Public Meeting Recap: Health Risks of Eating Fish from the Woonasquatucket River

On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, community members gathered at North Providence Town Hall for a public meeting co-hosted by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC). The meeting focused on recent findings about health risks from eating fish and other aquatic life in parts of the Woonasquatucket River.

RIDOH presented results from their investigation of the river downstream of the Centredale Manor Superfund Site. Decades of industrial activity in this area (from the 1940s–1970s) released dioxins, PCBs, and furans into the environment, which continue to affect the river ecosystem today.

Key Health Guidance from RIDOH:

  • Upstream of the Johnston/Smithfield border (end of Gladstone Street): Fish are generally safer to eat, but only when following Rhode Island’s statewide fish consumption guidelines. More information can be found at health.ri.gov/fish and health.ri.gov/mercury-poisoning/fish.

  • Downstream of the Johnston/Smithfield border (end of Gladstone Street):

    • Do not eat fish, turtles, eels, or aquatic plants.

    • Do not swim or wade in the river.

RIDOH staff explained that regularly eating fish caught downstream of Centredale Manor could increase the risk of cancer and other serious health problems. Community members had the chance to ask questions and learn more about how to make safe choices when fishing or recreating along the Woonasquatucket.

A copy of RIDOH’s summary report is available here: RIDOH Site Investigation Report Card – Centredale.

For more information about RIDOH’s Environmental Health Risk Assessment Program, visit health.ri.gov/ehrap.