Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock has ordered the temporary suspension of the privilege to practice nursing in Delaware for Whitney E. Flower of Trappe, Maryland following complaints of the licensee engaging in activities that present a clear and immediate danger to the public health, safety or welfare.

Ms. Flower is a registered nurse in the state of Maryland who practiced in the state of Delaware pursuant to the Interstate Nurse Licensure Compact and a multistate licensure privilege. As a result, she is subject to the jurisdiction of the Delaware Board of Nursing.

In making his determination, Secretary Bullock considered the written complaints filed by the Board of Nursing for temporary suspension of the privilege to practice nursing for Ms. Flower. She was arrested and charged on arrested on February 18, 2015, and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of narcotics, and possession of paraphernalia. On June 8, 2015, Ms. Flower was observed acting in a manner consistent with being under the influence of drugs or alcohol while working at Nanticoke Hospital, subsequently testing positive for cocaine and morphine, and admitting to ingesting cocaine and Percocet.

The Delaware Code Titles 23 and 24 were amended on April 15, 2014, to enable a temporary suspension pending a hearing to be issued upon the written order of the Secretary of State with the concurrence of the Board chair if the activity of the licensee presents a clear and immediate danger to the public health.

As a result of the actions taken today, the suspension of Ms. Flower will remain in effect for a period of 60 days during which time disciplinary hearings will be held to determine the final disposition for the nurse.

Flower Suspension Order

Wilmington – In his weekly message, Governor Markell discusses how state and federal funding will support ongoing efforts to address the addiction epidemic in Delaware.

“Earlier this month, I announced priorities for $4 million in new state resources to fight the addiction epidemic,” said Governor Markell. “This past week, I joined Director Michael Botticelli of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy for another announcement. Both announcements will provide support to Delawareans and their families impacted by addiction. We must convince people in the throes of this disease that treatment is available, that it works, and that they can recover – and that will keep Delaware moving forward.”

Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: youtu.be/wV_rTR7Zp7w
Delaware.Gov: governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
By email: Please contact our press team to subscribe to our press list
Facebook: www.facebook.com/governormarkell
Twitter: www.twitter.com/governormarkell

Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message: Increasing Funding Support to Address Addiction Epidemic

Addiction is a disease that impacts all of us, which means we all play a role in fighting it – a call to action the group atTAcK addiction has made its mission. Many of its members have lost adult children to drug overdoses, yet despite the extraordinary losses they have suffered, they push for additional treatment and recovery services to help others.

Earlier this month, with many of those parents standing with me, I announced priorities for $4 million in new state resources to fight the addiction epidemic. Matching recommendations from my State of the State address, those funds will be used for increased withdrawal management services, including a new detox clinic in Harrington. The Department of Health and Social Services also will use funds to expand residential treatment services statewide; to add sober living residential beds; and to increase residential treatment beds for young people who are beginning their recoveries from addiction to heroin or other opiates.

This past week, I joined Director Michael Botticelli of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy for another announcement. He said New Castle County would be among the areas with high levels of drug trafficking that would share in new federal funding. The money will be used to gather information about the shipment of drugs along the I-95 corridor and to mobilize more law enforcement agencies to carry the overdose-reversing drug naloxone. Both announcements will provide support to Delawareans and their families impacted by addiction. We must convince people in the throes of this disease that treatment is available, that it works, and that they can recover – and that will keep Delaware moving forward.

DOVER – Volunteers are encouraged to preregister on the DNREC website for the 29th annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup, to be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 19. The DNREC-sponsored cleanup spans the First State’s 97-mile eastern coastline and includes river and ocean shorelines as well as wetland and watershed areas. This year, 50 sites in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties are targeted, and many of those sites are filling up fast with volunteers, so it’s a good idea to register early.

Pre-registering helps ensure enough supplies are packed for the volunteers at each site. To see a map of this year’s sites, or to pre-register, go to www.dnrec.delaware.gov/CoastalCleanup. Pre-registration will close on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at close of business.

At last year’s Coastal Cleanup, 1,805 dedicated volunteers from civic organizations, youth groups, businesses and families collected 3.5 tons of trash from 46 sites along Delaware’s shorelines and tributaries. About one-third of that trash – mostly aluminum cans and plastic bottles – was recycled. Volunteers’ more unusual finds included chopsticks, a laundry basket, runner’s race number tag, electric saber saw, windshield wiper, basketball, baseball, bowling ball, tennis balls, paint brush, tweezers, tiki torches, Barbie doll, glow stick, auto fender, plastic trellis, shingle, flashlight, toilet seat, Christmas lights, telephone box, TV, coat, engine, pinup girl postcard, an unopened 12-pack of razors, hubcap, and a message in a bottle.

Delaware’s Cleanup is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest annual clearing of trash from coastlines and lakes by volunteers. 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 they find. This information is recorded on data cards and forwarded to the Center for Marine Conservation, which compiles data for all of the cleanups held in the country and around the world. This information helps identify the source of the debris and focus efforts on eliminating or reducing it.

The Ocean Conservancy supplies trash bags, data cards and marine debris brochures. Delaware’s cleanup is co-sponsored by Delmarva Power, which provides t-shirts for the participants. DNREC is responsible for organizing the event, recruiting volunteers, distributing supplies, ensuring trash removal and tabulating data. Edgewell Personal Care, Playtex Manufacturing Inc., which provides gloves, and trash and recyclables hauler Waste Management also return as sponsors. The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), which provides safety vests for roadside site volunteers, also joins the sponsor list for the 2015 cleanup.

For more information about the Ocean Conservancy and the International Coastal Cleanup, visit www.oceanconservancy.org. For more information about the Delaware Coastal Cleanup, please call Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup coordinator, at 302-739-9902.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 45, No. 274

Governor Markell files comments in support of a complaint in a related case, the outcome of which could set precedent for future projects, including the Artificial Island project.

Wilmington, DE – In a filing submitted today to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Governor Markell continued his efforts to oppose power grid manager PJM’s plan to force Delaware residents to bear unreasonably high costs for a power line project that mainly benefits businesses and consumers in other states.

In his filing, the Governor commented on a case that could set a precedent for FERC’s decision on PJM’s proposed Artificial Island project. The Governor supported a complaint brought forth by Linden VFT, an owner of power lines in New Jersey and New York that is disputing another PJM construction plan for similar cost allocation reasons.

“Both cases demonstrate the need for change in the process that decides who pays how much for power line construction,” said Governor Markell. “The Artificial Island project is not an isolated instance, but rather part of a broader issue. FERC has an opportunity to modify how costs are allocated so that those who are required to pay transmission project costs align with those who benefit from the project.”

“Under PJM’s proposal, the Artificial Island project costs would be borne by citizens and businesses in the Delmarva region who would pay higher electric rates. This result is clearly unfair given that the project is being developed to maximize output from generators in New Jersey that serve customers throughout the PJM region, many of whom would not be required to pay any of the costs under PJM’s proposal.”

The complaint filed by Linden VFT was in response to a cost allocation proposal submitted by PJM to FERC for a 2013 transmission project. The projects involved several new facilities located in New Jersey. Linden is being assessed a large portion of those costs for the projects, while other parties receive the benefit.

Governor Markell has previously weighed in on the Artificial Island project issue. In a letter to the PJM board, he stated that a cost allocation that results in Delmarva customers bearing almost all of the costs associated with the selected proposal, when the primary purpose of the project was “maximizing power from generating units in New Jersey that serve customers throughout the [13 state] PJM region,” would be “inequitable and unreasonable”.

Despite recognizing that the Governor had raised “valid concerns about the specific allocation of costs,” the PJM board decided to move forward with PJM’s proposal to require Delawareans to pay for nearly all of the costs for constructing the new line. PJM is expected to file its cost allocation proposal with the FERC before the end of the month. 

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