Statement on western oil expansion

Below is a letter written and sent to the Central Falls Zoning Board of Review on July 18, 2022. This is an online copy for all interested parties to access.

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Dear Honorable Members of the Central Falls Zoning Board of Review,

            My name is Cameron Deutsch, and I am a proud Lincoln resident of almost twenty years. I am also a candidate to represent the towns of Lincoln, North Smithfield, and North Providence in the RI State Senate. I am writing this letter in strong opposition to Western Oil’s expansion of storage tanks.
            Western Oil has been pursuing this expansion project for almost two years, and the reaction from the public and elected officials has been quite clear: this project is not wanted and poses multiple concerns that are too significant a challenge for Western Oil to overcome. With eight storage tanks already in use, a plethora of residents have aired complaints of foul odors and loud noises from transporting trucks. This proposal seeks to almost double their current capacity, from eight tanks, to fourteen. It is unquestionable that this expansion would only exacerbate the current issues faced by members of the community and potentially negatively impact local property values surrounding the lot. Not only that, the storage tanks, and their expansion, continue to pose an environmental threat to neighboring Scott Pond and Valley Falls Pond. While the company has been in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and had no previous issues with leaks, that does not mean they are impossible. Looking at fossil fuel projects around the country reveals a consistent lack of oversight and containment planning. We should not increase the risk to our community and environment anymore than the current tanks already pose. On top of this, the usage of fossil fuels to power our society is already on the decline. Just this legislative session, our General Assembly passed the strongest green energy requirements in the country. What happens five, ten, or fifteen years from now when it is no longer profitable for Western Oil to operate in the area? Will they properly decommission their equipment, or will they follow the lead of other fossil fuel companies and leave their equipment to deteriorate, and leave us with the consequences? If the city of Central Falls decided to turn the land into affordable housing, or some other project, will local taxpayers have to pay the bill to clean up what is left behind?
            When the expansion project first reached the zoning board in 2020, Western Oil wanted to expand its storage tanks not by six, but by nine. When asked at the time, Vice President Jared Raftery could not confirm whether that would be the final expansion. The former mayor of Central Falls Thomas Lazieh believed the expansion in 2012 was its last. If we give Western Oil an inch today, they very well might take it a mile. I join the overwhelming consensus among the residents and local and state elected officials from Lincoln and Central Falls, and the RI Superior Court in standing in opposition to this project.

In Solidarity,

​Cameron Deutsch