Business & Tech

Johnston Waste-To-Energy Plant Second Largest Of Its Kind In U.S.

But R.I. Resource Recovery officials say the plant is the source of the strong odors that caused an uproar in late 2011, early 2012, so the courts have become involved.


For many in Rhode Island, the name "Johnston" is synonymous with "landfill." If Broadrock Renewables has anything to do with it, people will soon associate Johnston with renewable energy, according to the Providence Journal.

The Central Landfill produces a mix of gases, including methane. Methane is already being used to generate power at the landfill. With the completion of a new $150 million power plant owned by Broadrock Renewables, the hope is there will be enough energy produced to power more than just the landfill. They hope to produce power for 23,000 homes.

But there are significant hurdles to that plan, according to the Projo's story.

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"Before it can achieve peak output, Broadrock must certify the plant’s many components, a process that’s expected to finish by the end of June. Another potentially more serious issue stems from a legal dispute: the landfill’s operator, the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, has terminated an agreement that secured Broadrock’s supply of landfill gas. Since February, Broadrock had relied on a preliminary court order to maintain its access to the gas."

The problem is landfill officials blamed a severe odor prevalent in fall 2011 and early winter 2012 on problems with Broadrock's system;.

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"The relationship soured further last year when Resource Recovery accused Broadrock of discharging wastewater and condensate from its gas-cleaning operations into the landfill’s sewer system, which connects to Cranston’s system," the Providence Journal reported.

Broadrock has filed suit against Resource Recovery in Superior Court.

To read the Providence Journal's full story, written by Mark Reynolds with photographs by Bob Thayer, click here.


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