DOVER – Delaware’s Shellfish Advisory Council will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7 in the DNREC Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.

The Council will discuss its reorganization and will receive updates on conch research and Inland Bays shellfish aquaculture. For more information, including the meeting agenda, visit the Delaware Public Meeting Calendar at https://publicmeetings.delaware.gov/Meeting/60693.

For more information on Delaware fisheries, please call DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

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

Vol. 48, No. 300

DOVER – Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and Allen Harim, LLC have signed a Conciliation Order by Consent, Secretary’s Order No. 2018-W-0057, in settlement of past violations at Allen Harim’s poultry processing facility in Harbeson and at Allen Harim’s hatchery facility in Dagsboro, and including DNREC assessing an administrative penalty of $300,000 to Allen Harim. The Conciliation Order also calls for Allen Harim to terminate all spray irrigation activities at its Dagsboro poultry hatchery, and for the facility to connect to the Sussex County sanitary sewer system to address the company’s future wastewater needs. Upgrades already are in place at Allen Harim’s Harbeson facility addressing wastewater issues there.

From July through November 2016, Allen Harim’s Harbeson poultry processing facility had numerous violations of their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) wastewater permit for ammonia, phosphorus, total suspended solids and bacteria. DNREC issued a Notice of Administrative Penalty Assessment and Secretary’s Order to address these and prior violations of the facility’s NPDES permit. Subsequent upgrades at the Harbeson facility has enabled Allen Harim to operate in compliance with their permit.

Allen Harim met with DNREC following issuance of that Secretary’s Order, during which violations at the Dagsboro hatchery were addressed. The Dagsboro hatchery has a permit that authorizes the spray irrigation of screened hatchery process wastewater under a set nitrogen-loading limit. Allen Harim’s 2016 and 2017 annual reports to DNREC show that the company exceeded those loading limits, and two onsite groundwater monitoring wells revealed an impact to groundwater from the spray irrigation operation. Through the conciliation order by consent, Allen Harim has agreed to terminate all spray irrigation operations at the Dagsboro facility.

This conciliation settles both poultry processing and hatchery facility violations for Allen Harim. The penalty assessment in the order requires that Allen Harim reimburse DNREC $7,888 for expenses incurred during the Department’s investigation.

The order also allows Allen Harim to perform an Environmental Improvement Project (EIP) within the Broadkill River Watershed to improve water quality by eliminating a source of nutrient runoff. Allen Harim may apply up to $150,000 of the assessed penalty towards implementing the EIP. This allowance by DNREC will not reduce the amount paid by Allen Harim, but will redirect part of the penalty into water quality improvements in the impacted watershed.

The consent decree can be found on the DNREC website.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

DOVER – Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has launched a new law enforcement app, enabling the public to connect with the department’s Natural Resources Police officers, receive alerts, and submit anonymous tips from their smartphones.

“Technology is playing an ever-increasing role in the ways we communicate, and this new Natural Resources Police app offers the public an easy electronic means of reporting crimes and concerns,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “The app also gives our Natural Resources Police officers an efficient new tool to gather tips and share information and alerts with app users.”

Developed by software company tip411, the Delaware Natural Resources Police (DENRP) app encourages the public to provide DNREC’s Natural Resources Police (NRP) with factual and anonymously reported information leading to the arrest of poachers, polluters, and other violators. The app is available for free download by searching “DENRP” via the Google Play Store or the iTunes App Store. The app can be used with 100 percent anonymity, as tip411’s technology removes all identifying information before NRP officers see the tips.

Delaware’s tip411 system enables the public to connect with the three branches of DNREC’s natural resources police to report crimes and hazards to public safety. In addition to enforcing all Delaware criminal and motor vehicle laws as do all Delaware police agencies, DNREC’s three law enforcement branches focus on specific enforcement areas:

Environmental Crimes Unit Natural Resources Police – text keyword ECUTIP
The Environmental Crimes Unit (ECU) investigates environmental violations, primarily focusing on unlawful releases of liquid, solid, and hazardous waste, and air pollution violations. Common complaints include illegal dumping, open burning violations, unlawful asbestos removal, illegal transportation of solid or hazardous waste, and water quality violations for wells, failing septic systems, and illegal disposal of wastewater. The ECU also has a K-9 tracking unit.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police – text keyword FWTIP
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, including two K-9 tracking units, investigate hunting, fishing, and boating violations; respond to and investigate boating and hunting accidents; respond to poaching complaints through Operation Game Theft; and patrol state-owned boating access areas, fishing ponds and piers, and 19 state wildlife areas encompassing nearly 65,000 acres statewide. F&W NRP officers also conduct marine law enforcement patrols and boating safety checks on Delaware waterways, including the state’s three-mile offshore limit in the Atlantic Ocean.

State Parks Enforcement Natural Resources Police – text keyword STATEPARKTIP
Delaware’s Park Rangers patrol 16 state parks encompassing more than 26,000 acres. Rangers enforce park rules and regulations such as surf fishing regulations, campground policies, trespassing in restricted areas, and hunting, fishing, and boating on state parks properties. Rangers also respond to and investigate visitor injuries, motor vehicle accidents and all other crimes and offenses occurring in or near Delaware’s state parks. Alerts including park closings, special event notifications, and weather advisories also will be available through the tip411 app.

Anyone without a smartphone can send an anonymous text tip via their cell phone to Delaware Natural Resources Police officers by texting the appropriate NRP section keyword as listed above and their message/tip to 847411 (tip411). For more information on the new app, visit de.gov/tip411.

Tip411 users also are advised that DNREC’s new app does not take the place of dialing 911 for immediate emergency response. In the event of an emergency situation, call 911.

To report possible crimes, DNREC’s Natural Resources Police also can be reached by phone:

• Environmental Crimes Unit Natural Resources Police: 24-hour Environmental Emergency Response Line, 800-662-8802
• Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police: Illegal hunting, fishing, or boating activities, 800-523-3336; Operation Game Theft (wildlife crimes): 800-292-3030
• State Parks Enforcement Natural Resources Police: 24-hour dispatch, 302-739-4580

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

State Auditor, R. Thomas Wagner, Jr., has released an Inspection report on Statewide Overtime for Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017.

The Office of the Auditor of Accounts (AOA) obtained Statewide payroll data^[1] to identify the top 50 overtime earners, and determine whether overtime was properly approved and reasonable.  The State spent roughly $57 million in overtime during Fiscal Year 2016, with those costs increasing to approximately $60 million in Fiscal Year 2017.  In Fiscal Year 2016, 50 people across 5 departments earned roughly $3 million in overtime, with 2 individuals earning more than $100,000 in overtime.  During Fiscal Year 2017, 3 departments spent roughly $3.5 million on overtime payments to 50 individuals, with 5 individuals earning more than $100,000 in overtime.

All overtime reviewed by AOA was properly approved and for a valid purpose.  In applying our reasonableness test, we found that 30 out of 200 pay periods reviewed showed employees working greater than 150 hours per pay period in Fiscal Year 2016.^[2]  For Fiscal Year 2017, 44 of the 250 pay periods reviewed showed employees working greater than 150 hours.

Most of the overtime payments were made by agencies that were experiencing staffing shortages in positions that require minimum staffing levels to ensure the safety and security of patients and the public.  As such, the State should consider implementing changes to attract and retain employees in the nursing and youth counselor career paths to reduce the need for large amounts of overtime.

For the full results of the inspection, please see the report available on AOA’s website, auditor.delaware.gov.

Please direct any questions to State Auditor Wagner at 302-739-5055 or r.thomas.wagner@delaware.gov.

_{[1] Excluding Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Department of Education (DOE), school districts, and charter schools.}

_{[2] A standard State employee works 75 hours per pay period.}

The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association [DIAA] and Special Olympics Delaware [SODE] are proud to announce the continued support of the Allstate Foundation for their 2018 Student Leadership Conference, which is being held today at Delaware Technical Community College.  Approximately 35 schools and 200 students and adult leaders from across Delaware will participate in the program.

“Our goal is to provide students with activities, speakers and practical experiences to help them learn and hone their leadership skills.”, said Tommie Neubauer, the Executive Director of the DIAA.  “We are very thankful for the support from the Allstate Foundation and their desire to help us grow and develop this conference”

Students will attend various breakout sessions that will cover various topics such as: Leadership Development, Planning/Organization, Unified Sports and Responsible Social Media. One focused outcome for students will be in recognizing the importance to accept, include and value people with intellectual disabilities in all aspects of life, and thereby promoting the expansion of Special Olympics Unified Sports in Delaware where high school students with and without disabilities can train and compete on the same team in officially sanctioned DIAA sports.

“The Allstate Foundation is very proud to support this phenomenal effort involving DIAA and SODE and our Delaware student athletes,” said Caitlyn Barron, Allstate spokesperson.  “We believe a lifelong commitment to positively impacting the community begins at a young age and we hope the athletes will return to their schools inspired to lead and empower other students to take on similar projects to better their communities.”

About The Allstate Foundation Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country, The Allstate Foundation brings the relationships, reputation and resources of Allstate to support innovative and lasting solutions that enhance people’s well-being and prosperity. With a focus on building financial independence for domestic violence survivors, empowering youth and celebrating the charitable community involvement of Allstate agency owners and employees, The Allstate Foundation works to bring out the good in people’s lives. For more information, visit www.AllstateFoundation.org

Media Contact: Tommie Neubauer, DIAA, 302-857-3365