Officials at Rhode Island Hospital said Wednesday they plan to ask the Pentagon to extend the help of military medical personnel to cope with ongoing staffing shortages. President Biden deployed two military medical teams to help hospitals in Rhode Island earlier this month. Twenty-three troops began a month-long stint at Rhode Island Hospital last week, […]
Sofie Rudin
Science and Environment Reporter
401-302-1057
srudin@thepublicsradio.org
Sofie Rudin is the science and environment reporter at The Public’s Radio. She previously worked as producer, editor, and general assignment reporter. Her series "When is it time to retreat from the sea?" was a finalist for a Covering Climate Now Journalism Award. She also led the development of web pages for reporting on COVID-19, shoreline access and The 2020 Gallery, which won a National Headliner award and PMJA award. Sofie graduated from Brown University in 2017, where she studied geology.
Posted inArticle, Environment
McKee pledges federal funds to address climate change
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee says his budget proposal will include $150 million aimed at addressing climate change. Much of that comes in the form of one-time federal funding, and McKee is not increasing general revenue spending on climate change initiatives.
Posted inArticle, Environment, Health
Community groups allege Providence Water’s lead pipe replacement strategy is discriminatory
Over the last decade, Providence’s water utility has been working to replace lead pipes. But the way they’re doing it disproportionately raises the risk of lead exposure for Black, Latinx and Native American residents, community groups allege. In a complaint filed with the Environmental Protection Agency, five advocacy groups claim Providence Water violated EPA regulations […]
Posted inArticle, Environment, Health
Central Falls steps up housing code enforcement to prevent lead poisoning
Rhode Island’s housing code includes lead safety standards meant to protect residents. But cities across the state have a spotty track record of enforcing the requirements. Central Falls, which has some of the oldest housing stock in the state, is trying to chart a different course.
Posted inArticle, Business, Environment
Hearings begin on proposed sale of Rhode Island electric and gas utility
Consumer advocates are raising concerns about potential rate increases for electricity and gas customers, if a proposal to sell Rhode Island’s largest utility is approved. Pennsylvania-based PPL Corporation is looking to buy the Narragansett Electric Company from National Grid for $5.3 billion. PPL would take on electric service for more than half a million Rhode […]
Posted inArticle, Environment
Coal tar oil leaks into Seekonk River from Tidewater site
Coal byproducts leaked into the Seekonk River at the Tidewater Landing construction site this week. That’s the spot where a new professional soccer stadium is planned in Pawtucket.
Posted inArticle, Environment
Rhode Island goes ‘back to the drawing board’ on cutting transportation emissions
A regional agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks splintered this week, forcing Rhode Island to reassess its strategy for meeting emissions reduction mandates. Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and the District of Columbia had signed on to a Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) plan that required at least three jurisdictions to go […]
Posted inArticle, Environment
High tide flooding offers a glimpse of Rhode Island’s future as sea level rises
As the tide rolled in on a recent morning in Wickford, the center of the Brown Street parking lot gradually filled with water. The parking lot is wedged between the harbor and the main street, which is lined by antique shops, boutiques, and restaurants. In the middle of the lot, water welled up through a […]
Posted inArticle, Environment, Health
Rhode Island’s attorney general is taking landlords who fail to fix lead hazards to court
Each year, hundreds of kids in Rhode Island are poisoned by lead. In an effort to prevent future poisonings, the state’s attorney general is stepping up enforcement of laws already on the books.
Posted inArticle, Environment
Climate activists say Rhode Island is “already behind” on emissions reduction planning
Rhode Island passed landmark climate legislation last spring, mandating that the state cut emissions to net zero by 2050. Six months later, environmental activists say the state has done little to begin implementing the law.