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Neighbors ask Newport to halt dumping near Easton's Pond; petition delivered
Summary
Residents near Blissline Road say city trucks have been backfilling a former sedimentation lagoon and ask the council for permits, testing results and a halt to work until environmental status is verified.
John Walker, a Newport resident, told the City Council that neighbors around Blissline Road and Easton's Pond have observed repeated truckloads of material being dumped into a former sedimentation lagoon and asked the city to produce permits, testing and contractor information.
The petition, presented by Walker and supported in public comment by Kathy McKinney, asks the City of Newport to “provide the public with any relevant information and or documents about the ongoing work at the water treatment facility on Blissline Road,” including permits, engineering reports and test results for material being placed in the former sedimentation pond. Walker said he and neighbors forming “Friends of Easton Pond” have collected about 30 signatures.
Why it matters: Neighbors said the old sedimentation lagoon has re-wilded since the water treatment plant closed in 1991 and that recent backfilling appears to be altering wetlands. They asked the council to stop work until the city and state can show the activity is permitted and the fill material has been tested.
Walker described seeing dump trucks late at night and said the material appeared to be excavation waste from utility trenches and bellholes. “None of my neighbors recall any meetings or public forums,” Walker said, asking the council to make documents public. McKinney added that residents were concerned about changes to the local ecosystem and called for more transparency and official oversight.
Council action: The council accepted Walker’s petition into the public record. The record shows a motion and second to accept the petition and the council voted to accept it; the transcript does not name a mover or record a roll-call tally.
Next steps: Walker said he will submit the petition copy to the city clerk. The petition requests cessation of work and remediation if documents cannot be produced; the council did not take further formal action on the specific cleanup or permitting at the meeting.
Ending: The council accepted the petition and the matter remains open pending follow-up from city staff and any state agencies that may have jurisdiction over wetlands and fill activity.
