Residents flood North Kingstown meeting with health, transparency and governance concerns over Quonset projects

Dozens of North Kingstown residents used the council’s public comment period to press elected officials to block the proposed Quonset biosolids facility and to demand greater transparency from the Quonset Development Corporation (QDC).

Vanessa Mascaro, who opened the public-comment sequence, said the QDC’s governance structure places decisionmaking at the state level and leaves host communities without meaningful input. "This system, including the lack of transparency and lack of public input, exists under that authority," Mascaro said, urging the governor and council to change the structure and require public engagement for major projects.

Speakers across age groups emphasized health and environmental risks: former state senator Jane Sheen warned about particulate and gaseous emissions; parent Sean Taylor said the site lies within a mile of three schools and on top of a sole-source aquifer and said, "We cannot gamble on the lifelong health of our children." Several speakers cited permit numbers and argued that control technologies (for example, activated carbon for mercury removal) are technically feasible but were not required.

Many urged immediate steps beyond the study commission: Garrett Russ asked the council to request that the governor direct his appointees to rescind QDC’s November approval and to push DEM for unannounced nighttime odor monitoring. Others asked the council to restore a council member as a regular QDC board representative and to require regular public reports from QDC appointees.