Bill To Ban Waste-Burning Plants Up For RI State House Hearing

PROVIDENCE, RI — A legislative committee on Thursday will consider a measure that would ban new “high-heat waste processing facilities” such as the controversial medical waste pyrolysis plant proposed for the East Greenwich-West Warwick border.

The House Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hold a public hearing April 8 at 3 p.m. on 2021-H-5923, a bill sponsored by Rep. Justine A. Caldwell (D-Dist. 30, East Greenwich, West Greenwich).

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The bill takes aim at solid waste incineration in general, and specifies all forms of high-heat waste processing, claiming that that the process emits toxic pollutants, endangers the health and safety of Rhode Islanders, and is a costly method of waste disposal.

The proposed MedRecycler-RI facility in West Warwick would accept up to 70 tons of medical waste daily from across New England and burn it at extreme temperatures in a no-oxygen process known as pyrolysis.

The State House remains closed to the public, but the meeting will be streamed online and televised on Capitol Television.

Written testimony may be emailed to HouseEnvironmentandNaturalResources@rilegislature.gov. Commenters should state their name, the bill number, and their "for or against" position at the top of the message. People are asked to submit testimony as a PDF if possible. Testimony must be received by 4 p.m. Thursday to be provided to the committee. Late testimony will be provided to members after the meeting. All written testimony will be made publicly available online.

Requests to provide verbal testimony must be made online by 4 p.m. Wednesday. People are asked not to email requests to submit verbal testimony.