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Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street | Providence, RI 02908 | 401. 222. 4700 | www. dem. ri. gov | @RhodeIslandDEM CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mike Healey, 401-258-0787 Wednesday, March 15, 2023 Michael. Healey@ dem. ri. gov
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<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:#00457A">Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#00457A">235 Promenade Street | Providence, RI 02908 | 401.222.4700 |</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">
</span><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#00457A">| @RhodeIslandDEM</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Mike Healey, 401-258-0787
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">Wednesday, March 15, 2023</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Michael.Healey@dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">Michael.Healey@dem.ri.gov</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF;text-decoration:none">
</span></span><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">AFTER IMPROVEMENTS MADE AT THE WOONSOCKET
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, DEM LIFTS NO-CONTACT
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">ADVISORY FOR THE BLACKSTONE RIVER<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is lifting the no-contact advisory it placed March 1 on the stretch of the Blackstone River from the Woonsocket
wastewater treatment plant to the Slater Mill Dam in Pawtucket. The City of Woonsocket owns the plant but contracts its operations and maintenance out to Jacobs, a Texas-based consulting and engineering firm, and related sludge treatment systems to Synagro
Technologies Inc., headquartered in Baltimore.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">DEM issued the advisory – recommending that residents temporarily refrain from wading, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, or fishing and from eating any fish caught in these waters – after
receiving notification that there was a solids washout at the treatment facility March 1. Since, DEM has inspected the facility five times and had multiple meetings with the city and plant operators investigating the causes that have resulted in the loss of
full treatment and observing the steps being taken to ensure a return to permit compliance. As part of this effort, DEM required that the city and its vendors to increase sampling and testing, implement twice-daily reporting of the effluent clarity and solids
levels in the facility’s clarifiers, institute process changes, and proceed with the installation of a portable gravity belt thickener until the permanent thickener can be repaired.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">These actions have improved discharge quality to the degree that the plant has been consistently meeting its effluent permit limits since March 3. DEM extended the advisory between March
3 and today because the treatment process wasn’t under control. Based on this and the continued daily monitoring/reporting, DEM is lifting the no-contact advisory effective immediately.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Today, Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that his office and DEM have filed a civil complaint against the plant operators in Superior Court stemming from the facility’s unpermitted
discharges.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">For more information about DEM divisions and programs, visit
</span><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">
</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">or follow us on </span>
<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!PYy5cAsuDLlgfsW6r7MHteZcDOfCy-HYK0Jh2n_Q0hI8MaNn39lJZ5f3h0CllYDGWOycsQEbAS6N3mo087ZvPb5OSFbVcPCcxxr1$"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">Facebook</span> [facebook.com]</a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely
updates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">###<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="xxxxxydpe3ecabc6yiv8679005185ydp7f4f0b45yiv2173515244xxxmsonormal" style="margin:0in">
<b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">Michael J. Healey | Chief Public Affairs Officer</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="xxxxxydpe3ecabc6yiv8679005185ydp7f4f0b45yiv2173515244xxxmsonormal" style="margin:0in">
<b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="xxxxxydpe3ecabc6yiv8679005185ydp7f4f0b45yiv2173515244xxxmsonormal" style="margin:0in">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">235 Promenade Street, Providence RI 02908</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="xxxxxydpe3ecabc6yiv8679005185ydp7f4f0b45yiv2173515244xxxmsonormal" style="margin:0in">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">401-222-4700, X277-7273</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="xxxxxydpe3ecabc6yiv8679005185ydp7f4f0b45yiv2173515244xxxmsonormal" style="margin:0in">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">Email: </span><a href="mailto:michael.healey@dem.ri.gov" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">michael.healey@dem.ri.gov</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="xxxxxydpe3ecabc6yiv8679005185ydp7f4f0b45yiv2173515244xmsonormal" style="margin:0in">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">Web: </span><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.dem.gov__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!JTan8GFpr31dz0axLZC-y-wGNcw1msmDMbDiMRiDsdSguslA8VuLG4ZstXozPoLcLmecg9NNx54sgvHaiJ8xNg$" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">www.dem.gov
[dem.gov]</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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