Medical recycling facility faces opposition in West Warwick
WEST WARWICK — Fifty-seven people testified on Monday during a Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) public hearing to discuss a proposed medical recycling facility that would be located at 1600 Division Road.
While the address is technically in West Warwick, the facility stands right in between the town it pays taxes to and East Greenwich. In front of the facility is a childcare center and across the street is the New England Institute of Technology – both located in East Greenwich.
The proposal would allow the company MedRecycler to create a facility that would convert medical waste into clean, renewable electricity, according to its website.
“The waste will be converted to energy by a heating process called ‘pyrolysis.’ Waste will not be burned or incinerated – rather, it is evaporated,” the company website states.
The company’s concept is to essentially allow a place for medical waste to be disposed of in a way that it claims to be environmentally responsible, while also serving the needs of the Rhode Island medical community. If approved, the facility will be able treat 70 tons per day of regulated medical waste.
“Emissions from the facility will be less than the equivalent of four cars traveling 11,500 miles per-year at 55 miles per-hour,” its website states.
Because of the proximity to East Greenwich, many of those who testified against the proposed project came from East Greenwich, including members of the town council.
Town councilor Renu Englehart, who called herself a neighbor of the facility, spoke against the project and said that while the facility is in West Warwick, the effects will trickle down to other zip codes.
“The building is in West Warwick but everything else about this building affects other towns. The access points to this project are off of Exit 7 off of Route 95, which is Coventry, West Greenwich, or Exit 8 which is off of Route 95, which is Warwick, or Exit 6 which is off Route 4 in East Greenwich,” she stated.
Englehart noted that all these roads have a lot of congestion, which leads to a large number of accidents.
“While these are state roads, the state does not respond. In case of an accident or other emergencies, local agencies respond, such as the West Warwick Police and Fire Department, the East Greenwich Police and Fire Department and the Warwick Police and Fire Department,” she said during the hearing.
She also said the driveway is in East Greenwich.
“The only way to access this property is to pass by East Greenwich residences or commercial areas,” she said. “Residences are across the road from the property, not hundreds of feet away.”
Sen. Bridget Valverde, who represents East Greenwich, had similar concerns about the facility.
“Over the past few months, I have received dozens of emails and phone calls from residents of East Greenwich who are deeply concerned at the prospect of this facility opening up just over the town line in West Warwick,” she said. “And I share their concerns. I am hearing from parents that they don’t want a medical waste treatment plant right next to their child’s daycare. I’m hearing from abutting residents that they are concerned about harmful greenhouse gas emissions and the proximity to wetlands, lowered property values, and increased traffic congestion from trucks delivering the waste.”
She also said she’s heard from people who are concerned about the risk of accidents.
“I am hearing from doctors and others that they are concerned about the risks of accidents associated with the transport and treatment of medical waste containing pathogens. As an abutting community, my constituents have no authority over West Warwick, but seeing as this facility is to be located literally feet from the East Greenwich line, they will bear much of the risk,” Valverde said.
With the public hearing completed, RIDEM has laid out the final steps of the process. Written comments will be accepted until April 14 and can be submitted to: Department of Environmental Management Office of Land Revitalization and Sustainable Materials Management 235 Promenade St., Providence, RI 02908 Attention: Yan Li; emails can be sent to yan.li@dem.ri.gov.