East Providence mayor rejects idea of emergency declaration for Washington Bridge

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — East Providence City Council is calling on Governor Dan McKee to sign an emergency declaration for the city, but Mayor Bob DaSilva says it’s not that simple.

During Tuesday night’s city council meeting, councilors discussed their fears of potential long-term consequences from the Washington Bridge westbound closure and called for a state of emergency to help East Providence.

“If they’re talking about one or two years, we really need to start looking at that and asking the state for assistance,” said City Council Vice President Frank Rego during the meeting. “Businesses are being hurt. They’re being strangled.”

“I think we need to have an understanding of what an emergency declaration does,” DaSilva told ABC 6 News on Wednesday.

When asked if he agreed with City Council President Bob Rodericks’s calls for an emergency declaration in a letter sent to McKee, DaSilva said a declaration would not accomplish anything.

“This does not fall under the Stafford Act,” explained DaSilva. “If declaring an emergency were to bring additional resources to this issue, additional resources to the city, additional resources to the state, I think that would of happened already.”

The Stafford Act allows federal assistance for natural disasters, which means the Washington Bridge would not bring in federal funds if an emergency was declared.

DaSilva said he’s been having conversations with the Emergency Management Agency and McKee behind the scenes to get as much help as he can to businesses.

Meanwhile, McKee said he’s met with Council President Rodericks and DaSilva to discuss the calls for an emergency declaration.

“I think that we’re covering that base,” McKee said. “We’re making sure we’re following up.”