Demo Debris Facility Faces Opposition in Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Supreme Court has decided in favor of opponents of a proposed waste-transfer station in Pawtucket, R.I., according to a report in the Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.).

The high court has granted lawyers for the city and neighboring property owners permission to appeal a Super Court justice’s ruling that the proposed facility is permitted by local zoning regulations, according to the report.

The proposal by Pawtucket Transfer Operations would be the second-largest demolition debris processing facility in New England if it was allowed to go forward. It would be capable of processing up to 2,000 tons of debris per day.

The waste-transfer station was proposed for an eight-acre site in 2003. When it was first proposed, the developers obtained a certificate of zoning compliance from the city’s building official. According to the report, public opposition to the proposal arose, and the director of the Department of Planning and Redevelopment revoked the certificate. The developers then took the city to court, laying the foundation for the current legal battle.