [UPDATE...
Legislation to prevent siting of incinerators in Providence introduced in City Council
"I believe that this type of industry would only serve to harm our residents, and create more air and water pollution," said Councilperson Pedro Espinal. "There is no viable place for such facilities in a City as densely populated as Pro...
CLF sues Trump Administration over unlawful rollback of Clean Water Rule
“This heinous new rule is another Trump Administration giveaway to industries at the expense of our environment, and it cannot go unchecked.” Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) filed a lawsuit today challenging the Trump Administration’s...
DPUC and OER issue report on heating sector transformation needed to fight climate change
Environmental groups call for immediate action based on reports conclusions and recommendations. "A key lesson from your leadership during the current COVID-19 crisis is that our decisions must be grounded in science and data. The scienc...
Earth Day in RI: Activists call on elected leaders to support sustainable COVID-19 recovery
“Unfortunately, my Representative did not commit to making a public statement despite supporting every issue I raised because they were concerned that publicly contradicting the Speaker would have consequences for future legislation.” To...
Is turning waste plastic into fuel the answer to our waste management and energy woes?
Essentially, "you just took a fossil fuel, gave it a brief lifespan as a plastic, turned it back into a fossil fuel and burned it. That's not renewable energy." The first meeting of the "Special Legislative Commission to Study the Merits...
Proposed Port garbage transfer station is dead
"This was a win for the community," said Linda Perri, President of the Washington Park Neighborhood Association. "It is so great that everybody got behind this. It became a movement. It showed that real people really do care about injust...
Transfer station developer requests 60-day extension
The City Plan Commission will decide on extension at March 17 meeting Allens Providence Recycling LLC, through their attorney John DeSimone Jr, the former Majority Leader in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, has requested a 60 d...
PVD City Council pushes back against Great Streets Initiative
"I have been advocating for more community engagement around city projects since last year - when the two-way bike lane was installed on Eaton Street without notice to neighbors and caused a great deal of stress and outrage in my neighbo...
Study: Speaker Mattiello blocks "real and impactful" climate change bills
"Overall, this... reflects a House that, despite its overall makeup, is held captive by a single anti-environment legislator," writes RI Rank. It should come as no surprise to anyone that Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello (Democrat...