The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management opened an investigation into Waste Management, the company contracted by the city of Cranston to (among other things) pick up residential trash and recycling, on January 3 following several complaints of trucks leaking hydraulic fluid. DEM as well as city officials have been receiving complaints since at least February of 2023.

Matthew Fricker, who lives on Mollie Drive, says he first noticed the spillage in the summer of 2022. At first, he thought it may be a one time occurrence that would soon be repaired.

“But then I kept noticing that every time the trucks came and they pulled away, I'd walk out there and wouldn’t have to walk very far, I could see the rainbow of the oil on the road surface. And then I noticed that it just kept continuing, and I guess one day in February it just lit a fire under me and I called and complained.”

Fricker called Cranston’s Public Works department to make his complaint, and says he was told that he wasn’t the only one calling about the issue. He was told Waste Management would be purchasing new trucks in April. At that point, Fricker believed the issue would soon be fixed.

The problem persisted, however, and Fricker soon made more calls to the city. After being connected to the office of Constituent Services, a mitigation team was sent to Mollie Drive to wash away the spillage, an effort which Fricker says was ineffective, and did nothing to fix the root problem, the continued leakage itself.

Fricker decided to contact DEM directly. Since storm drains on Mollie drive flow directly into local waterways, he believed the continued spillage may be a violation. As it turns out, DEM agreed.

“It’s a legitimate complaint about what appears to be a minor illicit discharge caused by a leaking waste truck or trucks,” Chief Public Affairs Officer Michael Healey said following the opening of the investigation. “By ‘minor,’ I simply mean that the environmental impact is minor; I don’t mean it’s not important. As the state environmental regulator, DEM directs regulated entities to come back into compliance with laws and regulations, and we certainly wish that to be the case with the City in this instance.”

“Staff from the DEM Office of Water Resources have reached out to the City’s stormwater authorities and informed them that a constituent has made a complaint with us, providing photographic evidence,” Healey continued. “We reminded the City that the discharge of hydraulic fluid to storm drains is a violation of their MS4 permit. We will work out a schedule with the City to work with their contractor to repair or replace the leaking equipment. This will be a matter of weeks, not months, and we will instruct them to let us know when the issue has been resolved.”

Healey says DEM deals with hundreds of such cases each year.

Anthony Moretti, Chief of Staff for the mayor, says work is already underway to resolve the issue with WM. “Department of Public Works staff met with WM staff on site.  WM contacted their remediation vendor, Clean Harbors, to remediate the fluid. Clean Harbors is treating the fluid with an absorption material.  When Clean Harbors confirms that the remediation work is done, WM notifies DEM to clear the matter.”

When reached for comment, a spokesperson from Waste Management had this to say: “We are aware of the situation and are working both internally and with the City of Cranston to resolve the matter.”

Whether or not the leaking will be repaired or the trucks will be replaced remains to be seen.