Kent County Residents Slam MedRecycle Proposal In DEM Zoom Call

WEST WARWICK — Dozens of Kent County residents on Monday joined a packed public hearing on Zoom and spoke out against a proposed medical waste treatment facility.

The three-and-a-half-hour meeting hosted by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management offered the public a chance to weigh in on a waste-to-energy facility proposed by MedRecycler at 1600 Division Road in West Warwick, right near the East Greenwich line. RIDEM must decide whether to give the New Jersey-based proponents an operating license.

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Most who spoke at the virtual meeting, which maxed out at 300 people, said they were against the proposed plant, where 70 tons of medical waste per day would be trucked in and treated at high temperature in an oxygen-free process called pyrolysis. The process would generate energy.

Speaking against the proposal were state Sen. Bridget Valverde and state Rep. Justine Caldwell, both of whom represent East Greenwich. As reported by WJAR, a representative from the Conservation Law Foundation challenged “green energy” statements made by proponents, and said the plant would not be clean, environmentally friendly, or renewable.

MedRecycler CEO Nicholas Campanella of New Jersey promised a commitment to safety and compliance with all regulations. He said the project would generate $4 million in taxes and create construction jobs. He noted that the area is zoned industrial.

Rhode Island DEM will accept written public comment for the next 30 days and then must issue a decision within another 90 days.

Read More at WJAR