In a move that seems destined to land the town in court again, the Johnston, RI, Town Council approved a resolution seeking to have the explosion-plagued Metals Recycling Inc. plant shut down immediately as a public safety hazard.
The measure was approved unanimously during a special council meeting. It asks that Mayor William R. Macera, acting as the town's public safety officer, find that the metal shredding operation is hazardous, especially to people living and working near the facility; it asks the mayor to close it, until the company submits a plan to correct the problems.
Macera, who was at the session, said he plans to study the resolution today, but added, "I will follow the council."
The council acted at the behest of Councilman Joseph Wells, who is upset about what he called explosions at the plant.
"They've been getting louder, and there's more of them," he said.
Wells represents the district that includes the plant.
During a discussion that lasted nearly an hour, Wells said there has been progress made at resolving some of the neighbors' complaints neighbors. But he said the issue of explosions has not been solved.
During the meeting company spokesman Francis X. McMahon said he was surprised by the resolution since he, Wells and police and fire officials met about a month ago to discuss the matter.
The explosions occur when gasoline tanks are not removed from cars and when propane tanks, often hidden in wrecked cars and discarded appliances, are shredded. According to records on file in Town Hall, there have been 18 explosions since the start of the year.
"We take this very seriously," McMahon said. "These explosions are disruptive to our business."
He said the company has brought in extra staff and equipment to pry apart partially crushed cars to look for gasoline tanks, which are supposed to be removed before the cars are shredded; workers also search inside the appliances to look for hidden propane tanks. He said workers store the tanks found on company property. "We have a roll-off full of them," he said.
McMahon said new regulations concerning the valves on propane tanks led to an upsurge in abandoned tanks.
If the mayor attempts to shut the plant, the company would probably seek a restraining order to prevent a shutdown.
McMahon declined to say specifically what Metals Recycling will do. But after the resolution was approved, he said, "This is a joke." Providence (Rhode Island) Journal