PROVIDENCE — The construction of new gas stations won’t be banned, according to the new city comprehensive plan.

In October the City Council voted to approve an amendment to the plan, introduced by council member John Goncalves, that would have banned all future gas station developments within city limits. If passed, it would have been the first time a city on the East Coast implemented a blanket prohibition on new gas stations; a handful of cities in California have enacted similar bans.

“This is us taking a stand and saying we want to get our carbon neutrality goals,” Goncalves told ecoRI News in an interview in October. “In order to do that we need to do our part, and this is us doing our part and taking climate action.”

But the final version of the Providence Comprehensive Plan gives those seeking to build gas stations an out. Although technically a ban on new stations is in effect, gas station owners and developers can seek a special-use permit from the city to build a new station, which will only be allowed if the proposed parcel isn’t suitable for housing.

Gas stations are, in effect — thanks to their underground storage tanks that store the gasoline used in cars and other vehicles — small brownfields. A big part of the problem of why gas stations stick around, instead of being redeveloped, are the excessive costs brought on by remediating the property.

City officials heralded the comprehensive plan. “In an era of complex challenges, a well-crafted plan is our strongest foundation,” Mayor Brett Smiley said. “This comprehensive plan, shaped by invaluable input from our neighbors and community members, tackles major issues like the housing and climate crises and provides a blueprint for a vibrant, resilient Providence that offers opportunities for everyone.”

“This comprehensive plan represents a historic commitment to the people of Providence,” City Council president Rachel Miller said. “Shaped by extensive community input, it’s a bold vision that puts working families first, ensuring that as we grow, we grow together.”

The final comprehensive plan avoids addressing many of the environmental issues surrounding the waterfront businesses in and around the Port of Providence. The only types of industries banned, according to the plan, include power generation facilities, noxious or toxic chemical manufacturing, and ethylene oxide manufacturing and storage facilities.

Ultimately, many of the port’s fossil fuel infrastructure will remain untouched by regulation via the comprehensive plan. The waterfront, both in and outside the port’s jurisdiction, has long been a point of contention for local residents. The city’s waterfront hosts a range of polluting businesses, ranging from the chemical giant Univar Solutions Inc., which was cited for violating federal chemical safety protocols last year, to the Sea 3 terminal, a liquefied natural gas depot owned by Blackline Midstream LLC, which has received criticism for the health and safety risks posed by its existing LNG storage tanks.

Another problem not addressed in the waterfront areas is Rhode Island Recycled Metals LLC, which has received intense scrutiny, and renewed lawsuits from the state, over a series of scrap metal fires that have broken out over the past year.

Environmental justice advocates pinned their hopes on the city using the comprehensive plan to crack down on the waterfront’s fossil fuel infrastructure and other polluting facilities. South Providence and Washington Park, the two neighborhoods that abut Allens Avenue and other industrial sites around the waterfront, often bear the brunt of the public health risks posed by these industries.

The two neighborhoods are a clear example of environmental racism, and a flashpoint for environmental justice. The majority of the South Side’s population is Hispanic and Black. The median family income hovers around $23,300 a year, compared to the Providence average of $32,000.

Providence, especially the South Side, routinely ranks as one of the worst cities for asthma, and polluting industries in the port and proximity to major throughways such as Interstate 95 contribute to that ranking. As of 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Rhode Island has the highest asthma rate in the country, with 12.6% of adults suffering from the disease. Adults and children who live in Washington Park and South Providence are routinely forced to seek emergency medical treatment for respiratory-related illnesses.

City officials didn’t entirely close the door on prohibiting polluting industries. The final comprehensive plan dictates that future prohibited uses may include fossil fuel facilities, chemical facilities, or other air or water polluting industries. It would be up to a future City Council to take the next step and ban them.