Rhode Island
GoLocalProv | News | DEM Director Gray: Probably Should Have Taken Action Earlier and We Still Have an Enforcement Hammer
Thursday, March 16, 2023
RI DEM Director Terry Grey PHOTO: DEM
In an interview with Rhode Island Division of Environmental Administration director Terry Grey, he answered questions from GoLocal concerning the enforcement motion announcement on Wednesday and about how his company and the lawyer normal dealt with the unlawful discharges into the Blackstone River that was ongoing over the previous yr.
When requested if the company ought to have taken enforcement motion earlier Grey stated, “Hindsight is all the time 20/20. If we knew that we had been going to have these upsets a yr later, ought to now we have completed one thing earlier — in all probability — however we had been working below the idea that these had been remoted incidents.”
“Perhaps that was naive wanting again,” stated Grey.
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And Grey stated that this motion by the company is a reminder that there are efficient enforcement instruments that can be utilized to drive the correction of unlawful actions.
“I believe there’s a message that there’s nonetheless a hammer [in enforcement cases],” stated Grey.
“After we see these repeat violations on actually correctable issues that aren’t being addressed, the hammer goes to come back out,” he stated.
“It might be a civil motion with the Lawyer Normal, a penalty from us [DEM], or a penalty with the EPA,” stated Grey.
Repeated Air pollution, AG Drama, and Lastly, Enforcement
On Wednesday, after almost a yr’s delay and a few drama, Rhode Island Lawyer Normal Peter Neronha, the state introduced an enforcement motion towards the Metropolis of Woonsocket, and its contractors Synagro and Jacobs — two nationwide environmental corporations.
The state’s motion got here after a sequence of GoLocal articles highlighting the dearth of enforcement motion unveiled that Neronha’s workplace had begun an investigation, however had not adopted by way of.
Neronha and his workplace went on a sequence of assaults towards DEM, Governor Dan McKee, and GoLocal.
Concerning the authorized motion introduced on Wednesday, Grey stated, “The message from this civil motion is ‘sufficient is sufficient.’ The issues must be addressed. This forces the events to take motion.”
Grey additionally alluded that there might must be important and costly enhancements to the Woonsocket wastewater facility and the Synagro-operated facility.
“There are in all probability some gear upgrades vital and we have to take a look at the long-term way forward for this facility,” stated Grey.
The Synagro facility takes the solids from wastewater services all through Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut — greater than three dozen services.
“There should not lots of these services anymore. They’ve older applied sciences and wish upgrades and people upgrades are costly. We have to take a tough take a look at a system degree of solids administration,” stated Grey.
“I believe the town must take far nearer consideration to the actions of the contractors [Jacobs and Synagrow],” stated Grey.
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