Veolia marked the official close of its nearly $3 billion acquisition of Clean Earth with a ribbon cutting celebration at its newly rebranded hazardous waste facility in Providence, spotlighting Rhode Island’s role in one of the company’s most significant U.S. growth investments in recent years.
Held at the state’s only permitted hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility, the event brought together public officials, commercial partners and community stakeholders for a press conference, facility tours and a ceremonial ribbon cutting overlooking the Providence River.
The transaction marks Veolia’s largest business acquisition since its merger with Suez in 2022 and substantially strengthens the company’s position as a leader in environmental services. With the addition of Clean Earth, Veolia more than doubles its hazardous waste revenue in North America and now operates more than 150 hazardous waste facilities nationwide, including 33 EPA permitted treatment sites and six high temperature incineration units.
The expanded network comes at a time when hazardous waste treatment capacity has become increasingly important to supporting advanced manufacturing, healthcare, energy production and other industries facing growing environmental compliance requirements. The acquisition is expected to generate approximately $120 million in synergies over the next four years while expanding Veolia’s ability to provide integrated environmental solutions across the United States.
In Rhode Island, the acquisition builds on Veolia’s already significant presence in water, energy and environmental infrastructure. The company provides water service to communities across southern Rhode Island, maintains infrastructure and supply operations in South County, and has played a leading role in innovative clean energy projects, including public housing solar initiatives designed to deliver renewable power, cost savings and decarbonization benefits.
The deal also adds approximately 2,600 employees nationwide and expands Veolia’s reach across key sectors including healthcare, advanced manufacturing, retail and clean energy. In New England, Veolia has continued to grow its hazardous waste platform through acquisitions including New England Disposal Technologies and New England MedWaste, while operating Massachusetts’ only permitted medical waste disposal facility and two of the state’s three permitted household hazardous waste disposal sites.
“This is a tremendously significant transaction at a time when the U.S. and the world are facing unprecedented environmental security challenges that are testing the limits of our resilience and competitiveness. It strengthens our position in the growing U.S. hazardous waste market, unlocks strong value creation potential and further targets our offerings to the most dynamic sectors of the American economy. Combined with the acceleration of our asset rotation program, it reinforces Veolia’s capacity to address the growing demand for environmental security,” said Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia.
The Clean Earth deal positions Veolia to address rising demand for hazardous waste treatment and resource management services across the Northeast and throughout North America, and represents an example of the company’s Green Up strategy.
“Veolia is truly an environmental services company like no other, and combining our strengths with those of Clean Earth creates a new world of possibilities for Veolia as well as the industries we serve. With Clean Earth, we are building a national platform to address environmental security challenges and setting the benchmark for safety, compliance and innovation in the industry,” said Nadège Petit, CEO of Veolia in North America. “We are excited to welcome our new colleagues from Clean Earth, who share our deep commitment to safety, compliance, customer service excellence and sustainability. Together, we are transforming the hazardous waste industry while making a difference for the customers and communities we serve through an expanded asset base and innovative treatments, such as PFAS and other emerging contaminants.”