On Friday, a tank with 3,000 gallons of corn oil caught fire at the Port of Providence. In response, Council President Rachel Miller and Majority Leader Pedro Espinal released the following statement:

“We’re grateful to the firefighters from Providence, East Providence, Cranston, Johnston, Cumberland, and North Smithfield whose heroic efforts contained yet another massive blaze at the Port of Providence. Without their swift action, this fire could have had catastrophic consequences for the health and safety of South Providence residents. This latest incident underscores the ongoing environmental and public health risks posed by activity at the port. We cannot afford to grow numb to these repeated disasters. We need companies operating at the port to take immediate action to reduce hazardous and polluting operations. And we need government partners to work with us to ban dirty and reckless uses at the port.

Last week, the city scored a significant legal victory against Sea 3, a fossil fuel company seeking to irresponsibly expand their liquid petroleum gas delivery and storage. In coming months, Providence City Council and the City Plan Commission will align the city’s zoning ordinance with the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan—which put the Port of Providence on a new path away from heavy polluters and toward environmental justice. We don’t need more studies or delays; we need action. 2024 was a year of environmental disasters at the port. Let’s make 2025 the year we put an end to them.”