PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — A hazardous waste facility in south Providence has a new owner.
The facility on Allens Avenue has been around for more than 40 years, but residents and community members are concerned about hazardous waste contaminating the water or air.
The CEO and COO of Veolia said that the facility operates safely.
Nicole Moeder reports on the sale of a hazardous waste facility in Providence. (WJAR)
They added that Veolia goes beyond regulatory requirements to protect the environment.
“We manage that material in an environmentally appropriate way so that it doesn’t go in the trash,” Veolia’s CEO Bob Cappadona told NBC10 in an interview.
The Allens Avenue facility is the only one legally authorized to treat, store, and dispose of hazardous waste in the state.
It receives, stores, treats, and consolidates hazardous waste before much of it is shipped out to licensed facilities out of state.
While the facility is permitted to dispose of certain waste, much of the materials that go through the facility are treated, consolidated, or prepared for recycling or shipment.
“It’s a business that is extremely regulated, and you have a phenomenal traceability from the generator of the waste to the final disposal point Hazardous waste,” Veolia COO Julie Angulo told NBC 10 in an interview.
The facility has a complicated regulatory history.
The previous operator was cited by the EPA in 2012 for hazard waste violations, including misclassifying waste, improper maintenance of tanks, and storing waste too close together.
In 2022, the OSHA completed an inspection following a complaint.
That case was closed and no action was taken.
When asked if residents should be concerned about pollution or contamination, Angulo said, “I understand the concern, and I would reassure them that this is a company that does things by the rules, by the law and beyond.”
Cappadona added that Veolia has an open-door policy and welcomes opportunities to show the community how the facility operates.