View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2023/01/23/704181.htm
A Massachusetts construction company charged with illegally dumping thousands of tons of contaminated fill in Rhode Island during a highway construction project says it has done nothing wrong.
The Rhode Island attorney general’s office announced Wednesday that Barletta Heavy Division, Inc., of Canton, is charged with illegal disposal of solid waste, operating a solid waste management facility without a license, and providing a false document to a public official, during the ongoing Route 6/10 interchange project in Providence.
“Barletta’s work on this project did not violate any criminal laws and the charges are baseless, both legally and factually,” the company said in a statement. Barletta “is confident that it will prevail and restore its impeccable reputation once the facts are fully and accurately presented in court.”
The attorney general’s office alleges the company, which is overseeing the $247 million project, and a former employee authorized the disposal of more than 4,500 tons (4,082 metric tonnes) of stone and soil contaminated with hazardous materials.
But the company said the soil was “urban fill” —which is commonly found in city settings throughout the U.S.
The former employee named in the state’s complaint for allegedly submitting false test results acted without company knowledge or consent, Barletta said.