Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena and Governor Lincoln Chafee tour Broadrock, the gas extraction and energy company at the Johnston landfill. Photo by Steve Klamkin, WPRO News.
WPRO Newsroom and the Associated Press
Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena and Governor Lincoln Chafee are touring the grounds of Broadrock Renewables after an early morning fire broke out there Tuesday.
"The damage that was done was frightening," Mayor Polisena told WPRO's Gene Valicenti Tuesday morning. "Whoever is responsible for this is going to be in trouble."
Broadrock is the energy company resposible for creating energy with gases extracted from the state landfill's trash heap.
In a statement, Broadrock representatives said an employee doing routine rounds at the facility identified a small brush fire at arounf 4 a.m. Tuesday morning and immediately contacted local fire authorities.
Bill Fischer, the spokesman for Broadrock, said the cause of the fire is under investigation and Broadrock is cooperating with the Johnston Fire Department and other Rhode Island authorities.
"Broadrock also intends to conduct its own review of the incident," he said. "Meanwhile, landfill gas is being collected and destroyed through alternate equipment."
Fischer went on to note that the fire did not break out at Braodrock's new "state of the art power plant."
Johnston officials last week shut down Broadrock's operations because of reports of strong odors and what Polisena called "disturbing" problems with the plant's construction.
Polisena said the Town would push to fine Broadrock, since the company was not supposed to re-open the plant until they had a green light from the town's building officials.
"It's disgraceful," he said.
Authorities say the fire was put out quickly, but they're concerned about potential toxic fumes. Officials say the state Department of Environmental Management is responding.
This story has been updated.
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Governor Chafee, Mayor Polisena tour gas explosion site
Governor Lincoln Chafee and Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena talk with reporters after gas explosion and fire at Broadrock plant next to Rhode Island's Central Landfill on July 16, 2013. Video by Steve Klamkin WPRO News
