Carmona vs. RIDOT – contaminated soil approved by the state made them sick in 2018, not 2020

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — In 2018, RIDOT realized that that had made a terrible mistake. Soil processing facilities are required by law to have a setback of 500 feet or more from homes when potentially hazardous materials are being processed. The 6/10 project had laid out a plan to have a soil processing facility less than 10 feet from the Carmona home, and the soils were not tested before they were brought to the site.

In 2019, RIDOT sent employee Dave Walsh out to talk to the Carmona’s about their situation. The state admitted their guilt and offered the family $15,000 to relocate their pregnant daughter away from the contamination. The Carmona’s refused. They chose to hire an attorney and sue the state. The state then sent RIDOT employee Dave Walsh back out to talk to the family and try and put the guilt on the contractor, but the Carmona’s said no. They continued their lawsuit against the state as the owner of the project.

In 2020, Barletta was accused of violating the soil management plan but the heavily contaminated material was already there and belonged to the state. The attached statement from RIDOT’s Walsh shows that.

When MA tackled the big dig they set up protective curtains for residences that could be affected, RIDOT did not on 6/10. To save the state a few Pennie’s they chose to risk the health of the people in Olneyville. Why? We have the highest paid and funded DOT in the country per capita, why risk public heath and safety?

The attached statement from Local 57 president, Jim White, shows that his operators were moving and stashing contaminated piles around the site for RIDOT. Why not have it removed instantly? Did this action make things worse for the Carmona family?

RIDOT could stand to owe the Carmona’s a considerable amount of money. They processed solid waste less than 10 feet from their home. The attached statement from David Walsh (then RIDOT head of project management) shows that the state accepted responsibility and was attempting to poorly make up for it.