North Providence residents press council over Pay Property soil testing; report not yet available

North Providence — Residents urged the Town Council on Jan. 6 to act after reports of dumped fill and visible debris at the Pay Property, saying the material may include hazardous soil brought in years earlier.

Mayor Lombardi told the council he had expected to present results from soil testing but that the full report had not arrived for the meeting. ‘‘The report has not come in yet,’’ the mayor said, and council members agreed they could not complete their review without the document.

Multiple residents described longstanding dumping at the site. One resident said, "You guys put that stuff over there 5 years ago... it's a dump now," and another asked, "Would you wanna live next to that?"—comments that framed neighbors’ concerns about bottles, tires and construction debris visible on the property.

Council members pressed for clarity on when the material was placed and whether samples reflected older fill or more recent deposits from a school construction project. Council member (speaker 12) asked that the council receive a copy of the testing report before the next meeting so members could review it in advance.

Councilman Martone moved, and Councilman DiLorenzo seconded, to continue discussion of the soil-testing results to the February council meeting and to request distribution of the report to council members prior to that meeting. The motion passed.

Next steps: The council’s staff and mayor’s office said they will seek and distribute the testing report in advance of the February meeting so the council and residents can review findings and determine any necessary remediation or follow-up.