Johnson’s Pond case is dismissed

COVENTRY, R.I. (WLNE) — Senator Raptakis, Representative Serpa, and Representative Noret released a statement regarding yesterday’s dismissal of a federal lawsuit brought against the Department of Environmental Management by Soscia Holdings, owner of Johnson’s Pond.

Sen. Raptakis noted that Soscia Holdings, LLC recently lost a court decision where the company was pursuing to sue the Town of Coventry over insurance requirements and to halt all recreational use of the pond.

The lawsuit dismissed yesterday related to a law passed in 2022, requiring any person who owns a dam with a storage capacity of over 1,400 acre feet of water to obtain a permit from DEM to raise or lower the water level behind the dam.

At that time, Sen. Raptakis said this was a matter of residential property rights as well as a major environmental concern.

Senator Raptakis and Representatives Serpa and Noret released the following statement:

“This case dismissal is a significant win for residents and property owners on our state’s ponds and lakes. Purposely lowering the water levels to unusable levels is concerning and has a detrimental effect on the surrounding environment, as well. With that being said, there are still several unresolved issues relating to the continued public use of these bodies of water that need to be addressed and we will continue to fight for the rights of property owners and residents.”