Spring, summer and fall of 2010

Two gasholders that stood on the northwestern edge of the Tidewater Site were emptied and dismantled during the spring, summer and fall of 2010.  The work released strong chemical smells into the air, which alarmed many members of the community.  Efforts to find out what kinds of substances were released into the air and their potential health impacts captured serious shortcomings in the management of the property. 

2010-

The gasholder project is one of multiple projects that have occured on the Tidewater site since 2010.  All of these projects have raised the potential for exposing members of the community to harmful toxins.  The regulations governing brownfields state that a proposal for remediation must be presented to the public for comment before approval.  The approval of these 'minor' projects before the public has had a chance to approve the remediation plan has circumvented community involvement in the decision-making process.

2013-

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like those found at Tidewater sometimes move through the soil to locations off site.  Through a process called vapor intrusion, they can then pass through the foundations of neighboring buildings and contaminate indoor air.  Members of the Tidewater Stakeholders Group have pressed officials to investigate whether vapor intrusion is an issue for the properties surrounding Tidewater.  In response, National Grid conducted an investigation of the soil gas in 2013.  The findings suggest a possible vapor intrusion issue at the Francis J. Varieur Elementary school.

2012-2013

In 2012, Rhode Island legislators approved the "Environmental Clean-Up Objectives for Schools" bill, now known as the "School Siting" law.  The law prohibited the location of schools on contaminated sites with a potential for vapor intrustion.  The following year, in 2013, one of the sponsors of the orginal law, state Senator Juan Pichardo, introduced a bill that would have effectively overturned the School Siting's protective provisions.  Advocates of the original law worked with activists, legislators and DEM officials to combat this challenge and strengthen the law.