Broadrock: Landfill Odor Caused By RIRRC's Mismanagement

In a press release issued just before 5 p.m. this afternoon, officials at Broadrock Gas Services LLC, the company charged with collecting gas from the Central Landfill and burning it for electricity, accused management with "spreading misleading information that wrongly attempts to blame Broadrock" for an odor problem that started in mid-Septermber.

Broadrock spokesman Bill Fischer said in the statement that officials from the company intend to appear at a hearing of the Special House Commission on RIRRC, set for tomorrow at the State House.

House Communications Director Larry Berman said the session is scheduled to begin between 4:45 and 5 p.m.

Fischer also said that RIRRC officials "have relied on bad data and incomplete analysis to support their conclusions" about the cause of the rotten-egg odor that affected Johnston and several surrounding communities, and led .

“The root causes of the odor problems are the consequence of failing to adopt and apply proper landfill management practices over a long period of time," Fischer wrote in the statement." The odor crisis wasn’t created overnight, and unless landfill practices are changed at RIRRC, problems will continue to occur.”

Fischer said RIRRC is to blame for "maintaining an open disposal area of approximately 75 acres that does not have adequate cover," as well as covering the trash improperly; failing to collect water from the area sufficiently; and continuing to accept boiler ash and construction debris, both of which can produce hydrogen sulfide.

"Attempts to blame the odor problems on Broadrock and the gas collection systems are counterproductive and do nothing to resolve this crisis,” wrote Fischer.

In December, the commission's chairman, Rep. Stephen R. Ucci (D-Johnston, Cranston) called for the resignation of RIRRC Executive Director Michael OConnell — a suggestion that OConnell rejected during a follow-up interview.

A phone call to RIRRC for comment was not returned by presstime.