The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has issued a Notice of Intent to Issue a license to the RI Resource Recovery Corp. to open and operate the 32-acre Phase V at the Corporation's Central Landfill in Johnston. Phases I through III are filled and closed, and Phase IV is nearing capacity.
The Notice of Intent to Issue is the first step in a legally mandated public participation process, which includes an informal informational workshop that will be held on Tuesday, January 20th, and a public hearing, which is scheduled for March 16th. The process provides an opportunity for the public to comment on the license application and for DEM and the Corporation to address substantive comments received from the public before a final decision is rendered.
DEM issued the notice to the corporation January 5th, after a thorough review of information submitted by the Corporation in support of its landfill application. The proposed double-lined Phase V landfill overlaps portions of the existing landfill and will accommodate approximately 7.5 million tons of additional waste capacity.
The corporation has estimated that Phase V will extend the expectancy of Central Landfill for an additional 7.1 years. The notice contains several requirements that the Corporation must complete before a final decision on the license can be made.