Most Rhode Islanders don’t think about what happens after they flush. But that question is becoming harder to ignore. As one of the region’s main sludge incinerators starts winding down, it’s sparking a fight over where the waste should go next.
A proposed new sludge processing plant in Quonset Business Park has drawn sharp concern from residents of North Kingstown concerned about pollution, odor and the use of relatively new technology.
At a packed meeting Monday at North Kingstown High School, people lined up for hours to voice their opposition to the project.
“You may not be aware, but all of these projects are right on top of our aquifer,” said resident Joe Texiera. “If chemicals get in that water, you will destroy the town.”
Others bluntly focused on more immediate concerns.
“Well, for one thing, it’s probably going to stink,” said Patricia O’Conner.
The proposal, backed by a Rhode Island renewable energy company called Green Solutions, comes as the state grapples with how to handle what are known as “biosolids”—the treated sludge left over after wastewater is processed.
A system under pressure
Every day, Rhode Island treats millions of gallons of wastewater. At the Woonsocket Wastewater Treatment Facility alone, more than 9 million gallons are processed daily.
After treatment, the remaining solids are typically incinerated. Woonsocket is one of the state’s primary locations for doing that, handling sludge from dozens of communities across the region.
But that system is beginning to break down.
“The sludge incinerator in Woonsocket is failing,” said state Rep.Jon Brien, whose district includes Woonsocket and North Smithfield. “We are not spending more taxpayer dollars to keep it open.”
City officials have already begun reducing how much sludge the facility takes in, part of a broader effort to phase out operations over the next few years.
That leaves Rhode Island facing a difficult choice: develop a new in-state solution, or send the waste elsewhere at significantly higher cost.
“Let’s face it,” state Rep. Terri Cortvriend told a legislative committee, “none of us are going to want it in our town if they come and ask us.”
A new proposal — and new concerns
The project proposed for Quonset would use a process known as pyrolysis — a high-heat method that breaks down material in a low-oxygen environment.
Developers say the approach is cleaner than traditional incineration methods and would essentially be pollution-free.
“We’re not pursuing a typical incineration project,” said Hannah Morini of Green Development, the company behind the project. “We are pursuing pyrolysis.”
Project manager Matt Ursillo described the process as heating material to very high temperatures. The gases produced during pyrolysis would be captured, contained, and reused to help power the facility.
The remaining material, known as biochar, can be used as a raw material in products like water filtration systems, deodorant, shoe soles and construction materials.
The company already operates a small pyrolysis plant in Quonset, using wood chips rather than sewage sludge.
Supporters say the technology represents an efficient new method for disposing of sludge. But its use for sewage sludge is still relatively limited, with only a small number of similar facilities operating in the United States, including a big, new plant in Redwood City, California.
Skepticism from residents and leaders
Despite those assurances, many residents remain unconvinced.
“We’re being asked to accept an unproven technology right in our backyard, next door to schools, parks and neighborhoods,” said North Kingstown resident Sean Taylor.
Quonset is also close to a major aquifer.
“We live in a state where we supposedly care so much about the environment,” said resident Maria Valenti. “You turn around and they’re building a sludge facility. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
The advocacy group North Kingstown Residents for Clean Air and Water is suing the state agencies charged with regulating the sludge facility, saying they failed to consider the health and environmental effects of the project.
The issue has also spilled into state politics, briefly taking center stage in the Rhode Island governor’s race.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Helena Foulkes voiced her opposition last week, warning about potential impacts on air and water quality.
Gov. Dan McKee quickly followed suit and is now pledging to do everything in his power to stop the project from going forward.
“My hope is that Quonset sees that this is a dead project,” McKee told North Kingstown residents. “It’s either going to have a slow death or a long death, but either way, in the end, this project is not going to happen.”
For now, the Quonset proposal is effectively on hold, as state lawmakers prepare to create a study commission to evaluate long-term solutions for sludge disposal.
But even as that debate plays out, the underlying issue remains unresolved.
Rhode Island still produces large amounts of sewage sludge every day. As existing facilities wind down, the state must decide where it will go next.
