Ray Sullivan

April 24, 2008 
House passes bill requiring businesses to protect personal information when tossing records

STATE HOUSE – The House of Representatives has approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Raymond J. Sullivan Jr., in conjunction with Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, to require all companies in Rhode Island to properly destroy personal information in records before disposing of them.
“Identity theft is a widely recognized as a problem that can plague victims for years, costing them money and causing serious aggravation and legal problems. Companies’ responsibility for the confidentiality of their customers’ personal information shouldn’t end when they remove that information from their file cabinet. If they aren’t just as vigilant in protecting that information when they dispose of records, they are putting their customers at serious risk for identity theft,” said Representative Sullivan, a Democrat who represents District 29 in Coventry and West Greenwich.
The legislation requires businesses to either shred documents containing personal information before disposing of them, or to otherwise destroy them or make the personal information indecipherable. The legislation would apply to every kind of record, whether paper, electronic media or in any other form.
If a business is found to have violated the act, any person whose records were improperly disposed of by the company would be allowed to sue for damages.
The bill also allows the Attorney General to file a suit on behalf of the state and recover as much as $500 per violation, up to $50,000, from the company.
“This bill will become an effective tool for our Consumer Protection Unit investigators to use to hold businesses accountable for the safe destruction of the personal information of consumers,” said Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch. “I commend Representative Sullivan's leadership on this issue.”
Representative Sullivan and Attorney General Lynch collaborated on the legislation after an incident in Representative Sullivan’s district in Coventry this fall when the Freedom National Title and Escrow company went out of business. The company tossed its files – which contained a myriad of personal information on many of the company’s customers – in a Dumpster on its property. A neighbor found the files, rescued as many as he could find, and called the Attorney General to find out what to do with them.
“Most businesses know better than to simply throw away customers’ personal information without destroying it first. With this legislation, we’ll be able to make sure that they all do,” said Representative Sullivan.


March 27, 2008
Sullivan challenges Gorham’s assessment of energy bill

“Let’s deal in facts not rhetoric.”
STATE HOUSE – Rep. Raymond J. Sullivan Jr., (D-Dist. 29, Coventry, West Greenwich) responded to Rep. Nicholas Gorham’s charges today regarding the Rhode Island Renewable Energy Sources Act (2008-H 7616) of which Sullivan is lead sponsor. Representative Gorham (R-Dist. 40, Coventry, Foster, Glocester) today accused Representative Sullivan of putting forth legislation to benefit one project developer currently proposing a solar farm in the town of Coventry.
“It is simply and unequivocally false,” responded Representative Sullivan.
“There is a reason we are not seeing the development of renewable projects in Rhode Island. We do not have laws on our books that encourage private investment. If the investors come to Rhode Island’s borders the jobs will come to Rhode Island’s borders. It is a time to embrace realistic renewable energy development in the state of Rhode Island, not regurgitate talking points on behalf of National Grid.
“We need laws that will bring certainty to the marketplace, if we don’t have certainty we will have the status quo, and National Grid would be more than happy with the status quo,” said Representative Sullivan.
Representative Sullivan said Representative Gorham’s argument regarding the affects to ratepayers is exaggerated and baseless. “He’s attacking a bill he obviously has not researched,” he said.
“The legislation I have submitted encourages investment and job creation, it also allows the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission to regulate rates every two years so that developers will not be able to achieve excessive profits, thereby mitigating the affect to the ratepayer.
“There is no taxpayer subsidy or state tax breaks for this type of legislation. The taxpayers are not on the hook for these types of projects. My legislation is modeled after feed-in tariff laws that have been implemented throughout Europe creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and lessened their dependence on fossil fuels.
“I find it amusing that all of a sudden National Grid is interested in their ratepayers. I can’t remember a year that has gone by where they haven’t asked for a rate increase. The reality is that the price of energy generation through renewables is coming down while the cost of energy from fossil fuels continues to increase.
“Currently, states have legislation pending to create exactly what I am attempting to do in Rhode Island and there are many states that are far ahead of Rhode Island when it comes to encouraging investment in renewables,” said Representative Sullivan.


March 25, 2008
Legislators, officials announce Coventry renewable energy project
Development hinges on passage of new energy policies

STATE HOUSE – Legislators, Coventry town officials and the project’s developers gathered at the State House today to announce an effort to build the largest solar energy farm east of the Mississippi River on town-owned land in Coventry.
Allco Renewable Energy of New York today signed letter of intent to build an eight-megawatt solar panel farm on the 100-acre site of the former Picillo pig farm on Perry Hill Road in Coventry. The company has been in talks with town officials for several months. Allco will have a 50-year lease on the land, paying the town $200,000 annually, or 4 percent of gross receipts, whichever is greater.
The proposed farm would cost about $45 million and generate enough power to supply a small town.
The plan will involve erecting hundreds of 3-foot-by-5-foot solar panels that would rotate from east to west to maximize their sun exposure throughout the day. Ninety percent of the site would be used for the panels. The development of an eight-megawatt solar farm in Rhode Island would save 12.1 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year, which is the equivalent of the emissions created by 14.5 million miles of automobile driving.
Allco will also explore the possibility of erecting wind turbines if the site is suitable and the community supports the idea.
The environmentally friendly proposal will be a turnaround for the property, which includes an 8-acre parcel that was declared a Superfund site after a 1977 discovery that more than 10,000 drums of hazardous waste as well as additional liquid chemicals had been improperly dumped there. The drums were removed and the trenches where the dumping occurred have since been excavated.
“This is a very exciting opportunity to produce non-polluting renewable energy right here in Rhode Island. I can’t think of a better fate for a property that was once an environmental disaster than to become a farm that produces clean energy and reduces our dependence on pollution-causing fossil fuels,” said Rep. Raymond J. Sullivan (D-Dist. 29, Coventry, West Greenwich).
Said Coventry Town Council President Justin Pomfret, “This is a terrific opportunity for Coventry. We’ll be getting $200,000 in annual lease income and an investment of $45 million in clean industry on a site that once was blighted, and we’ll be contributing to the creation of renewable energy.”
The privately owned Allco is not seeking any tax breaks or public subsidies. The development of the project is contingent upon the passage of new legislation (2008-H 7616 and 2008-S 2607) submitted by Representative Sullivan and Sen. Joshua Miller to guarantee that the project will be allowed to feed the energy it produces into the electric grid and receive compensation for it. Commonly referred to as a “feed-in tariff” law, the legislation would require National Grid to purchase electricity generated from eligible renewable-energy producers at rates set by the Public Utilities Commission.
“Feed-in tariffs are generally considered the most effective way to encourage the development of projects that create renewable energy,” said Senator Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Warwick). “This legislation would do more than help this project – it would pave the way for others who are interested in building renewable energy generation projects, and could help Rhode Island significantly reduce its impact on the environment.”
The call for cleaner energy sources has been increasing in recent years as more people have become aware of the impact of fossil fuel energy generation on the environment.
“There’s definitely been a growing concern about the need to lessen our carbon footprint on the earth, and I think Rhode Islanders will welcome projects that generate green, quiet, clean energy right here in our own state, especially as fossil fuel prices continue to rise. We need to encourage these projects,” said Rep. J. Patrick O’Neill (D-Dist. 59, Pawtucket), one of the bill’s cosponsors.
Encouraging the development of a renewable energy industry in Rhode Island could also lead to more jobs and prosperity for the state.
“Producing our own energy does more than reduce our environmental impact. It helps keep money and jobs in Rhode Island. If we can encourage enough of these projects, we’ll see the employment of Rhode Islanders in construction, manufacturing and development of environmentally conscious products and services,” said cosponsor Rep. Thomas J. Winfield (D-Dist. 53, Smithfield, Glocester).
Rep. David A. Segal (D-Dist. 2, Providence, East Providence) and Rep. Arthur Handy (D-Dist. 18, Cranston) are also cosponsors of the House bill. Senate cosponsors include Sen. Paul E. Moura (D-Dist. 18, East Providence), Sen. Charles J. Levesque (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol), Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown, New Shoreham) and Sen. David E. Bates (R-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol).


March 24, 2008
News conference scheduled to announce large-scale renewable energy project in Rhode Island
Agreement to be signed between Coventry officials and developer tomorrow

STATE HOUSE – A coalition of elected officials and representatives from Allco Renewable Energy will gather in the House Lounge tomorrow at 3 p.m. to announce the development of a large-scale renewable energy project to be located in Coventry.
Rep. Raymond J. Sullivan Jr. (D-Dist. 29, Coventry, West Greenwich) and Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Warwick) will also discuss the benefits of legislation (2008-H 7616 and 2008-S 2607) they have sponsored to support the development of renewable energy projects through feed-in tariffs. (The House bill is scheduled for a hearing before the House Corporations Committee tomorrow at the rise of the House session – around 4:45 p.m. – in Room 203 on the second floor of the State House.)
Representatives from Allco Renewable Energy have been in discussions with Coventry officials for the past several months centered on developing the largest solar farm east of the Mississippi on town land.
Who: Representative Sullivan, Senator Miller and other cosponsors and supporters, along with Coventry Acting Town Manager Paul Sprague and other Coventry officials and representatives from Allco Renewable Energy Group.
What: The announcement of a large-scale, land-based renewable energy project in Rhode Island and the announcement of legislation designed to support renewable projects in Rhode Island through feed-in tariffs.
Where: The Rhode Island State House, House Lounge.
When: Tuesday, March 25, at 3 p.m.


Jan. 22, 2008
Bill requires businesses to protect personal information when tossing records

STATE HOUSE – Identity thieves know that another person’s trash can be their treasure.
For that reason, Rep. Raymond J. Sullivan Jr., in conjunction with Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, is sponsoring legislation that would require all companies in Rhode Island to properly destroy personal information in records before disposing of them.
“In this day and age when identity theft is a well-known problem, it’s just common sense that any business that’s tossing out documents should shred them first. If they don’t, they could be handing identity thieves all the information they need to wreak serious financial havoc upon their customers,” said Representative Sullivan, a Democrat who represents District 29 in Coventry and West Greenwich. “This legislation is aimed at making sure all companies are being careful and disposing of records in a way that doesn’t put their customers’ personal information at risk.”
The legislation, which Representative Sullivan submitted Wednesday, requires businesses to either shred documents containing personal information before disposing of them, or to otherwise destroy them or make the personal information indecipherable. The legislation would apply to every kind of record, whether paper, electronic media or in any other form.
If a business is found to have violated the act, any person whose records were improperly disposed of by the company would be allowed to sue for damages.
The bill also allows the Attorney General to file a suit on behalf of the state and recover as much as $500 per violation, up to $50,000, from the company.
“A failure to dispose of any records properly — whether business or personal — extends an open invitation to identity thieves,” Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said. “But when businesses fail to take proper precautions, such as shredding documents, they put their clients at risk of becoming innocent victims. Identity theft doesn’t just take place in cyberspace. There are Dumpster-divers around the globe, and right here in Rhode Island, seeking their next victims. This bill will become an effective tool for the Attorney General's office to use to hold businesses accountable for the safe destruction of the personal information of consumers.”
Representative Sullivan and Attorney General Lynch collaborated on the legislation after an incident in Representative Sullivan’s district in Coventry this fall when the Freedom National Title and Escrow company went out of business. The company tossed its files – which contained a myriad of personal information on many of the company’s customers – in a Dumpster on its property. A neighbor found the files, rescued as many as he could find, and called the Attorney General to find out what to do with them.
“A Dumpster full of personal information is a bonanza for an identity thief, and I’m sure they’re smart enough to look in the trash of companies that are likely to keep that kind of information. Businesses should make a serious effort to protect the personal information that they ask their customers to give them. This legislation is meant to ensure that they do,” said Representative Sullivan.