The Rhode Island State Department of Environmental Management and Global Waste Recycling agreed to speed the cleanup of Global's former debris-processing site in Coventry, RI, by tapping into a company fund, totaling more than $200,000, that had been established for the cleanup. (See Earlier Story)
Lawyers hammered out an agreement to hire as many haulers as possible to quickly remove the estimated 60,000 tons of demolition debris remaining at the site.
Months ago, Global had been ordered by Superior Court Judge Netti C. Vogel to remove all the debris from the site by Dec. 31. Last week, company officials appeared before Vogel hoping to win a six-month extension of that deadline, saying they had underestimated the amount of material to be removed.
Friday's agreement was reached after scheduling problems forced the cancellation of more testimony that day before Vogel. Now, lawyers for DEM and Global are scheduled to appear before Vogel this Friday to give a progress report on the removal operation.
"It's in everyone's best interest to use the money that's there and do what you have to do to remove the piles," said John Langlois, a lawyer for DEM, referring to the so-called "closure fund" that Global had established.
Under a court order in 2000, Global had to make the DEM a co-signatory to that fund; no money can be withdrawn from it without both parties' consent.
In Vogel's court last week, Langlois said that Global had not sought to use the closure fund for the cleanup. He did not suggest why.
On Dec. 10, Langlois said there may be additional resources to draw on. He said the DEM is negotiating with a Johnston waste hauler -- whom he would not identify -- to assist in removing the debris in lieu of fines assessed against it.
While a speed-up of the debris removal now appears likely, road-safety concerns may temper the operation. Providence (RI) Journal