Statement on Recent Sewage Release and Shellfishery Impacts
Green Oceans stands with Rhode Island’s shellfishermen following the recent major sewage spill in East Providence, reaffirming our commitment to healthy fisheries and responsible ocean stewardship.
On May 5th, the City of East Providence reported an estimated 800,000 gallons of untreated sewage were discharged into the Providence River in the vicinity of Watchemoket Cove. The RI Department of Health recommended the public avoid swimming, wading, or having any direct contact with the water in that area as contact can result in bacterial or viral exposures causing fever, gastrointestinal illness, ear infections, and skin or rash irritation. This spill comes just a short time following a 5000-gallon spill in Mt. Hope Bay, which resulted in shellfish closures.
The East Providence spill has resulted in the immediate shutdown of Conditional Area 16E, which is the most productive quahog harvest area in the state, supplying half of the statewide commercial harvest to market. The area is well-regulated, with seasonal openings and catch limits enforced to ensure a sustainable harvest. The area only recently opened to shellfishing in 2021, after being closed for over 70 years due to pollution that the sewage treatment facility had largely corrected. The spring opening day was Monday, May 4th, and this incident occurred later that day and into the 5th. This closure displaces nearly 200 commercial shell fishermen who are dependent on this management area for their seasonal income, and to meet summer demands, including the state’s Quahog Week’, which is celebrated every May.
Michael Lombardi, newly appointed President of Green Oceans, stated: “I have participated in Rhode Island’s shellfish fishery for nearly a decade, and its importance extends far beyond the seafood it provides. This fishery represents our delicate relationship with Narragansett Bay and demonstrates how natural resources can sustainably support both livelihoods and communities when properly managed. The recent sewage spill is a devastating setback for Rhode Island’s shellfishermen and a stark reminder that municipal and industrial infrastructure must be maintained, monitored, and managed with the highest level of vigilance. Failures of this magnitude carry serious consequences for our coastal economy, public health, and the long-term stewardship of our waters.”
Green Oceans calls on local environmental organizations and state agencies to work together and do right by our fishermen, with fair consideration placed on lost employment. We support strategic measures to preserve the immense value that the quahog fishery brings to the Ocean State as the anchor of our blue economy.
We want to engage our fishermen, and baymen and women better. Please join Green Oceans today! Click here for our free membership.
About Green Oceans
Green Oceans is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of the ocean and the life it supports. Since 2023, Green Oceans and its coalition including four Native American tribes, and environmental, energy, national security, and fishing groups, have worked to challenge large-scale offshore wind development based on its documented impacts on marine ecosystems, energy costs, livelihoods, and national security.
For more information visit green-oceans.org. Media inquiries, please contact media@green-oceans.com.