WHEREAS, The Department of Environmental Management recently released material indicating that only seven telephone calls to the Department were received regarding the Dry Bridge Road Homevest Properties landfill between November 1, 1995 and April 1, 1996. This figure is disputed by area residents who have made repeated phone calls to the DEM 800-number hotline only to be bounced from extension to extension, individual to individual, in often frustrating attempts to lodge complaints or obtain information; and

WHEREAS, As a result of the difficulties encountered by these concerned citizens and the problems that they are encountering when trying to register legitimate complaints or ask questions about the situation, it behooves the Department of Environmental Management to take steps to more efficiently respond to public concerns in this matter; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby respectfully requests that the Department of Environmental Management immediately establish a designated 800-number hotline to handle questions and complaints concerning the Dry Bridge Road Homevest Properties landfill in the Town of North Kingstown; and be it further

RESOLVED, That since the most recent gas tests at the Dry Bridge Road landfill were conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency's Region One office in 1988, this House of Representatives also calls upon DEM to conduct new soil gas sampling to determine the current condition at the landfill and to report its findings to the House on or before June 30, 1996; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Timothy Keeney, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.