Rhode Island AG Issued Statement on Enforcement of Immediate Compliance Order at Johnson’s Pond

AUGUST 10, 2022

In August 2022, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha gave a statement emphasizing the importance of protecting Johnson’s Pond after Soscia Holdings, the company that controls the water levels of the pond, was found to have been releasing an outflow of water that was not in compliance with state law. In his statement, AG Neronha stated that his office would continue to work with the Department of Environmental Management to enforce a compliance order against Soscia Holdings.

In March 2024, AG Neronha released a statement after a federal district court dismissed Soscia Holdings’ lawsuit against the state, saying in part: “The Court’s decision affirmatively upheld the constitutionality of R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-19.1-1, commonly called the Dam Permitting Act, and affirmed the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s authority to regulate it. Now, DEM can continue its important work enforcing this law, designed to ensure the safety of our state’s dams and the protection of our environment and wildlife. Johnson’s Pond is an important ecological resource, and we are committed to protecting it.”