<b>Rhode Island Company, City Battling</b>

The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp. is fighting with the city of Scituate, R.I., over a proposed ordinance that would restrict the recycling operation from using a road to shuttle material to its facility.

According to Beth Bailey, a spokeswoman for RIRRC, the problem arose when the recycling operation expressed interest in mining a closed recycling facility located in Coventry, R.I.

However, to access the facility, Global Waste Recycling, it would have to cross a road that may be off limits to RIRRC. The town of Scituate has already proposed the ordinance, which will come up for a vote May 10^th.

According to news reports, residents of the city have been concerned with the damage to the road if used by the recycler.

However, Bailey said that the company is willing to work with the city to repair any roads damaged, give the property back to the city once they have finished pulling gravel.

According to local newspaper reports the road, which lies in Scituate but straddles the Coventry line, is part of the most direct route between the Central Landfill and Global Waste. That's why Resource Recovery doesn't want to see the road closed to trucks, Bailey said.

If the Scituate ordinance passes -- and Town Council President Theodore Richard III said Friday that its approval is "absolutely guaranteed" -- it's unclear whether Resource Recovery will be able to establish standing to contest the matter in court since it does not yet own the property.

"If you calculate the amount of traffic coming out of there ... you're looking at a truck traveling back and forth on that road every 21 minutes for seven hours a day," said Richard.

He estimated a lawsuit in this case would cost the town between $25,000 and $100,000.