Judge says Providence scrap yard that has caught fire twice can reopen

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A Rhode Island Superior Court decided that the scrap yard on Allens Avenue in Providence could reopen after a hearing on Wednesday.

The court accepted owner Rhode Island Recycled Metals’ remediation plan for reopening the scrap yard, which has caught fire twice in 2024, which includes the installation of infrared cameras.

The hearing came a day after a public meeting where residents voiced their concerns on the scrap yard’s continued operation.

The company said it “welcomed” the decision and that it planned to reopen by Aug. 12.

A spokesperson from Mayor Brett Smiley said that the mayor was “disappointed” by the decision and that the yard is unlicensed by the city’s standards.

Attorney General Peter Neronha reacted to the decision by saying that the company “forfeited its right to manage its own business a long time ago.”

“I’m not holding my breath for this business to suddenly change course and behave responsibly,” Neronha said. “Yet, the South Providence community has been holding its breath for years, figuratively and perhaps literally at some points, as RIRM subjects them to significant health risks, pollutants, and the very tangible threat of dangerous fires.”

He added that his office would continue with pending litigation to place the company in a receivership.

A spokesperson for the Providence City Council said that it would make a statement later in the week in order to “see how things continue to unfold.”

The full RIRM statement can be read below:

RIRM welcomes the decision of the court to accept the recommendation of the Special Master to accept the Fire Prevention and Emergency Response Plan as updated, which will allow RIRM to reopen with the installation of its infrared camera system – despite the objection of [the Department of Environmental Management] and the Attorney General’s Office. RIRM hopes to reopen Friday or Monday.

The full statement from the mayor’s office reads:

The mayor is incredibly disappointed in today’s ruling but hopes that the attorney general’s office will continue to stay actively engaged with the other pending litigations against this facility to hold them accountable. Rhode Island Recycled Metals is unlicensed by municipal standards and the city has made multiple attempts to close down this facility after they withdrew their application for a necessary license.

Neronha’s full statement can be found below:

Rhode Island Recycled Metals forfeited its right to manage its own business a long time ago. With the utmost respect for Judge Stern, I am disappointed that RIRM will reopen soon for the time being, over this office’s objection, and I’m not holding my breath for this business to suddenly change course and behave responsibly. Yet, the South Providence community has been holding its breath for years, figuratively and perhaps literally at some points, as RIRM subjects them to significant health risks, pollutants, and the very tangible threat of dangerous fires.

All of this to say, this fight is not over. My office will continue to push forward on our pending litigation to move this company into a receivership so that its management can do no further harm, as well as keep up the pressure to ensure that its remediation requirements, including removal of the tugboat, are not further neglected.