PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that Barletta Heavy Division, a Massachusetts-based construction firm, has agreed to pay $11 million to resolve state environmental violations after illegally dumping over 4,500 tons of contaminated soil and stone at the Route 6/10 Interchange construction site in Providence — and then lying about it to state regulators.
The unprecedented civil settlement follows a detailed investigation into Barletta’s conduct and includes $10 million earmarked for pediatric dental care and health services for children living in nearby neighborhoods, who may have been impacted by the contamination. The remaining $1 million will cover legal costs for the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Environmental Management (DEM).
“Companies that treat our state as a dumping ground and place the health and welfare of Rhode Islanders at risk, as Barletta has here, must face real consequences,” said Attorney General Neronha. “They have paid a heavy price — and deservedly so.”
Environmental Violations and Deception
Between 2020 and 2021, Barletta unlawfully brought contaminated fill from a former rail yard in Pawtucket/Central Falls and a stockpile in Jamaica Plain, Boston, to the 6/10 Interchange site. These materials contained known soil contaminants, including arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Despite contractual obligations to certify the safety of all fill materials used, Barletta provided false environmental certifications when questioned by state officials. The company submitted testing reports from unrelated sites in an attempt to disguise the origin and contamination of the dumped fill.
Barletta has now admitted to the allegations as part of the settlement.
The resolution of this civil case follows a prior federal case and a criminal case in Rhode Island, in which Dennis Ferreira, Barletta’s former project superintendent, pleaded guilty to filing a false document. He received a one-year suspended sentence and one year of probation.
Under the civil settlement:
$10 million will fund the new Attorney General’s 6/10 Children’s Fund, administered by the Rhode Island Foundation, targeting unmet health and dental care needs among Providence’s youth.
$750,000 will go to the Attorney General’s Office to cover prosecution costs.
$250,000 will go to DEM for its investigation and enforcement efforts.
Attorney General Neronha emphasized that the funds will directly support urgent dental care for children living near the construction site. According to state data, over one in four students in Providence schools have untreated dental issues, with hundreds requiring urgent care for infections and tooth decay.
“This settlement is more than a penalty — it’s a lifeline,” said Dr. Fotini M. Dionisopoulos, president of the Rhode Island Dental Association. “By investing these funds in pediatric dental care, we have the opportunity to change the trajectory of this crisis.”
The Rhode Island Foundation’s President, David N. Cicilline, echoed the sentiment, calling the funds an investment in the health and success of underserved communities.
DEM Director Terry Gray praised the interagency effort and said the outcome “sends a clear and powerful message to contractors everywhere: this kind of reckless behavior will not be tolerated — and it will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The investigation was led by a team of state and federal officials, including Special Assistant Attorney General Stephen Dambruch, DEM’s Sergeant Sheila Paquette, and agents from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Department of Labor.
