Residents Urge Council to Oppose QSS Biosolids Incinerator, Cite Past Woonsocket Failures

Several residents at the March 23 meeting specifically urged the council to oppose or to request public hearings on an air permit application for QSS Biosolids LLC.

Sean Taylor (speaker 12) argued the company’s proposed multi‑stage filtration and thermal‑oxidizer system is vulnerable to single‑point failures and cited the 2019 Boker & Associates audit and a 2021 EPA settlement tied to an older Woonsocket facility. “They were hit with a $373,000 EPA settlement in 2021 for Clean Air Act violations,” Taylor said, and warned that a system permitted at 90% efficiency can operate far lower in practice.

Jason Bergenstock read from the applicant’s own filing and described processes including drying, pelletizing and pyrolysis at roughly 800°F, listing odors and gaseous compounds residents might detect such as hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans. “Their application admits [odors] are significant enough to require an entire odor containment system… and even then, they don’t say odors won’t happen — they say they will be reduced,” Bergenstock said.

Speakers recommended the council press DEM for enforceable, on‑site, real‑time hydrogen sulfide monitoring; public reporting of complaints and exceedances; and clear, enforceable shutdown triggers tied to off‑site detections. No applicant representative was present at the meeting to respond to technical claims.

The council did not take a formal vote specifically on a resolution opposing the QSS permit at this meeting; instead, council members authorized town solicitor involvement and a letter to DEM that will document resident complaints and request investigation.