Former WHJJ/WHJY Site Contains Asbestos and PCBs, Says Mayor’s Office

Former WHJJ/WHJY Site Contains Asbestos and PCBs, Says Mayor’s Office

The former WHJJ/WHJY Broadcast Center in East Providence has had both asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in the exposed building, according to the city.

As GoLocal reported Monday, the building has fallen into disrepair, been vandalized, and littered with trash.

There are potentially significant environmental issues, however, are less visible -- but potentially far more dangerous.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), “PCBs have been demonstrated to cause a variety of adverse health effects. They have been shown to cause cancer in animals as well as a number of serious non-cancer health effects in animals, including: effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, endocrine system and other health effects. Studies in humans support evidence for potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects of PCBs.”

Just across an open field is a residential neighborhood of neatly kept homes, with families living in raised ranches and older smaller colonial houses. some dating back to the 1890s.

WHJJ and WHJY -- stations owned by iHeart -- moved from the building in 2002 to South Providence.

Past -- and Present

In its prime, the broadcast center was home to everyone from AM talk radio icons Sherm Strickhauser, Buddy Cianci, and Arlene Violet. On the FM side, it was Paul and Al, Carolyn Fox, Rudy Cheeks and Janet “From Another Planet” Bates. 

Now, the broadcast center has been left vacant -- and for the last three years, has been owned by one of the largest private telecom infrastructure owners and operators in the U.S.  — Vertical Bridge of Boca Raton, Florida.

“Since Vertical Bridge was founded in 2014, the company has had four securitizations in the last two years and has made more than 250 acquisitions. This has helped to increase its owned and master-leased tower portfolio to more than 16,000 sites across the country,” reported Radio + Television Business Report.

"On this site, the building was remediated and is being taken down by our contractors but the towers will remain long term,” said Buddy Norman, Vice President of Real Estate Development for Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC.

Another Vertical Bridge region executive also claimed that the remediation and demolition was approved by state and local agencies.

"Yes, this project is fully permitted. You can confirm with all respective agencies,” said Jeremy Potts, Regional Operations Manager-Northeast Region for Vertical Bridge.

The City of East Providence says issues remaining at the site, are PCBs -- and final project approval has not been granted. 

“The owner has applied for a demolition, but it has not yet been granted. Asbestos was removed from the main building, but PCBs were found in the mechanical room. The City is awaiting the abatement of the PCBs. The owner does have a contractor at the site cleaning up the debris, boarding up the building and further securing the property,” said Patricia Resende, Director of Project Management & Communications for Mayor Roberto DaSilva.

According to documents filed by an asbestos abatement contractor hired this summer by Vertical Bridge had contracted with Atlantic Abatement Corp.