DEM begins work on N.P. superfund site

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Environmental Management said this month that it is beginning work to limit access to the flood plain of the Woonasquatucket River in North Providence in preparation for work on a Superfund site.
In a news release, DEM said that the work will be performed in connection with the Centredale Manor Restoration Superfund project and will limit access and exposure to potential contamination from the site resulting from flooding of the river.
The department hired Johnston-based contractor United Fence to construct fences and install a new cover on properties that have experienced flooding from the river. The company will be working from the northern boundary of the Centredale Manor Superfund site along the Woonasquatucket River in North Providence and moving south towards the Lyman Mill Dam. The project will continue through September, DEM said.
The Centredale Manor Restoration project was listed on EPA’s National Priorities List in February 2000. EPA has coordinated with DEM and the R.I. Department of Health on a comprehensive environmental cleanup for the site. In September 2012, EPA issued a cleanup plan for 1.5 miles of contaminated property in and along the Woonasquatucket River. This plan included the cleanup of multiple contaminants, including dioxins.
Limiting access to the flood plain is a necessary precaution until the cleanup gets underway. DEM will be managing and overseeing the construction project. •