Home Economy Court hearing Friday may decide fate of embattled Providence scrapyard

Court hearing Friday may decide fate of embattled Providence scrapyard

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PBN Staff

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07/11/2024

R.I. ATTORNEY GENERAL Peter Neronha is seeking to shut down Rhode Island Recycled Metals LLC after a second fire in a year broke out at the facility Wednesday. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MARK S. MURPHY

PROVIDENCE – The future of an embattled scrap metal yard on Allens Avenue could be decided at a Superior Court hearing on Friday. Attorney General Peter F. Neronha is seeking to shut down Rhode Island Recycled Metals LLC after a second fire in a year broke out at the facility Wednesday, filling the neighborhood with smoke

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PROVIDENCE – The future of an embattled scrap metal yard on Allens Avenue could be decided at a Superior Court hearing on Friday. Attorney General Peter F. Neronha is seeking to shut down Rhode Island Recycled Metals LLC after a second fire in a year broke out at the facility Wednesday, filling the neighborhood with smoke and snarling nearby traffic. In a statement, Neronha said he filed a a motion for an emergency preliminary injunction to shut down RIRM's operations, and to convert the special mastership into a receivership. “Rhode Island Recycled Metals presents an ongoing environmental nuisance and public safety hazard that this office has, for years, fought against in court, alongside efforts by our neighboring communities and stakeholders,” Neronha said. “It has now become more than evident that the monitoring and oversight provided by the special mastership is not enough – our office will continue to argue that to adequately protect the public, the full operational control of a receivership is required.” At an emergency hearing Wednesday, Superior Court Justice Brian Stern took Neronha's requests under advisement and scheduled a second hearing for 11 a.m. on Friday. Rhode Island Recycled Metals agreed it would not resume operations before Friday’s court appearance, Neronha said. On April 10, the Providence Fire Department responded to a fire at 11:35 p.m. and found a 100-foot by 100-foot metal scrap pile in flames. Josh Estrella, spokesperson for the city, said it took approximately eight hours to extinguish the fire and there were no injuries. Patrick Sweeney, spokesperson for Recycled Metals, said in a statement to PBN that the April fire started in one of the company’s light iron piles, which does not contain combustible materials, and hours after trespassers “…had to be removed from the area.” The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The April fire came just weeks after Recycled Metals made headlines for its legal battles over a $25,000 environmental fine and $160,000 in back taxes the company has been ordered to pay the city. In response to the April fire, City Councilman Pedro Espinal released a statement calling for the closure of Recycled Metals. “Fortunately, no one was hurt, but enough is enough. Rhode Island Recycled Metals is a dangerous business that has repeatedly jeopardized our environment, our firefighters' safety, and our residents' health,” Espinal said. “The business has ignored a cease-and-desist order from the city of Providence and regulatory requirements from the state. This business needs to be shut down immediately.” According to previous PBN reports, Richard Nicholson, an attorney for Rhode Island Recycled Metals LLC, said the company was ignoring a cease-and-desist order that was issued on March 8 because it has a state license and does not need one from the city. The company has also been cited by the R.I. Department of Environmental Management multiple times for problems, including missing permits, and stormwater runoff and oil leaks spilling into the river. On May 5, The City Council passed a resolution Thursday condemning and calling for the closure of the scrapyard.