State to examine natural gas’s role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions WARWICK — State utility officials will start the new year with a special resolution: studying how the natural gas distribution system will play a part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has signed off on a three-part work plan that […]
R.I. Transportation Committee Hears Pleas to Revamp Transit System RI’s failure to meet its transportation goals and promises made in recent years will have a deep impact on public health and whether or not the state meets its climate goals. That was the message almost two dozen speakers brought to this month’s meeting of the […]
R.I. Supreme Court Ends Years-Long Battle Over Block Island Marina Expansion The RI Supreme Court has rejected a controversial agreement between the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) and Champlin’s Marina & Resort that would have allowed the Block Island marina to expand, ending a nearly 20-year-old legal battle. In its 54-page decision, the court affirmed […]
Resurrection of Environmental Bills Held for Further Study in 2021 RI legislators returned to the General Assembly chambers in January, and environmental advocates are hoping to pass an ambitious agenda. The legislature is expected to consider several environmental and climate-related bills that fell by the wayside last session. At the top of the list of […]
From Superfund Site to Solar Farm Nestled between Pontiac Avenue and the Pawtuxet River in Cranston, the Beacon Solar Project hosts 9,000 ground-mounted solar panels that can power 509 households. Subscribers to the community solar project are expected to save about 10 percent on their electric bills. The 3.5-megawatt project is a joint venture between […]
Zoning Board Kicks Asphalt Operation to the Curb Providence’s Zoning Board of Review unanimously denied a variance request Oct. 13 from a pavement manufacturing company that sought to continue the use of a leased portside Allens Avenue site for the storage and processing of concrete, stone, aggregate, and asphalt. The Narragansett Improvement Co. applied for […]
An Unfair Tale of Two Tree Canopies At the corner of John and Benefit streets on Providence’s East Side, the tree equity score — a measure that indicates whether there are enough trees in specific neighborhoods for everyone to experience the health, economic and climate benefits that trees provide — is a perfect 100. Across the […]
An Unenforced Emissions Law Means Diesel Trucks Can Pollute at Will Your personal vehicle has to undergo an emissions check every two years, but Rhode Island doesn’t inspect long-haul trucks and heavy-duty vehicles for emissions at all, in spite of a 21-year-old law mandating such checks. In mid-July, 21 years ago, a law was passed […]
More Good Beach Days, In Spite of Rain In the first decade of the 2000s, beach closures were trending in the wrong direction. In 2003, Rhode Island beaches were closed a staggering 503 times because high levels of bacteria, usually following a rainstorm, made them unsafe. Three years later, in 2006, Rhode Island lost a […]
Shellfishing in the Providence River? Sure! Years of work and millions of dollars in investment are paying off for the Providence River, and with it, fishing and shellfishing opportunities have increased. This spring, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) opened the lower third of the Providence River to quahogging on a conditional basis […]