PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A Providence environmental group is opposing a $20 million state-financed proposal to expand the city’s deep water port.

Save The Bay says the Port of Providence expansion could lead to filling in 31 acres of Narragansett Bay.

The group says the plan seems to be based on an expansion plan that includes land acquisition, infrastructure upgrades, and filling in the shoreline for new ship berths.

The group says the plan could also benefit the owners of the Rhode Island Recycled Metals scrap yard, which has been repeatedly cited for environmental violations.

Lawmakers last month added the ProvPort bond to a $50 million bond for a pier project in North Kingstown. Voters are being asked to approve it in November.

“We are extremely disappointed that Save the Bay – an organization who we have great respect for – decided to put out a statement today without taking the time to understand the project or take a meeting to better understand the goals of expansion,” said Bill Fischer, spokesperson for ProvPort.

“It is important to note that phase one of the expansion plan would require no filling of the bay. It would be a land-based operation only and no analysis or engineering has been initiated to determine what pier construction would look like in phase two or three. No decision or determination has been made related to filling. Save the Bay’s concerns related to filling are completely premature. It should be noted that no representative of Save the Bay testified at a public hearing on this matter before the Senate Finance Committee. We look forward to meeting with representatives of Save the Bay to hear their concerns and brief them on this project.”

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