North Providence, RI


North Providence, RI

The City of North Providence is home to an estimated 32,345 residents, and it’s located in Providence County, RI.

This report will help you become better acquainted with North Providence and the surrounding area by addressing the following questions:

  • Are there any hazardous sites in Providence County, RI?
  • How clean is the air in Providence County, RI?
  • What’s the average radon level for homes in Providence County, RI?
  • Is the water in Providence County, RI safe to drink?

Hazardous Sites near North Providence, RI

There are seven Superfund sites in Providence County, RI. Superfund sites, like Centredale Manor Restoration Project in North Providence, RI, are areas that have been contaminated with hazardous substances. If not for the cleanup efforts orchestrated by the EPA, these sites could endanger people living in nearby communities.

The EPA uses the Hazardous Ranking System (HRS) to quantify the risk a contaminated site poses to human health and the environment. Sites assigned HRS scores of 28.5 or greater qualify for placement on the National Priorities List (NPL), and are eligible to receive federal funding for cleanup efforts.

Before the EPA deletes a site from the NPL, it conducts reviews to ensure the cleanup was sufficient. As a result, some sites remain on the active site list long after cleanup activities are complete.

For more information about the Superfund sites located in the North Providence, RI area, be sure to review the map and background information provided below:


Map Legend:

44007

A. Centredale Manor Restoration Project (HRS Score: 71)

The Centredale Manor Restoration Project site, where chemical production and drum reconditioning took place from the 1940s to the 1970s, is located in North Providence, RI.

Contaminants found at the Centredale Manor Restoration Project site include:

  • Antimony
  • Arsenic
  • Benzene
  • Beryllium
  • Cadmium
44007

B. Western Sand & Gravel (HRS Score: 51)

The Western Sand & Gravel site, where a sand and gravel quarry operated from 1953 until 1975, is located in Burrillville, RI.

Contaminants found at the Western Sand & Gravel site include:

  • Aluminum
  • Arsenic
  • Barium
  • Benzene
  • Beryllium
44007

C. Landfill & Resource Recovery, Inc. (L&RR) (HRS Score: 50)

The Landfill & Resource Recovery, Inc. (L&RR) site is located in North Smithfield, RI.

Contaminants found at the Landfill & Resource Recovery, Inc. (L&RR) site include:

  • Arsenic
  • Benzene
  • Chloroform
  • Lead
  • Trichloroethene
44007

D. Central Landfill (HRS Score: 47)

The Central Landfill site is located in Johnston, RI.

Contaminants found at the Central Landfill site include:

  • Arsenic
  • Benzene
  • Beryllium
  • Cadmium
  • Chromium
44007

E. Davis Liquid Waste (HRS Score: 47)

The Davis Liquid Waste site, where liquid and chemical wastes were accepted, is located in Smithfield, RI.

Contaminants found at the Davis Liquid Waste site include:

  • Arsenic
  • Benzene
  • Chloroform
  • Lead
  • Voc
44007

F. Peterson/Puritan, Inc. (HRS Score: 40)

The Peterson/Puritan, Inc. site, where aerosol packaging, chemical manufacturing, warehousing, and land filling occurred, is located in Lincoln/Cumberland, RI.

Contaminants found at the Peterson/Puritan, Inc. site include:

  • Aluminum
  • Antimony
  • Arsenic
  • Benzene
  • Beryllium
44007

G. Stamina Mills, Inc. (HRS Score: 34)

The Stamina Mills, Inc. site, where a textile mill operated until 1975, is located in North Smithfield, RI.

Contaminants found at the Stamina Mills, Inc. site include:

  • Arsenic
  • Barium
  • Chloroform
  • Lead
  • 1,2-Dichloroethene (Cis And Trans Mixture)

Air Quality in the North Providence, RI Area

The two most widespread forms of air pollution are ozone (smog) and particle pollution (soot). Exposure to these harmful pollutants, for even just a short period, can have adverse effects on your health.

Thanks to data collected by air monitoring equipment located across the country, the American Lung Association (ALA) is able to assess and track our air quality using three metrics:

  • Ozone
  • Short-term Particle Pollution
  • Year-round Particle Pollution

In their 2019 annual report, the ALA rated the air quality in Providence County, RI as follows:

Ground-Level
Ozone Pollution

Grading Scale: A-F

Short-Term
Particle Pollution

Grading Scale: A-F

Year-Round
Particle Pollution

Grading Scale: Pass/Fail

Radon Levels in North Providence, RI Area

Air quality inside your home can be impacted by a number of factors, including the presence of hazardous substances in building materials (asbestos, lead, formaldehyde, etc.) and local radon levels.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas you cannot see or smell. It can build up inside your home and negatively impact your indoor air quality as well as your health.

To provide a guideline, the EPA assigned one of three zones to each U.S. county and county equivalent:

  • Zone 1 (higher radon levels)
  • Zone 2 (moderate levels)
  • Zone 3 (lower levels)

Indoor radon readings in Providence County, RI are expected to average from 2 to 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), so the county has been assigned EPA Radon Zone 2.

EPA Radon Zone

According to the EPA, you should consider acting to reduce your home's radon level if it measures between 2 and 4 pCi/L, so if you're contemplating buying a home in North Providence, RI, you should have a radon test performed.

Water Quality in North Providence, RI Area

In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the EPA sets regulatory limits for drinking water contaminants known to cause adverse health effects.

The following Providence County, RI water provider(s) violated the maximum allowable level for one or more regulated contaminants:

Filter ValueWater SystemContaminantHealth Effects
44007East Providence-City OfTTHMLiver, kidney, or central nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer 
44007Eleanor Slater Hospital Zambarano UnitTotal Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)Increased risk of cancer 
44007Eleanor Slater Hospital Zambarano UnitTTHMLiver, kidney, or central nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer 
44007Hebert Health CenterCombined Radium (-226 and -228)Increased risk of cancer 
44007Providence-City OfTTHMLiver, kidney, or central nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer 
44007Smithfield Water Supply BoardTTHMLiver, kidney, or central nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer 

In addition to setting enforceable standards for harmful contaminants, the EPA also established guidelines to assist public water providers in managing the taste, odor and color of their drinking water.

To find out more about what’s in your drinking water, contact your utility company and request a copy of the latest Consumer Confidence Report.


Sources and Methods

Hazardous Sites: Identified using a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hazardous sites detailed on trendingtowns.com represent sites contained on the National Priorities List (NPL) as of November 25, 2019.  The NPL is the list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants throughout the United States and its territories.  All site-related data was sourced from the EPA.

Air Quality: Grades for ozone, short-term particle pollution, and year-round particle pollution were obtained from State of the Air 2019, a report compiled by the American Lung Association.

Radon Zones: Radon zone designations were obtained using a public use dataset provided by the EPA (September 11, 2019).

Water Quality: Drinking water violation data was sourced from the Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), a public use database provided by the EPA.  The dataset included violations submitted to the database as of the third quarter of 2019.

Paul

I’ve moved several times over the years, so I know just how stressful it can be to relocate. I want to help put your mind at ease. That’s why I research and write about all the things I think you should consider when moving to a new town.

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