Opponents of Pond View Recycling's request for permission to accept and handle as much as 500 tons of debris a day at a facility in Providence, RI, will have their say Sept. 23rd, when the Zoning Board of Review meets. (Read Earlier Story)
The session is a resumption of a public hearing that started Aug. 14, when the board members heard testimony from two witnesses brought in by Pond View to bolster its contention that its operations have had little if any impact on noise or the quality of the air and water.
Before taking testimony, however, board members will first try to decide whether Michael Horan, an attorney for some residents opposed to the application, should be allowed to cross-examine Pond View's witnesses.
Horan and Pond View lawyer William Maaia disagreed on that point last month, and the Zoning Board told the two men to submit legal briefs prior to today.
The controversy over Pond View goes back to 1998, when the city initially granted a variance to the business to run a recycling operation, stipulating that no more than 150 tons be ground up in any given day. That limit still holds, but the state Department of Environmental Management granted a new license in January that would allow Pond View to accept 500 tons a day, provided that the city also agrees.
Edward Pimental, the city's zoning officer, said that he now has copies of the reports and analysis submitted by Pond View's witnesses, and they are now available at City Hall for the public to review. Providence Journal