35 Search Results for "Dover Beat"

• Non-Petroleum Jelly Formula

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    Non-Petroleum Jelly Formula
    
    Inspired by Better Basics for the Home, by Annie Berthold-Bond (Three Rivers Press, 1999).
    
    This easy-to-make, all-natural formula is a fabulous stand-in for petroleum jelly, but you can use it with confidence since it doesn’t do any of the harm associated with petroleum products.
    
    You can use it to heal scrapes and rashes, protect and add a little gloss to your lips, and even dab some on finger and toenails to impart luster and moisturizing magic. This is a great multi-use formula. Find out how to make it here:
    
    INGREDIENTS
    2 ounces olive oil
    1/2 ounce grated beeswax
    12 drops grapefruit seed extract
    
    1. In a double boiler over simmering water and medium heat, combine the olive oil and beeswax, and heat until the wax has melted.
    
    2. Remove mixture from the heat and add the grapefruit seed extract.
    
    3. Beat with a hand mixer until creamy.
    
    Makes 1/4 cup. Store in a glass jar with a screw-top. This jelly will keep for a year.
    
    --by Annie B. Bond - source:Care2.com

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• Revitalizing Yorklyn - Brownfi

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    Key land agreements expected to lay groundwork for economic development, ecological restoration and additional state parkland at Auburn Heights Preserve
    
    A series of agreements to preserve and redevelop 99 acres of land near the Auburn Heights Preserve in northern Delaware is expected to boost economic development and ecological restoration in the scenic area, and add to state parkland at the preserve located in the Red Clay Valley near the Pennsylvania state line.
    
    Five separate land parcels surrounding Auburn Heights, a 315-acre preserve owned by DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation near the old mill town of Yorklyn, will be protected through a series of fee simple acquisitions, conservation easements and adaptive reuse of historic properties.
    
    “This is a ‘win, win, win’ for Delaware,” said Governor Jack Markell. “By making this brownfields site more attractive to new business ventures, it means revitalization for Yorklyn. This cooperation between government and the private sector is a model that serves Delaware well through innovative partnerships that create economic opportunities concurrent with enhanced recreational and cultural amenities.”
    
    CCS Investors Inc. was the successful bidder, through the NVF bankruptcy proceeding, in contracting for 99 acres owned by NVF. Agreements between CCS and DNREC will convey approximately 87 acres in fee simple ownership and conservation easements to the state for $2.6 million. The remaining 12 acres will be redeveloped by CCS and historic structures restored to create mixed use opportunities that will include commercial, residential and park development. Possibilities for development may include commercial office space, museum space, retail shops, art studios and restaurants.
    
    DNREC is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to secure a Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant to pay about 75 percent of the total $2.6 million cost of the project. The grant application was submitted to FEMA last week and an award is expected to be announced next year. The remaining funding is expected to come from the Delaware Open Space Program, private foundations and conservation organizations. The area has been subject to severe flooding in recent years, resulting in significant economic impact.
    
    The agreements were initiated by DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation and made possible through an unprecedented partnership among Parks, the Division of Air and Waste Management’s Site Investigation and Restoration Branch (SIRB), and the Divisions of Water Resources and Soil and Water Conservation. Partners outside DNREC include the Delaware Economic Development Office, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the court-appointed trustee for NVF, The Conservation Fund and CCS Investors Inc. The project was further bolstered by strong support from neighboring property owners, as well as conservation and recreational organizations in the Yorklyn area.
    
    The NVF Company produced vulcanized fiber and related products in Yorklyn until declaring bankruptcy in April 2009. DNREC’s cleanup of zinc contamination at the site and stream restoration work in the surrounding community is ongoing. While zinc does not present a human health hazard, it is harmful to the aquatic life in Red Clay Creek.
    
    The project will eventually include additional conservation easements and private contributions currently under negotiation with neighboring property owners. “DNREC is actively working to recreate wetlands and restore the area’s natural floodplain through flood mitigation and ecological restoration,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara. “This will ultimately reduce the area’s historic flooding problems while continuing to improve the quality of the area’s soil and water.”
    
    State officials also plan changes designed to make the area more attractive to tourism. Plans are to create a network of public trails for hikers, bicyclists, equestrians and steam car enthusiasts, by connecting the existing Auburn Heights Preserve to the nearby Oversee Farm, also owned by the state.
    
    The Auburn Heights Preserve, part of the Delaware State Parks system, is home to the historic Marshall estate, which is managed through a partnership between Delaware State Parks and the Friends of Auburn Heights Preserve. The Friends group owns a world-class collection of operating vintage steam cars, including 14 Stanley Steamers and the miniature Auburn Valley Railroad.
    
    
    -- source -News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Nov. 4, 2009, Vol. 39, No. 437, For more information contact Matt Chesser, Delaware State Parks, 302-739-9235; or Beth Shockley, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.
    

     

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• First Federal Offshore Renewab

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    Delaware Hosts First Federal Offshore Renewable Energy Task Force Meeting
    
    LEWES, Del., Oct. 29 – Today, the State of Delaware became the first state in the nation to host a U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service offshore renewable energy Task Force meeting. The Task Force will facilitate the coordination of commercial leases for offshore renewable energy on the Outer Continental Shelf. Representatives from federal, state, local and tribal governments met to review goals and objectives and develop a Charter for the Task Force’s purpose and implementation.
    
    Governor Jack Markell appointed Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O’Mara to lead the state’s delegation to the Task Force after receiving a request from the Minerals Management Service.
    
    “Delaware is positioned to lead the nation in deploying the substantial offshore wind resource and moving towards a clean energy future,” said Governor Markell.  “We must work closely with our federal partners to ensure that bureaucratic delays do not slow the development of this critical resource in our efforts to maximize the economic, public health and environmental benefits for all Delawareans.”
    
    "Delaware stands ready to chart a new course for the country in the effort to transition to clean, renewable energy which will strengthen our economy, enhance our national security, and confront the growing challenges from climate change,” said Secretary O’Mara.  “Working closely with the federal Minerals Management Service, through the first such task force in the country, is a critical step to ensuring an extremely efficient process to develop Delaware's unique offshore renewable energy resource is used in the near future."
    
    Delaware is a national leader among all states in its consideration of adding offshore renewable energy to its portfolio of power generation resources. Since the Delaware General Assembly passed House Bill 6 in April 2006 directing Delmarva Power to contract with new power resources to guarantee a stable process for electricity, Delaware has achieved several milestones, including: the General Assembly’s amendment in July 2007 to the renewable Portfolio Standard  requiring that 20 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources by the year 2019; the selection of Bluewater Wind LLC’s proposal to construct an offshore wind facility in response to Delmarva Power’s November 2006 Request for Proposals for new electricity generation capacity; and the execution of a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement in July 2008 between Delmarva Power and Bluewater Wind LLC for 200 megawatts of power from an offshore wind facility proposed on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore of Rehoboth Beach. As a result of this progress,
    Delaware is widely recognized as the likely home of the first offshore wind development in North America.
    
    On April 22, 2009, President Barack Obama announced that the Minerals Management Service (MMS) finalized the framework for renewable energy generation on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).  The framework establishes a MMS program to issue leases, easements, and rights-of-way for orderly, safe, and environmentally responsible renewable energy development activities, such as the siting and construction of offshore wind facilities on the OCS.  The MMS is planning to consider a commercial leasing process offshore of Delaware and anticipates initiating this process in the coming months. MMS leased offshore lands to Bluewater Wind to install a meteorological and environmental monitoring tower this past spring.
    
    Delaware’s Task Force is comprised of federal representatives from: MMS; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the Army Corps of Engineers; and the U.S. Coast Guard and state representatives from: the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control; the Department of State; the Governor’s Office; the Public Service Commission; the Comptroller Generals’ Office;  the Office of Management and Budget; the University of Delaware; local governmental representatives from Rehoboth and Dewey Beaches; the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware; and the Nanticoke Indian Tribe.
    
    -- Oct. 29, 2009, Vol. 39, No. 433 - News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
    
    For more information contact Sarah Cooksey, Delaware Coastal Program Administrator, 302-739-9823; or Melanie Rapp, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

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• DE Striving to make TOP 10

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    DELAWARE ANSWERS CHALLENGE TO MAKE ENERGY EFFICIENCY ‘TOP 10’
    
    New Report shows state energy efficiency ranking improves; SEU spotlights connection to new jobs, and improvements in the economy and environment
    
    Delaware was designated one of the “most improved” states in an energy efficiency scorecard released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).  While good news, Sen. Harris McDowell, co-chair of the Sustainable Energy Utility’s (SEU) Energize Delaware said the state must and can do much better.
    
    “Energy efficiency and renewable energy sources are the gateway to creating more new jobs, reviving the economy, and improving the environment,” said McDowell, who welcomed the challenge from Gov. Markell to move higher in the report’s rankings. “Delaware is in a race to the ACEEE report card’s ‘top ten’ and we can do it.”
    
    Now in its second month the SEU’s Energize Delaware program is a one-stop resource to help Delawareans save money by cutting energy waste and tapping clean energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal. The SEU’s Energize Delaware aims to reduce energy consumption by 30 percent by 2015, cut CO2 emissions by 33 percent by 2020, and create thousands of new jobs.
    
    According to the 2009 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard released this week each of the 50 states were ranked in six categories to measure their efforts to make the most of energy efficiency as the first, best, and cheapest way to realize savings, meet demand and foster economic growth. Delaware moved up from 32 to 20 since last year’s report, the most improved of any other state.
    
    Sen. McDowell noted that the path to the top ten ranking is well marked. Per capita Delaware uses more energy than any of its neighboring states and pays more for its energy.
    
    Programs offering residents and businesses the opportunity to save money and energy include the SEU’s “Energize Delaware” Appliance Rebate Program, which provides rebates ranging from $25-$100 for ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers and dehumidifiers. A rebate form can be downloaded at www.energizedelaware.org.  More programs are scheduled to roll out in the coming months, including a commercial and industrial lighting incentive program, renewable energy grants for homeowners and businesses, and community-level and home performance initiatives to maximize and combine renewable energy and efficiency.
    
    Several state and municipal governments are studying Delaware’s comprehensive approach to achieving significant energy and dollar savings, job creation, and improvements to the environment.

    -----------------

    Energize Delaware is an initiative of the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), a unique nonprofit organization created to foster a sustainable energy future for the state. Under the program banner of Energize Delaware, residents and businesses in Delaware will have a single point of contact for education, resources and programs that will include low and no‐cost steps to save thousands on energy bills, boost the economy and improve the environment through new clean energy sources. The Energize Delaware programs will focus on conservation, efficiencies and the use of renewable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal. www.energizedelaware.org

     

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• 9th Annual Native Plant Sale

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    St. Jones Reserve Open House on Nov. 7
    Event includes the Delaware Native Plant Society’s Annual Plant Sale
     
    The St. Jones Reserve will host a free Open House and the Delaware Native Plant Society’s 9th Annual Native Plant Sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 7. The Open House and plant sale will be held rain or shine at the Reserve located at 818 Kitts Hummock Road near Dover.
     
    Held every year on the grounds of the St. Jones Reserve, the Delaware Native Plant Society’s Annual Plant Sale is a much anticipated event that offers beautiful native plants for sale for home landscapes. Native trees, shrubs, and perennial plants, including ferns, cardinal flower, pawpaw, and other difficult-to- find plants, will be available to purchase at exceptionally low prices. For the best selection, buyers are encouraged to arrive early.
     
    According to Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve manager Kimberly Cole, new this year, the Reserve will hold an Open House and invite the public to tour the buildings and grounds and enjoy autumn’s splendor on the estuary. “We added the Open House to introduce the community to the many opportunities that the St. Jones Reserve has to offer.” said Cole. “We welcome families and people of all ages to our view our coastal stewardship exhibits, see science in action and experience the natural beauty of the Reserve,” said Cole.
     
    With activities planned for all ages, visitors can:
    
        * Tour the St. Jones Center for Estuarine Studies, a building dedicated to understanding Delaware’s coastal areas, including its research laboratory, exhibits and classrooms;
        * watch as real-time weather and wave conditions are reported to the internet from sensors at the Reserve and in the Delaware Bay;
        * explore the amazing creatures that live in our estuaries;
        * hear about the many ways that you can enjoy getting involved;
        * watch the video, Delaware’s Undiscovered Treasure, that features the Blackbird Creek Watershed near Townsend – one of the most beautiful and ecologically important areas in the state;
    
        * talk with researchers who explore our bays and learn about the Thank You Delaware Bay initiative;
        * test your Coastal IQ with the help of Google Earth;
        * take part in kids activities, walk the boardwalk trail, and more.
     
    "The Delaware Native Plant Society and the St. Jones Reserve share the same goals of protecting and conserving our native plants, and this event is a wonderful opportunity for us to work together to promote stewardship,” said Eric Zuelke, nursery manager for the Delaware Native Plant Society.
     
    Organized in 1998, the Delaware Native Plant Society, a non-profit organization, has a statewide membership and encourages the use of and works to preserve, conserve, restore, and propagate native plants and native plant communities in Delaware.
     
    Plants are grown in the Delaware Native Plant Society’s nursery from locally collected seed, have been donated by members, or have been rescued from sites scheduled for clearing and development. This is one of only a handful of sources for plants collected and grown in the Delmarva region. The sale is the society’s only fundraising event; all proceeds go back into nursery operations. For more information, visit www.delawarenativeplants.org.
    
    The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) was established in 1993 to promote the stewardship and understanding of Delaware’s coastal areas through science and education.  DNERR is a cooperative program between the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Delaware Coastal Programs and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is one of 27 National Estuarine Research Reserves across the country. For more information, visit http://www.swc.dnrec.delaware.gov/coastal/dnerr.
     
    --Oct. 22, 2009, Vol. 39, No. 426 - News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

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• Largest Improvement in Air Qua

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    DNREC Secretary approves plan for largest improvement in air quality in Delaware history by  reducing emissions from Indian River power plant
    
    DOVER – Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O’Mara has issued a Secretary’s Order approving construction permits for air pollution control equipment at NRG’s Indian River power plant near Millsboro that will transform the facility from among the 50 dirtiest coal plants in the nation to the one of the cleanest while also providing substantial public health and environmental benefits to Delawareans. The project aligns with Delaware’s environmental, public health, and energy goals of reducing air emissions and providing clean, reliable power from existing sources as the state transitions towards renewable energy from offshore wind, solar and geothermal technologies.
    
    The approved plan requires that the power plant’s oldest units, Unit 1 and Unit 2, be shut down by May 1, 2011 and May 1, 2010, respectively, and calls for construction of back-end pollution control equipment on Unit 3 and Unit 4 by Dec. 31, 2011 as allowed under the permits. Pollution control equipment to be constructed includes an ammonia storage system, lime silos and baghouses, byproduct storage silo with a baghouse, selective catalytic reduction systems, and circulating dry scrubber systems with baghouse.
    
    These investments were selected by NRG to meet emission reductions necessary to comply with the Department’s multi-pollutant regulation (No. 1146) governing control of air pollution from generating units. Additionally and in concert with this permitting action, NRG has agreed to install and operate two air monitoring stations to measure ambient levels of fine particles upwind and downwind of the facility.
    
    The shutdown of Units 1 and 2 will result in prevention of 4,586 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 23,925 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from being emitted into the air annually.  Construction of the pollution control equipment on Units 3 and 4 will further decrease annual emissions of NOx by more than 75 percent (from 12,452 tons to 3,064 tons), SO2 by nearly 85 percent (from 41,720 tons to 6,128 tons), mercury by nearly 90 percent to no more than 25 pounds per year, acid gas emissions by more than 80 percent, particulate matter by more than 50 percent (from 4,730 tons to 2,298 tons); and ammonia by more than 30 percent (from 372 to 250 tons).
    
    The combined impact of these changes will be an overall reduction in NOx and SO2 emissions at the facility of nearly 90 percent by the project’s completion, advancing both air quality and water quality goals for the state. These reductions in emissions are estimated to generate approximately $2 billion in avoided health care costs. Further, the shutdown of Units 1 and 2 will also reduce water intake at the facility by approximately 60 percent and make a measurable improvement in the water quality, improve aquatic habitat, and help rebuild fish populations.
    
    “These improvements will mark a substantial improvement in air quality,” said Governor Jack Markell. “The health of our environment is linked the health of our residents and the strength of our economy, and the half billion dollars of investment will create up to 500 construction jobs in Sussex County during this difficult economic period.”
    
    “This project represents the largest single reduction in air emissions ever in Delaware and can serve as a model for generating cleaner energy across the nation,” said Secretary O’Mara. “By working diligently and specifically to reduce harmful air emissions through our multi-pollutant regulatory process we will continue to improve air quality, water quality,  and public health outcomes in Delaware.”
    
    The $500 million in improvements will generate up to 500 new construction jobs between 2009 and 2012, including iron workers, steel workers, laborers, electricians, pipefitters, operators, carpenters, mechanics, engineers, financial experts and support staff, while retaining the existing jobs at the facility.
    
    Indian River Power LLC, a subsidiary of NRG Energy Inc., submitted an application for permits to construct the pollution control equipment at the Indian River Generating Station near Millsboro on April 16, 2009 to comply with a negotiated settlement with the Air Quality Management Section under former Secretary John Hughes, which was approved by Superior Court Sept. 24, 2007. The department held a public hearing on the application on Aug. 12, 2009 and the public comments were reviewed in a Hearing Officer’s Report dated Sept. 30, 2009. There were no comments made in objection to the permits at the hearing. The Secretary’s Order, Hearing Officer’s Report and Technical Response Memorandum providing Air Quality Management Section’s responses to the comments made at the Aug. 12 hearing are available for review on the department’s web site at: http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Info/Pages/SecOrders.aspx.
    
    October 14, 2009, Vol. 39, No. 411 -- News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

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• Annual Conservation Poster Con

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    Conservation Districts to sponsor annual conservation poster contest
    
    The New Castle, Kent and Sussex Conservation Districts will be sponsoring a conservation poster contest during the next few weeks. The theme this year is “DIG IT! The Secrets of Soil.” Posters will be judged in the following grade categories: K-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. First, second, and third place winners in each category will receive a prize valued at $50, $25 and $15 respectively. Deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 6, 2009.
    
    The annual conservation poster contest provides kindergarten through 12th grade students an opportunity to convey their thoughts about soil, water and related natural resource issues through art. It also highlights the educational outreach efforts of conservation districts and their state associations, auxiliaries and agencies. The contest follows the annual Stewardship theme which is sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts.
    
    This year’s theme, “DIG IT! The Secrets of Soil,” reminds people that soil is one of our precious natural resources that we must conserve for the next generation. Communities benefit when they have a better appreciation of soil and its connections to our everyday life. Conservation districts work with local communities to instill the appreciation for our natural resources across America.
    
    Last year, the winning Delaware poster for the K-1 category, created by Yusuf Kose of New Castle County, went on to win first place in the K-1 category in the national contest.
    
    For more information and educational resources about the theme, please visit http://www.nacdnet.org/education/resources/soils/. For contest rules, please visit http://nacdnet.org/education/contests/poster/2009/2009_rules+bkgrd.pdf. Delaware will not accept entries for the new special categories mentioned in the rules.
    
    Posters must include the names of the student, teacher and school along with the grade level, and must be hand delivered or mailed flat in time to meet the deadline to the conservation district in the county in which you reside.
    
    Addresses for Delaware’s conservation district offices are as follows: New Castle Conservation District, 2430 Old County Road, Newark, DE 19702; Kent Conservation District, 800 Bay Road, Suite 2, Dover, DE  19901; and Sussex Conservation District, 21315 Berlin Road, Unit 4, Georgetown, DE  19947.
    
    For more information please contact Michelle Jacobs at 302-739-9135 or email Michelle.Jacobs@state.de.us.
    
    
    Oct. 9, 2009, Vol. 39, No. 406 -- News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

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• Army Corps, DNREC team up on M

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    Army Corps, DNREC team up on Mispillion Inlet Navigational Maintenance and Habitat Restoration Project
    
    What began as a routine navigational maintenance project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in cooperation with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control also provided an ideal opportunity to partner in protecting a vital natural resource: horseshoe crab/migratory shorebird habitat in Mispillion Harbor. That fragile but crucial habitat was threatened by a breach in the man-made breakwater that shelters the area. By combining their skills, the two agencies were able to use dredging equipment for the dual purpose of channel maintenance and breakwater restoration in one efficient month-long project that was just completed Sept. 29.
    
    “This was a tremendous opportunity for the State of Delaware and the Army Corps of Engineers to come together and protect this invaluable resource. The partnership that was developed through the course of this project should be a testament and model of how well federal and state agencies can interact to preserve and restore our coastal resources,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara.
    
     “This is essentially two projects for the price of one,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Tickner, Philadelphia District Commander for the Army Corps. “We solved one problem by taking excess sand out of the inlet, then teamed with DNREC to solve another by placing that same sand to help rebuild a habitat.” According to Charles Myers, the Army Corps’ Mispillion River project manager, the dredged sand will be reused both to restore the valuable red knot/horseshoe crab environmental area and to protect the jetty on Conch Bar Island.
    
    Back in June, as DNREC reviewed the Army Corps of Engineers’ permit request for maintenance dredging, the breach was discovered at the north end of the Mispillion breakwater protecting the Mispillion River and Harbor. Tidal flow through the breach was accelerating erosion of the state’s most valuable habitat for spawning horseshoe crabs and foraging shorebirds, a sandy beach directly across from the DuPont Nature Center at the mouth of the Mispillion River. Now owned by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, the area was artificially created through past navigational projects which constructed the breakwater and inlet jetties, and now requires periodic maintenance to maintain its habitat quality.
    
    “Mispillion Harbor routinely has the highest horseshoe crab egg densities in the Delaware Bay, attracting the greatest concentration of red knots and other shorebirds to its shores. This makes the area one of the most important sites for shorebird conservation not only in Delaware but also in the entire Atlantic Coast flyway. This project was critical to preserving the habitat required by both horseshoe crabs and shorebirds,” said Kevin Kalasz, a wildlife biologist with the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program.
    
    Extensive shorebird and horseshoe crab monitoring has been conducted over the past decade by the DNREC Division of Soil and Water’s Delaware Coastal Programs and the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, identifying the important yet fragile nature of Mispillion Harbor. In 2008, rapidly eroding beaches prompted Delaware Coastal Programs to conduct a detailed engineering and modeling project to design options for restoring horseshoe crab and shorebird habitat and to assess their feasibility.
    
    After the discovery of the breach, Delaware Coastal Programs surveys in early July indicated that the damage was severe and must be addressed as soon as possible. An immediate coordinated effort was initiated between the Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District and several DNREC programs: the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Division of Parks and Recreation’s Natural Areas Program, Division of Water Resources’ Wetlands and Subaqueous Lands Section, Division of Soil and Water’s Shoreline and Waterway and Coastal Programs sections. Federal funding was obtained through the Corps for completion of the navigational maintenance as well as the proposed restoration efforts.
    
    The two agencies determined that filling the erosional channel and back breakwater area with course sandy sediments would curtail the tidal exchange with the Delaware Bay, and that 25,000 cubic yards of sediment would be required to fill the void and stabilize the area. To accomplish this, a large sand source had be located within 1.5 to 2 miles. Using coring equipment, remote acoustics and Delaware Bay Benthic mapping bottom and sub-bottom sediment data, Delaware Coastal Programs located a sand borrow site adjacent to the southern jetty that contained about 65,000 cubic yards of fine to coarse sand suitable for the restoration efforts.
    
    The Army Corps of Engineers contracted Southwind Construction Corporation of Evansville, Indiana, to conduct the navigational channel maintenance along Cedar Creek and the 2,000-foot approach channel to the Inlet, plus the Mispillion Breakwater restoration work. The navigational dredging started in early September and was completed in three weeks, with channel sediments consisting of very fine grained mud deposited north of the breakwater along the beach.
    
    Breakwater restoration began Sept. 22 and was completed Sept. 29 by pumping 25,000 cubic yards of medium to course sand from the borrow site to the interior of the breakwater. The area was graded according to beach templates designed by DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterways survey crew.
    
    “The goal of the restoration was to plug the breach at the northern end of the breakwater, backfill the eroded areas to the south to provide temporary protection, increase the available beach habitat, and stabilize compromised stone breakwater. The work was extremely successful in accomplishing this goal until long a long-term solution to fully protecting the eroding beaches in Mispillion Harbor can be developed and implemented,” said Bartholomew Wilson, a geologist with Delaware Coastal Programs.
    
    Oct. 1, 2009, Vol. 39, No. 395
    
    For more information, contact Kevin Kalasz, Delaware Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, 302-653-2880; Bartholomew Wilson, Delaware Coastal Programs, 302-739-9161; Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902; or Richard Pearsall, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Public Affairs, 215-656-6032. PHOTOS AVAILABLE.

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• Delaware Bay Oyster Restoratio

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    DNREC created habitat on 241 acres of natural oyster beds
    
    The Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Project was honored with a Coastal America Partnership Award during a bayside ceremony organized by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary at the University of Delaware’s Coast Day festival in Lewes. The award is the only environmental award of its kind given by the White House.
    
    The award recognized the partnership efforts of Delaware and New Jersey organizations that successfully provided oyster habitat that will help restore and stabilize the oyster population in the Delaware Bay. The multi-agency task force strategically planted 2.1 million bushels of clam and oyster shells onto historic reefs in Delaware Bay, thanks to $5 million in federal funding.
    At the ceremony, Coastal America Director, Virginia Tippie and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Policy and Legislation) Terrence Salt presented Secretary Collin O’Mara with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control plaque, certificates and task force congratulatory letters from President Barack Obama.
    
    "The Delaware Bay is a recreational treasure and an economic engine for our region," said DNREC Secretary Collin P. O’Mara at the ceremony. "The Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Project supports both the ecological restoration of our native oyster and the revitalization of our commercial oyster industry. The project’s outstanding success reflects the close cooperation between New Jersey, Delaware and all partners and the dedicated commitment to improving the health and sustainability of the Delaware Bay."
    
    For centuries, oysters have provided a sustainable food supply and contributed to the economies of Delaware and New Jersey communities. During the 1930’s, more than one million bushels were harvested every year from the Delaware Bay. However, in the 1950’s and again in the 1990’s the oyster population was plagued by parasites that nearly caused the industry to disappear. Over the years, oyster populations were further reduced by the shortage of natural surfaces for oysters to attach or “recruit” and grow.
    
    The Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Task Force, a collaborative partnership of 12 public and private agencies from Delaware and New Jersey, was formed in 2005 to leverage and combine resources to provide new oyster habitat and enhance the survival of the oyster populations in the bay.
    The project successfully stabilized shell losses from the oyster beds and substantially increased the survival of juvenile oysters. The bay-wide projected quota for oysters reared in 2008 is the third highest since the mid-1980’s, and the estimated economic impact to the industry of the 2007 fiscal-year program alone is $90 million – estimated at $40 for every federal dollar invested.
    
    DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife manages Delaware’s state-owned natural oyster beds, and task force members, Rick Cole, Michael Greco, and Mike Garvilla, planted approximately one million bushels of shell on 241 acres of natural oyster beds in Delaware waters. The scientists monitored planting operations to ensure that the shell was planted in the best locations to achieve maximum oyster larvae or “spat” attachments. They continued to monitor the sites after spawning season to document the level of spat retention and compare it to sites that were not planted with shell.
    
    DNREC’s monitoring program determined that oyster spat recruitment on Delaware’s natural oyster beds has increased six fold in those sites that were planted with shell in 2007-2008. The scientists found that the amount of shell being replaced on the beds has returned to equilibrium levels – after at least a decade of shell loss. The findings indicate that improvements in habitat conditions from the shell plantings have increased oyster abundance in those areas.
    
    For more information on DNREC’s oyster restoration project, visit www.fw.delaware.gov/Fisheries. Coastal America is a partnership of federal agencies, state and local governments, and private organizations whose mission it is to protect, preserve, and restore the nation’s coasts.  For more information, visit www.CoastalAmerica.gov.
    
    Oct. 8, 2009, Vol. 39, No. 402
    Contact: Richard Cole, Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Project, Division of Fish and Wildlife, 302-739-4782; or Melanie Rapp, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

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• Delaware students “Make a Spla

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    Laurie Poore with DNREC's Mosquito Control Section shows Ronnie Griffin of Campus Community School ways to reduce mosquitoes in his backyard at the "Make a Splash" event at the St. Jones Reserve at the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve.

     

    Delaware students “Make a Splash” during National Estuaries Day celebration
     
    DOVER, Del., – More than 400 fourth and fifth grade students from five elementary schools – Brader, North Smyrna, Fairview, Campus Community and South Dover -  participated in today’s “Make a Splash” festival, an event designed  to engage and educate students on the diversity and importance of Delaware’s water resources. The day-long festival, held at the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve and the John Dickinson Plantation near Dover, featured interactive activities in conjunction with the National Estuaries Day celebration.
     
    “Delaware’s estuaries are natural treasures that need our protection,” said Jennifer Holmes, education coordinator with DNREC’s Division of Soil and Water Conservation. “Our activities taught students how estuaries are essential to the health of coastal environments and encouraged them to become active participants in protecting our water resources.”
     
    Twenty-four stations with activities and demonstrations on various water-related topics were available for students. New this year, the global positioning system activity demonstrated how new technology is currently being used by scientists to map and manage water resources. Another student favorite, “macro-invertebrates,” explained how insects are used as indicators of the water quality and health of streams and ponds.
     
    Ronnie Griffin, a 5th grader at Campus Community School in Dover, was especially interested in the wetlands and mosquito demonstration presented by Laurie Poore of DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. “It was good to learn how old tires, flower pots, and toys in my backyard can hold water for mosquitoes to breed,” said Ronnie. “I learned that you should go outside and try and find things that will hold water and empty them.”
     
    Other educational stations included activities on horseshoe crabs, stormwater runoff, pollution, estuaries, watersheds, groundwater, salinity, water supply and the historical importance of water.
     
    At the “Long Haul,” an activity that taught students about the historical uses of water, educator Tom Herholdt of Tidewater Utilities summed up the enthusiastic response he received from students. “We wanted students to learn about the importance of water and how people should not take water for granted,” said Herholdt. “By participating in a bucket brigade, students learned how difficult it was for our ancestors to put out a house fire. This activity taught students the importance of protecting and conserving our water resources.”
     
    The Delaware “Make a Splash” festival has been educating students and encouraging actions to help protect water resources for ten years. The planning committee includes representatives from: the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control; Delaware Project WET; Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs – John Dickinson Plantation; Tidewater Utilities; and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
     
    Educators and volunteers for the event included staff from: Partnership for the Delaware Estuary; Brandywine Zoo; Delaware Department of Agriculture, Project Learning Tree; Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control; Delaware Fossil Collector, Bonni Jones; Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve; Delaware Nature Society; Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, John Dickinson Plantation; Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Zwaanendael Museum; John’s Well Drilling; Kalmar Nyckel;
    Kent Conservation District; New Castle Conservation District; Sally Bowman; Sussex Conservation District; Tidewater Utilities; and USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
     
    To explore the many educational opportunities and workshops offered at DNREC’s Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, contact Jennifer Holmes at 302-739-3436 or visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov and click on “Division of Soil and Water Conservation”.
    
    Sept. 29, 2009, Vol. 39, No. 390

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• Fenwick adopts 33-foot height

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    By Monica Fleming, Coastal Point Staff Reporter

    

     

    Coastal Point • Monica Fleming
    The windmill at Nantucket’s stands at approximately 53 feet tall. The Town of Fenwick Island recently passed an ordinance regarding small wind-energy systems that caps their maximum allowable height at 33 feet.

     

    Special allowances for wind-energy systems might seem like a no-brainer in an overtly “green” town like Fenwick Island has been in recent years, but town council members paused this week to really delve into the logistics of wind turbines in a residential area.
    
    The Town of Fenwick Island, known for its Environmental Committee and ahead-of the-curve residents who are outspoken on everything from recycling to the Indian River power plant’s coal-ash pile, put its collective foot down on tall wind turbines at their public hearing and council meeting on Friday, Aug. 28, capping the town’s allowable height for turbines at a firm 33 feet – just 3 feet higher than the town’s overall maximum building height.
    
    There were six exasperated “aye” votes to pass the ordinance and one very unhappy “nope.”
    
    Todd Smallwood, the lone dissenter, said he couldn’t bring himself to vote for the ordinance, even with a cap of 33 feet. In its original state, the ordinance had the height limit for wind turbines set at 40 feet. By way of comparison, the newly erected wind turbine and tower at Nantucket’s restaurant, which is just outside of town limits, is 53 feet high.
    
    “I’ll take the arrow here,” said Smallwood, a member of the town’s Environmental Committee and the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Center for the Inland Bays, and an avid recycler.
    
    “I don’t want to act anti-green,” he emphasized. “But we have kept the 30-foot height limits as sacred. And the one at Nantucket’s is an eyesore. I don’t like it. It’s a visual blight on our town.”
    
    Citing the state’s recently enacted, albeit vague, law that states that municipalities, county government and home owners’ associations cannot enact new bans on wind- and solar-energy systems, Smallwood said, “We can certainly hold our ground on the 30-foot height limit.
    
    “And it’s not our fault if they don’t work” at that height,” he said. “It’s not our problem.”
    
    The standard for residential wind turbines is that they be installed 6 to 8 feet above nearby structures in order to catch winds and work efficiently.
    
    Smallwood noted that he has also called four manufacturers about the systems’ requirements, and all recommended a lot size of at least a half-acre.
    
    During discussion of the ordinance, Mayor Audrey Serio mentioned the exception for solar panels that had been made to the town’s height limit. They can be 36 inches, or 3 feet, above the 30-foot building height restriction, and she asked why the town might disallow turbines if they made an exception for the panels.
    
    “It’s two totally different things,” countered Smallwood. “It’s 3 feet on a flat-panel roof to a free-standing 40-foot windmill.”
    
    As written, the ordinance specifies that the base of a wind turbine’s tower has to be set back from all property lines, public rights-of-way and public utility lines at least a distance equal to 1.1 times the total height of the tower, in addition to the 33-foot height cap. As it stands, there a only a handful of lots in the town that would be able to meet all those requirements.
    
    Serio said the purpose of the ordinance was to have something on the books.
    
    “We had to start somewhere,” she said.
    
    Former Mayor Pete Frederick brought up several points during the public hearing, which was held right before the monthly council meeting. He asked if the Sussex County Association of Towns was responding to the state law in some way, and he encouraged Fenwick Island to be “a part of that.” Frederick said he questioned whether the state had the right to “dictate to municipalities regarding the safety of their residents.”
    
    He also brought up a proposed communications tower that, if it had been built, would have exceeded the town’s height limit and was ultimately scrapped for other reasons. And he asked about chimney height restrictions.
    
    “If 1.1,” he asked, citing the distance a tower must be from property lines, rights-of-way and utilities, “why not 2?”
    
    “We are not drafting it to prevent turbines,” emphasized Councilman Bill Weistling Jr. “If we say 2, we might as well not draft it. It would be virtually impossible.”
    
    “Why would we want to do that?” asked Serio.
    
    “To make sure you don’t end up with turbines on every lot,” answered Frederick.
    
    “The whole purpose is to protect property owners, and if they are going to install it, to try to make it work. We need to get something that protects our residents who want to put one up and also protects the neighbors.," said Mayor Serio.
    
    Even though several of the council members talked about changing the height limit from 40 feet to 33 feet, Smallwood was unwavering in his discontent with the ordinance.
    
    “Seems now like we are just passing it to pass it,” he said.
    
    “We need to proceed. If you don’t like it, don’t vote for it,” replied Weistling.
    
    Resident Lynn Andrews spoke on the subject and thanked Smallwood for “taking the arrow.”
    
    Councilwoman Diane Tingle said she had heard lots of positive statements about the turbine at Nantucket’s, adding that people have said to her, “What a beautiful sight.”
    
    “Not everybody’s anti-windmill,” she added.
    
    Ultimately, the council decided to pass the ordinance but changed the maximum height allowed from 40 feet to 33 feet.

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• 2,000 Volunteers Cleanup DE Co

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    Delaware Coastal Cleanup draws record 2,000 volunteers

    This year’s Delaware Coastal Cleanup on Sept. 19 drew a record 2,000 volunteers, according to site captain’s reports. Volunteers from civic groups to businesses to families cleaned up 42 sites throughout Delaware from Wilmington to Fenwick Island.
    
    “We have some of the most pristine beaches in the nation, and our record volunteer turnout in this year’s Coastal Cleanup demonstrates why,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara. “The number of youth groups and students who took part is especially encouraging, because we have a new generation learning hands-on about the importance of keeping trash out of our waterways and marshes and off our beaches.”
    
    Volunteers included numerous Scout troops and 4-H Clubs, high school honor students, a squadron from Dover Air Force Base, employees from a shipping company and several other businesses, a University of Delaware alumni group, a garden club, the Delaware Surf Riders, a skim boarding team, church and school groups, and beach community members and visitors, as well as many families and individuals.
    
    “We had beautiful, sunny fall weather, and hundreds of wonderful and enthusiastic volunteers came out to support this important effort. We’d like to thank each and every one of them for helping to make our waterways and beaches cleaner,” said Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup coordinator.
    
    Topping the list of interesting or unusual items this year are a mattress and box spring, two child seats, flip flops, boogie board, bike pedal, baseball glove, metal car ramp, a beached boat, a complete set of clothing and a bathing suit, commercial crab pot, a jar of cherry peppers, shopping cart, sawhorse, hockey stick, two grills (one gas and one charcoal), laundry basket, three dead trees with burlap-wrapped root balls, plastic toy hand grenade and a Coastal Cleanup data card blown by the breeze from the hands of one volunteer into the path of another.
    
    The total amount of trash gathered by the volunteers is still being tallied and will be announced at a later date. However, one northern site has already posted impressive results. Fox Point State Park, located on the Delaware River near Wilmington, collected 1.17 tons of trash, including a truckload of recyclables and a dump truck full of scrap metal. Interesting finds at Fox Point included a weedwacker, a pile of magnetic tape, a hard hat, paint rollers, forceps, a plastic chair and an iron blast furnace.
    
    Common items found statewide included food wrappers, a number of propane tanks and thousands of plastic beverage bottles and caps. Site captains at some sites reported that cigarette butts were not as plentiful as in the past, while others were still finding plenty, including Rehoboth Beach, where volunteers gathered more than 4,000.
    
    The Delaware cleanup is just one part of the International Coastal Cleanup sponsored by The Ocean Conservancy, whose sponsorship includes supplying trash bags, data cards and pencils. It is also co-sponsored with Delmarva Power which provides collectable t-shirts for the participants and Playtex, which provides gloves. DNREC is responsible for organizing the event, recruiting volunteers, distributing supplies, ensuring trash removal and tabulating all the data collected.
    
    The International Coastal Cleanup is the Ocean Conservancy’s flagship program dealing with marine debris and data collection. It is the oldest and largest one-day volunteer effort on behalf of the marine environment. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world help each year to rid the environment of marine debris and collect detailed information on the types and quantities of refuse.
    
    The types and quantities of trash collected in the various locations are recorded on data cards and forwarded to the Center for Marine Conservation, which compiles the information for all of the cleanups held in the country and around the world. The information helps identify the source of the debris and focus efforts on eliminating or reducing it.
    
    Delaware’s next Coastal Cleanup is set for Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010. Volunteers are encouraged to pre-register to ensure sites receive enough supplies and complementary International Coastal Cleanup t-shirts in appreciation of their effort. Interested volunteers can check out DNREC’s website at www.dnrec.delaware.gov next summer for registration information.
    
    For more information on The Ocean Conservancy or the International Coastal Cleanup, visit the Conservancy’s website at www.oceanconservancy.org.
    
    For more information regarding this press release, contact Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup Coordinator, DNREC Public Affairs, at 302-739-9902, or Matt Likovich, Community & Communications Coordinator, Delmarva Power, 410-860-6203. Photos available.
    
    Sept. 28, 2009, Vol. 39, No. 386

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• Green Jobs & Clean Energy in D

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    At the White House sponsored Clean Energy and Economy forum in Bensalem, PA, Gov. Jack Markell remarked that "As we move toward a more sustainable future, we are creating incredible market opportunities for entrepreneurs and existing business". Markell was joined by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and U.S. Energy Secretary Stepen Chu in leading the forum to promote energy efficiency, energy conservation and clean energy technologies. 

    The issues covered at Thursday's venue are many of the same issues Gov. Markell has emphasized for quite some time, including clean energy generation, creating businesses and jobs around emerging green technologies and better utilization of Delaware's natural resources. According to Secretary Chu, the White House administration has made green energy a priority in the allocation of funds from the recovery act.

    Recently passed legislation requires Delaware to reduce electricity usage by 15% statewide by 2015, as well as new energy-efficiency building code and natural gas use reduction goals. To help Delawarean's achieve this energy and fuel saving measures, the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) has implemented programs to help defray the cost of weatherization projects and rebates for energy efficient appliances. Through Energize Delaware residents and businesses can access a host of programs to help save on their energy bills, boost the economy and improve the environment. Energize Delaware Programs will focus on conservation, efficiencies and the use of renewable energy sources, like solar wind and geothermal.

    Blueprint for a Better Delaware by Jack Markell

    --posted Friday, Sept. 18, 2009

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• Auction Proceeds Fund Renewabl

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    Fifth RGGI auction expected to yield $1.78 million for Delaware’s investment in renewable energy and efficiency programs
     
    DOVER  - Sept. 11, 2009 -– Governor Jack Markell and DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara announced today that Delaware expects to receive $1.78 million for investment in clean energy projects from the state’s participation in the fifth regional auction of carbon dioxide (CO2) allowances Wednesday, Sept. 9.  The auction marks the one year anniversary of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auctions and brings the total amount of proceeds to more than $432.7 million since September of 2008.
     
    CO2  is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. The 10 RGGI partnering states hold quarterly allowance auctions and invest the proceeds in energy efficiency, renewable energy and other programs that benefit energy consumers and create green jobs.
     
    “This funding will create jobs to help our economy and pay for programs to help our environment,” Markell said.
     
    All of Delaware’s 763,842 allowances offered for sale in this auction were sold at a clearing price of $2.19 per allowance.  In a parallel offering, Delaware sold 66,698 allowances for the 2012 vintage for $1.67 per allowance.  The 2012 vintage offering provides power plants and other entities that must comply with Delaware regulations the first look at future market prices for RGGI (CO2) allowances.
     
    “RGGI auction proceeds can boost Delaware’s leadership in transitioning to a green economy by fostering investments in clean energy sources and green jobs,” said Secretary O’Mara.
     
    Under legislation passed last year by the Delaware General Assembly, approximately $1.16 million or 65 percent of the auction proceeds will be directed to the new Sustainable Energy Utility, the non-profit entity tasked to provide energy efficiency and renewable energy programs for households and businesses. The SEU’s new program, Energize Delaware, has begun to offer rebates on certain Energy Star appliances using RGGI proceeds from previous auctions.
     
    A total 15 percent of auction proceeds will be directed to low income consumers through programs administered by the Department of Health and Social Services. Up to 10 percent will be used for greenhouse gas reduction projects and the remaining 10 percent may be used to administer RGGI and climate change programs in DNREC.
     
    Delaware is one of ten Northeast states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont) pioneering RGGI – the first market-based, mandatory cap-and-trade program in the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
     
    The participating states adopted regulations to cap and then reduce the amount of CO2 that power plants in each state are allowed to emit, limiting the region’s total contribution of atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. Under RGGI, the 10 states will stabilize power sector carbon emissions at their capped level, and then reduce the cap by 10 percent at a rate of 2.5 percent each year between 2015 and 2018. The groundbreaking program may serve as a model for a possible federal cap-and-trade program.
     
    Since last September, over 100 bidders, including electric utilities, manufacturers, financial institutions, environmental groups and individuals have participated in the RGGI auctions for CO2 allowances. Every major power plant in the 10-state RGGI region now reports quarterly CO2 emissions to the public in an emissions and allowance tracking system.
     
    A CO2 allowance represents a limited authorization to emit one ton of CO2 emissions to demonstrate compliance at the end of each 3-year control period. The first control period for fossil fuel-fired electric generators under each state’s CO2 Budget Trading Program took effect on January 1, 2009 and extends through Dec. 31, 2011.
     
    The sixth auction will be held Dec. 2, 2009.
     
    For more information on Delaware’s RGGI program, visit http://www.awm.delaware.gov/AQM/Pages/RegionalGreenhouseGasInitiative.aspx or for RGGI, Inc., visit http://www.rggi.org.
    
    
     
    For more information contact:  Phil Cherry, Office of the Secretary, 302-739-9068; or Melinda Carl, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

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• Cash Back for ENERGY STAR® Qua

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    DELAWARE APPLIANCE REBATE PROGRAM SAVES MONEY AND ENERGY 
    Cash Back for ENERGY STAR® Qualified Refrigerators, Freezers, Washers and Dehumidifiers 
    
    (WILMINGTON, DE) – Delawareans interested in energizing their savings on their energy bills now have a new incentive to upgrade their older, energy-sapping appliances for new, high-efficiency models. Today the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility’s (SEU) “Energize Delaware” initiative is providing mail-in rebates ranging from $25-$100 for ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers and dehumidifiers.
    
    The SEU’s Energize Delaware Appliance Rebate is the first of many programs to help Delawareans save money, create new jobs and protect the environment. The Delaware SEU is a non-profit, one stop resource to help residents and businesses save money by conserving energy, and tapping clean energy sources like solar, geothermal and wind.
    
    “The appliance rebate program offers Delaware residents a win-win-win proposition,” said Sen. Harris McDowell, whose legislation created the SEU. “There are environmental benefits, energy-efficiency benefits, and significant pocketbook benefits.”
    
    Old appliances are some of the biggest energy users in homes, and replacing the old with more efficient models can save customers hundreds of dollars a year on their energy bills. If every household in Delaware had a 2009 ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator instead of a standard model, the lifetime savings in our state would be more than $49 million.  The kilowatts saved would be enough to supply electricity to nearly 250,000 homes in Delaware for a year.
    
    The rebates offered through the SEU’s Energize Delaware Appliance Rebate Program include:
    
    Refrigerators – $100 for qualified ENERGY STAR® models. Customers usually select a new refrigerator based on the design (top freezer, side-by-side, etc.). The $100 rebate is designed to help the customer to make a selection that combines the preferred style with ENERGY STAR® qualifications.
    
    Freezers – $50 for qualified ENERGY STAR® models. The rebate is also designed to help customers realize they can find their choice in a high-efficiency model.
    
    Clothes Washers – $75 for qualified front-load, ENERGY STAR® models. The savings on ENERGY STAR® front load washers is the highest of all the typical household appliances due to the energy savings of the unit and the hot water heater as well as the water usage.
    
    Clothes Washers – $50 for qualified top-load, ENERGY STAR® models. These washers are nearly as efficient as front-load washers
    
    Dehumidifiers – $25 for qualified ENERGY STAR® models. These dehumidifiers save energy, and by buying the right size model for your home can help reduce heating and cooling costs by taking high moisture content out of the air.
    
    Additional appliances will be eligible for the rebate program early next year.  The SEU is also looking into a recycling program to ensure inefficient models are pulled out of service. Currently Delawareans won’t need to turn in their old appliances to benefit from the program.
    
    To get their rebates, consumers can go to www.energizedelaware.org and print the rebate form or visit any of the 50-plus participating appliance retail stores throughout Delaware. Stores will continue to sign up for the program throughout the month of September.  Upon making their qualifying purchase, consumers will fill out a rebate form and send the completed form along with the printed sales receipt to the address on the form. Once the application has been submitted and approved, consumers should expect a debit card with their rebate amount within 4 – 6 weeks. The rebate card makes it easy for consumers to immediately access and use their rebate dollars without having to cash a check. A toll-free number, 877-624-4448 has been established to respond to information requests. Consumers can find additional details about the program at www.energizedelaware.org.
    
    The appliance rebate program is particularly well suited for Delaware.  Research commissioned by the SEU to identify the best opportunities to save money found that two-thirds of homeowners want to improve their home efficiency, but only 42 percent have plans to do so.  Money was cited as the biggest barrier.
    
    “We know if Delaware’s residents and businesses are given the information and the tools to save money and energy, improve the economy and find new sources of green energy, they will do their part,” said Dr. John Byrne, SEU Board Co-Chair. “The timing could not be better or more urgent. By leveraging state, federal and private bond money and incentives, the SEU will be able to reduce or remove many of the barriers that currently prevent Delawareans from taking action to save money and energy.”
    
    Other new Energize Delaware programs designed to help residents and businesses save money and energy, create new jobs and improve the economy and environment will start to rollout this fall. They include::
    
    Commercial/Industrial Lighting, which will offer incentives for high efficiency lighting installations and retrofits.
    
    Renewable Energy Grants, which will assist  homeowners and businesses with renewable energy resources . 
    
    Sustainable Communities Initiative, a community-level program to combine renewable energy and efficiency.
    
    Comprehensive Home Performance Initiative, providing a top-to-bottom approach to efficiency and clean energy sources in Delaware homes. This initiative is slated for 2010.
    
    ###
    
    Energize Delaware is an initiative of the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), a unique non-profit offering a one-stop resource to help residents and businesses save money through clean energy and efficiency. The SEU was created by the state of Delaware to foster a sustainable energy future for the state. The SEU model is the first of its kind to be established in the U.S. Under the program banner of Energize Delaware, residents and businesses in Delaware will have a single point of contact for education, resources and programs that will include low and no-cost steps to save thousands on energy bills, boost the economy and improve the environment through new clean energy sources.  The Energize Delaware programs will focus on conservation, efficiencies and the use of renewable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal. It is supported by tax-exempt bonds, not Delaware taxpayer money, and will be self sustaining through savings in energy initiatives, and investing a portion of the federal economic stimulus package devoted to efficiency and renewable energy.

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• SEU Announces Energize Delawar

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    SUSTAINABLE ENERGY UTILITY LAUNCHES ONE-STOP RESOURCE
    TO SAVE MONEY, CREATE JOBS AND HELP THE ENVIRONMENT 
    
    Residents and Businesses Can Save Thousands Through Education and Incentive Programs
    
    August 31, 2009  -  (WILMINGTON, DE) –Delawareans can soon save thousands on their energy bills through a one-stop resource providing low- and no-cost steps to save money, create jobs and improve the environment. Today the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) launched the new “Energize Delaware” campaign to help residents improve the efficiency of their homes and businesses and tap new clean energy sources. New research commissioned by the SEU points the way to the most effective payoffs: educating the public and targeting actions toward the biggest return on investment.
    
    “Sustainable energy is the largest, cheapest, cleanest way to save money and create in-state jobs,” said Sen. Harris McDowell, whose legislation created the Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU). “A tough economy is exactly the right time to take aggressive action toward a sustainable energy future, and everyone can reap the benefits. Through the SEU’s Energize Delaware Program, we can be a model for the rest of the nation and world to follow.”
    
    Starting September 2009, Energize Delaware, an initiative of the non-profit Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) will provide businesses and residents financial incentives and an online toolbox that provides information and guidance to help Delawareans achieve the biggest return on investment for their energy dollars.
    
    Programs to be launched throughout the Fall of 2009 will include:

    • ENERGY STAR® Appliance Rebates, providing “cash for clunkers” type incentives for homeowners to replace energy-gorging old appliances with updated high efficiency household appliances.
    • Commercial/Industrial Lighting, which will include rebates for businesses installing high efficiency lighting.
    • Renewable Energy Grants, which will include rebates for renewable energy sources located at home and business sites.
    • Sustainable Communities Initiative, a community-level program to combine renewable energy and efficiency.
    • Comprehensive Home Performance Initiative, providing a top-to-bottom approach to efficiency and clean energy sources in Delaware homes. This initiative is slated for 2010.

    Research findings
    
    The program offerings were based on SEU research released today, which provides a comprehensive, zip-code level snapshot of energy use in the state and surveys Delawareans’ attitudes toward sustainable energy. The findings pinpoint the opportunities to save money, energy and tap new clean energy sources:

    • 41 percent of homes in the state are more than 30 years old. Simply sealing and insulating these homes could save up to 30 percent or about $700 on heating and cooling bills.
    • Two-thirds of homeowners identified a need to make one or more energy efficiency improvements, but only 42 percent plan to take action. Similar gaps persist among business owners.
    • Homeowners and businesses cite lack of money as the number one barrier to achieving more energy efficient homes and businesses and tapping clean energy sources.
    • Refrigeration represents 65 percent of energy use in Delaware grocery stores and restaurants. Upgrades could save up to 35 percent on annual utility bills.
    • Delaware hospitals and clinics use more energy per square foot in lighting than any other type of commercial space. More efficient light bulbs provide just as much and sometimes better light at a significantly lower cost.

    
    With a median age of 49 years, Delaware school buildings represent a host of savings opportunities.  Inefficient space heating and cooling consumes 47 percent of energy use in schools. Heating and air conditioning upgrades would keep students and teachers comfortable and save taxpayers money.  The effort can also provide students with a valuable model for responsible citizenship.
    
    Research also found a common lack of knowledge and money to take action in areas that represent the largest return on investment. When asked to list in priority order desired ways to improve home energy performance, Delawareans surveyed prioritize them as follows: more efficient air conditioning; more efficient heating, insulation, new windows and a water heater upgrade. Although all of these will save money, upgraded insulation is often the most cost-effective first step.
    
    “Per capita, Delaware uses more energy than any of its neighboring states and pays more for its energy.” said Dr. John Byrne, Univ. of Delaware professor and SEU Board Co-Chair. “Today we have the opportunity to not only reverse this condition, but pioneer a much smarter way of doing business.”

    Helping Delaware Capitalize on Savings, Job Creation and Cleaner
    
    SEU’s Energize Delaware programs for residents and businesses are all focused on reaching a set of ambitious goals, including:

    • An average 30 percent reduction in energy consumption for each participant by 2015.
    • A 33 percent cut in CO2 emissions by 2020.
    • By 2019, installing over 300 MW of customer-sited renewable energy – including geothermal, wind, solar, electric and solar thermal – a at homes and businesses

    
    “By aggressively pursuing energy conservation and efficiency and adopting clean, renewable sources of power, we can strengthen our economy, improve our competitiveness, and create a more sustainable environment,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara.  “The SEU’s Energize Delaware has the potential to help thousands of residents and businesses save money and stabilize their energy costs, while creating thousands of jobs and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.”
    
    SEU’s Energize Delaware will use no Delaware taxpayer money. It is a nonprofit supported by tax-exempt bonds and will be self sustaining through savings in energy initiatives and investing a portion of the federal economic stimulus package devoted to efficiency and renewable energy. The SEU will track both energy savings and program budgets in monthly public reports.
    
    ###
    
    Energize Delaware is an initiative of the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), a unique nonprofit organization created to foster a sustainable energy future for the state. Under the program banner of Energize Delaware, residents and businesses in Delaware will have a single point of contact for education, resources and programs that will include low and no-cost steps to save thousands on energy bills, boost the economy and improve the environment through new clean energy sources. The Energize Delaware programs will focus on conservation, efficiencies and the use of renewable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal. www.energizedelaware.org

     
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• Tickets on sale NOW for Kent C

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    The Kent Conservation District invites you to join them for a kick-up-your-heels night of fun from 6 p.m. to midnight, Friday evening, Oct. 2, for its 12th Annual Barn Dance Fundraiser in the Dover Building at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington.
    
    Activities include a down home barbecue pork and chicken dinner, a benefit auction -both live and silent - and dancing to music played by Just Kidding Around Entertainment.  Tickets remain the same low price as last year - only $15 per person or $25 per couple. Reserved tables for eight are again available for only $110 (one name – one check).
    
    The objective of the Barn Dance is to raise funds to support the Delaware Envirothon: a competitive problem-solving, natural resource challenge for high school students. The goals of the Delaware Envirothon are to test the environmental knowledge of high school students and to cultivate within the students a desire to learn more about their natural world. The students compete in the following categories: soils/land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and a current environmental issue.
    
    The experience gained through the competition will prepare individual students and teams to make sound conservation decisions. The 2009 Delaware champions from Wilmington Charter School recently returned from the North American competition in which they placed fourth out of 45 U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces.
    
    A limited number of tickets are available and can be purchased by mail or in person at the Kent Conservation District located at 800 Bay Road, Suite 2, Dover. Last year’s event was sold out, so hurry in to purchase your tickets today! For more information, please call the District at 302-741-2600 ext. 3.

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• Coastal Zone Act Permit Hearin

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
     
    Aug. 27, 2009 - Vol. 39, No. 361
    
    Hearing Set for Sept. 8 on the Coastal Zone Act Permit for MAGCO Inc. of Claymont
     
    The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has received an application for a Coastal Zone Act permit from MAGCO, Inc. and will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8 on the application to expand and relocate their existing sea salt packaging operation from its current location in the Coastal Zone, 6200 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, to a site located at 341 Pigeon Point Road, New Castle. The public hearing will be held at the DNREC office building, 391 Lukens Drive in New Castle.
     
    The proposed operation consists of: transporting bulk salt to the site by truck; reducing the moisture content of the salt through a fluidized dryer bed; sorting the salt into distinct sizes suitable for different end markets; packaging the salt into bags or other containers; and shipping the bags/containers off-site to commercial markets. The anticipated environmental impacts are primarily air emissions from the expansion of the drying and packaging operation. The proposed Offset Plan includes obtaining thirteen air credits through the Delaware Economic Development Office.
     
    The permit application can be inspected at DNREC offices at: 89 Kings Highway, Dover; the Air Quality Management Office, 715 Grantham Lane, New Castle; and at three public libraries: the Hockessin Public Library, 1023 Valley Road, Hockessin; Delaware City Library, 250 Fifth St., Delaware City; and the Wilmington Public Library, 10th & Market Street, Wilmington.
     
    The application is considered to be preliminarily, administratively complete and sufficient to proceed to public hearing.
     
    Statements and testimony can be presented orally or in writing at the hearing. Written statements can also be submitted prior to the hearing by email to Kevin.Coyle@state.de.us or mailed to DNREC, Delaware Coastal Zone Act Program, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901; Attn: Kevin Coyle.
    
    The public comment period will end on Sept. 8, unless extended by the hearing officer at the public hearing.
    The Delaware Coastal Zone Act Program regulates existing heavy industrial activities, as well as new and existing manufacturing activities in Delaware’s Coastal Zone through a status decision and permit process. For program information, visit DNREC website, http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Admin/CZA/Pages/CZAHome.aspx

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• Volunteers sought for Seaford

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
    
    Aug. 26, 2009, Vol. 39, No. 358 -
    
    Volunteers sought for Seaford Storm Drain Marking Project during Coastal Cleanup Sept. 19
    
    The Seaford storm drain marking project set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 will be included as a site for the annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup, DNREC’s Sediment and Stormwater Program and Watershed Assessment Section announced today. Volunteers are needed to mark storm drains in the town of Seaford with medallions bearing the reminder, “No Dumping - Drains to Waterway,” and to clear debris from drains and gutters - before it reaches the Nanticoke River.
    
    “Storm drains are marked to remind community residents and businesses not to dump anything down the storm drains, including oil, trash, paint or other pollutants,” said Environmental Scientist Jennifer Volk of the Watershed Assessment Section. “We are eager to work with the towns and volunteers to implement a practice that will reduce stormwater pollution that would otherwise drain into the Chesapeake Bay.”
    
    DNREC’s storm drain marking initiative was first spearheaded in 2007 in Lewes, where nearly 500 storm drains were marked by more than 65 volunteers. Other communities that have implemented this program since then include Milton, Georgetown, and Wilmington’s Southbridge community. Other towns that have been marked in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed include Greenwood, Bridgeville, and Laurel.
    
    For more information on the storm drain marking program, please contact Jennifer Volk at 302-739-9939 or Jennifer.Volk@state.de.us.  
    
    To sign up for the Seaford marking event during the Delaware Coastal Cleanup on Sept. 19, please visit the DNREC homepage at www.dnrec.delaware.gov and click on the Coastal Cleanup signup link. Participants will receive a free Coastal Cleanup t-shirt. Advance registration is encouraged to ensure enough T-shirts and supplies are packed for the site.
    
    For more information about the Delaware Coastal Cleanup, please contact Coordinator Joanna Wilson at 302-739-9902.

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• Interagency team works togethe

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    Aug.  26,  2009,  Vol.  39,  No.  359  -

    Several agencies within Delaware including the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the Kent Conservation District, the Office of Management and Budget’s Division of Facilities Management, and the City of Dover joined together recently to complete upgrades to the stormwater pond at the Delaware Archives building in historic Dover.
    
    “This project is a perfect example of how all levels of government can work together to clean up the environment during these difficult financial times,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O'Mara. “None of our respective agencies could have completed the project alone, yet together we upgraded a stormwater pond that will naturally improve water quality in the St. Jones.”
    
    For decades, stormwater ponds have been providing a means to treat and manage stormwater, water that runs over roads and parking lots carrying pollutants such as oil and sediment. The Kent Conservation District, which was hired to complete the construction work, spent about one month converting the poorly functioning stormwater quality management pond into a bioretention facility, a newer technology in stormwater management.
    
    The original stormwater pond on the Archives property exhibited signs of aging including failing structural components. Severe erosion at the pond discharge point was also contributing sediment, which can be harmful to fish and other aquatic life, directly into the St. Jones River. The pond retrofit will improve the quality of stormwater runoff entering the river from the parking lot.
    
    Bioretention is a newer technology that removes more pollutants than traditional pond approaches to stormwater management. While the use of stormwater ponds is still an acceptable and widely-used method of treating and managing stormwater, this newer technology not only removes more pollutants, but also provides for less runoff while blending into the landscape.
    
    In fact, bioretention facilities are oftentimes mistaken for landscape islands, as they are planted with small shrubs, grasses, and sometimes even colorful flowers.  The stormwater is directed to the bioretention facility, a depression filled with a special soil media. The soil mixture acts to remove pollutants and infiltrate water, resulting in less runoff into our streams. Ultimately, bioretention is designed to mimic natural hydrology.
    
    Coordinated by Beth Krumrine, an environmental scientist with DNREC’s Sediment and Stormwater program, this project began more than three years ago when DNREC’s Nonpoint Source program granted approximately $40,000 in Environmental Protection Agency funds, plus an additional $10,000 in other funds, to the project. This funding was granted in order to implement new technology from older or non-functional systems, a practice also known as retrofitting.
    
    Although many sites in both Sussex and Kent counties were considered, the Delaware Archives pond had the most suitable site conditions requiring the least engineering modifications. Also considered was the strategic location of this site, which is near both Legislative Mall and historic downtown Dover, where many passers-by could view the educational signage and see the project.
    
    Once the site was selected, the planning process and the teamwork began. All planning and engineering for the project was completed by staff from DNREC’s Sediment and Stormwater Program.
    
    Staff from DNREC’s Drainage program performed all survey work, and worked closely with DNREC’s Wetland and Subaqueous Lands Section and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assist with all wetland permitting issues. Assistance in obtaining permits for water extraction during certain phases of construction was provided by DNREC’s Water Allocation Branch.
    
    As property owner, the Division of Facilities Management was instrumental in working with DNREC staff to authorize the project, acquire permits, comment on engineering plans, and provide input on plant selection for the plantings within the new facility. They also provided other resources during construction and will be providing assistance with the plantings.
    
    The City of Dover provided a disposal area for the excavated fill dirt in addition to information on the underlying sewer lines. ACF Environmental, a local distributor for erosion control products, also joined in by donating a Siltsack® to protect the storm drain from sediment. And finally, the Kent Conservation District constructed the project. 
    
    “This was not the usual type of project for our Equipment Program,” said Timothy Riley, District Coordinator for the Kent Conservation District.  “However, we saw this project as an opportunity to expand the technical expertise of our equipment staff and we appreciated the confidence placed in us when DNREC hired the District.”
    
    Mr. Riley went on to say that at one point in the project, they brought in a fellow district employee from the Sussex Conservation District to get the benefit of his knowledge and experience with pipe work.  “It is this sort of collaboration that helps get these projects on the ground,” said Riley.
    
    In the future, be sure to stop by the Delaware Archives building and check out the new bioretention facility at the back parking area adjacent to the St. Jones River. Later this fall, look for the native plantings within the facility, educational signage, and surrounding tree plantings.
    
    For more information about DNREC’s Sediment and Stormwater Program please call 302-739-9921.

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