DNREC’s Polly Drummond Hill Road Yard Waste Demonstration Site to reopen

Site reopens Saturday, April 2 with limited operation, weekend hours only

DOVER – DNREC’s Polly Drummond Hill Road Yard Waste Demonstration Site in northern New Castle County, closed since January, will reopen Saturday, April 2 with limited operation at least through June in partnership with the Delaware General Assembly, DNREC’s Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Section announced today.

The site will be open Saturdays and Sundays only, with Delaware residents able to bring yard waste from their own property in non-commercial vehicles to the site from 8 a.m. to until sunset. Again, DNREC operation of the Polly Drummond Hill Road site is Saturday-Sunday only – with the site closed Monday through Friday. In reopening it, DNREC also reminds the public that dumping of yard waste at the gate, along roadways, or other property is illegal, and is subject to fines or imprisonment. (To report violators, call the DNREC 24-hour environmental hotline: 1-800-662-8802.)

DNREC also notes that, in addition to the limited yard-waste drop-off operation at Polly Drummond Hill Road, there is in proximity a free alternative for Delaware residents dropping off their own yard waste: Holland Mulch, 1034 S. Chapel Street (Rt. 72), Newark, DE 19702. This privately-operated site – about five miles from the Polly Drummond Hill Road site – is open from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7:30 a.m. – noon on Saturdays. For more information about Holland Mulch’s South Chapel Street site, please call 302-737-1000.

DNREC advises that while Holland Mulch also accepts commercial businesses, such as landscaping and lawn care companies, as well as municipalities, all of these entities will be charged a fee when dropping off yard waste. The Department also reiterates that the Polly Drummond Hill Road Yard Waste Demonstration Site is not intended for commercial businesses or for individuals using commercial vehicles to transport their personal yard waste.

Residents wishing for alternatives to recycle their yard waste may manage the material on their own property, arrange for a collection service, or use the drop-off options listed at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/yardwaste. (Businesses that wish to be added to those lists should contact DNREC’s Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Section at 302-739-9403, ext. 1.) Residents living in the municipal boundaries of Wilmington, Elsmere, and Newark are reminded that those municipalities provide free yard waste collection services.

DNREC closed the Polly Hill Drummond Road site Jan. 11 of this year due to increasing costs for maintaining the site and limited funding for operating it. Since its inception as a DNREC demonstration yard waste drop-off site in 2007, the site often operated on a limited and continually-revised schedule because of ongoing funding challenges.

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

Vol. 46, No. 99


Recycling Public Advisory Council to meet Wednesday, Feb. 17 in Lewes

DOVER – The Recycling Public Advisory Council (RPAC) will meet from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, at the DNREC-Lewes Facility, 901 Pilottown Road, Lewes, DE 19958.

Topics on the agenda include:

  • Call to order, introductions
  • Public comments (20-minute cap, priority given to written comments)
  • Approval of minutes from Dec. 9, 2015 meeting
  • James Seif: “EcoHub” presentation
  • Annual report status
  • Next Recycling Grant cycle
  • Council bylaws
  • Recycling market update
  • Old/new business
  • Additional public comments
  • Scheduling future meetings: February thru June 2016
  • Adjourn

The Recycling Public Advisory Council was enacted into law by Senate Bill 234 in May, 2010, and charged with advising the Governor’s Office, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, and the Delaware Solid Waste Authority on all aspects of recycling, including: development of grant criteria and selection of applications; a methodology for measuring recycling rates; and possible outreach activities designed to achieve higher recycling rates.

For more information on the Recycling Public Advisory Council, please visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov/whs/awm/Info/Pages/RPAC.aspx.

For more information or for directions to the meeting location, please contact Bill Miller, Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Section, at 302-739-9403.

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

Vol. 46, No. 44


Delaware Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report data again shows overall decrease in state’s onsite releases to land, air and water

DOVER – The annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data report from Delaware’s industrial facilities as compiled by DNREC’s Emergency Prevention and Response Section shows the state continuing to make remarkable progress in reducing toxic releases into the environment. TRI data from 2014 – the most recent year for which statistics are available – shows a significant decrease in onsite releases to both land and air, with a slight increase in onsite releases to water, all as compared to 2013 figures. Total onsite releases were down 7 percent for 2014, with releases to land down 88 percent, air down 19 percent, and releases to water up 2 percent.

The reductions reflect a continued downward trend in toxic releases over the last 17 years – since 1998, when the reporting requirements were expanded to include a larger list of reporting facilities. The reporting of nitrate compounds released to water again had a major impact on the overall onsite releases, accounting for 78 percent (2.9 million pounds) of the total onsite releases. Releases for nitrate compounds were up by 61,000 pounds compared to 2013. The major changes impacting these reductions are covered below in the Delaware TRI summary and in greater detail throughout the report.

“Manufacturing and industrial facilities in Delaware continue to demonstrate that they can keep productivity high and minimize or reduce releases to our environment,” said DNREC Secretary David Small. “Enhanced technology, evolving best practices, the transparency of this TRI data, regulatory requirements and the public’s expectation for cleaner processes have all contributed to the positive trends we have seen since the inception of TRI reporting. DNREC looks forward to working with our diverse partners and stakeholders to continue this trend.”

Releases to air, land and water in Delaware are permitted by DNREC under rigorous environmental standards at both the national and state level. Permits granted by the department allow for limited discharge of pollutants within these standards that have been established for minimizing impacts to the environment and protecting public health.

Please refer to the following fact sheet for background on TRI and summary of 2014 TRI data. (The full TRI 2014 report and data are available at: http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/SERC/Pages/Reports.aspx.)

Media Contacts: Debra Nielsen, DNREC Emergency Prevention and Response Section, 302-739-9405; or Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 20

 

FACT SHEET
Delaware Toxics Release Inventory
2014 Data and Report

What is TRI?
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is a publicly available data set containing information reported annually since 1987 for toxic chemicals manufactured, processed, or otherwise used by certain facilities in Delaware and throughout the United States. TRI was established in 1986 under Title III, Section 313, of the Federal Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA 313) to provide information to the public about the presence and release of toxic chemicals in their communities. Title III is also known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).

Who must report?
Facilities that are required to the government under TRI must meet the following criteria:

  1. The facility must be covered under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) or be a federal facility. Primarily, these NAICS codes include manufacturing facilities, oil and coal fired electric facilities, and bulk petroleum terminals.
  2. The facility must have 10 or more full time employees.
  3. The facility must manufacture or process over 25,000 pounds or otherwise use over 10,000 pounds of a TRI chemical. The list of reportable TRI chemicals includes of 594 individual chemicals and 30 chemical categories. Certain chemicals, such as persistent bio-accumulative toxins (PBTs), have lower reporting thresholds.

What is reported?
Facilities submit reports to Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the waste management activities for the covered TRI chemicals. These activities include:

  1. Direct releases onsite to the environment. These releases are to air, water, and land.
  2. Waste managed onsite, which includes recycling, treatment, and energy recovery.
  3. Waste managed offsite, which includes recycling, treatment, energy recovery, or disposal.

Data from Delaware facilities is compiled by DNREC and the results are summarized in an annual report. A national analysis of the TRI data is provided by EPA’s annual report. It is noteworthy that TRI only requires reporting of releases and waste management activities, but not amounts used. The control of those releases is achieved separately through a variety of DNREC and EPA permits, laws and regulations.

Delaware 2014 TRI Results Summary

For 2014, 57 facilities submitted reports for 88 different chemicals. Approximately 3.75 million pounds were reported as being released onsite, a decrease of 278,000 pounds or 7 percent compared to 2013. Of this amount, approximately 18,000 pounds were released to land, while 800,000 pounds were released to air, and approximately 2.9 million pounds were released to water.

Onsite Releases

To Land: Onsite releases to land decreased by 134,000 pounds (88 percent) compared to 2013.

  • This reduction was primarily attributable to the Indian River Generating Station for releases of barium compounds to land, which are down 86,000 pounds compared to 2013. (The barium compounds are contained in coal ash and disposed of in a state-of-the-art landfill onsite.) This facility’s reduction in releases occurred because of their shutdown of unit No. 3 at the end of 2013, and also because of the milder winter in 2014 versus 2013,
  • Barium compounds were also the largest-reported release to land, with 14,000 pounds reported by Indian River Generating Station.

To Air: On-site releases to air were down approximately 194,000 pounds (19 percent) compared to 2013.

  • Reductions in releases to air were reported by several companies, with the largest decrease being reported by the Indian River Generating Station of hydrochloric acid, down 114,000 pounds compared to 2013.
  • Sulfuric acid was reported as the largest release to air at 298,000 pounds, with the majority being released by the Delaware City Refinery.

To Water: Total on-site releases to water increased by approximately 49,000 pounds (2 percent) compared to 2013.

  • The increase in releases to water was primarily due to increases of nitrate compound releases reported by the Delaware City Refinery, up 111,000 pounds compared to 2013.
  • Nitrate compounds were also reported as the largest release to water at 2.9 million pounds, with 2.74 million pounds (94 percent) released by the Delaware City Refinery and 169,000 (6 percent) released by Perdue Georgetown.

Offsite Transfers

Waste transferred offsite decreased by 584,000 pounds (4 percent) compared to 2013. Reductions in offsite recycling and waste sent to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) offset increases in offsite disposal, offsite treatment, and offsite energy recovery.

Largest Change: The largest reduction was for offsite recycling of zinc compounds by Evraz Claymont Steel, due to the closure of this facility, down 1.5 million pounds compared to 2013.

Largest Chemical Reported: Lead compounds were the largest reported chemical amount transferred for offsite recycling at 5 million pounds, with 3.3 million pounds reported by the Johnson Controls Battery Plant, and 1.7 million pounds reported by the Johnson Controls Distribution plant.

Onsite Management

Waste managed onsite increased by 95 million pounds (24 percent) compared to 2013. Increases in onsite energy recovery and onsite treatment were partially offset by a small decrease in onsite recycling.

Largest Changes: Multiple facilities reported increases and decreases of more than a million pounds for onsite management compared to 2013. The largest reduction reported was for onsite treatment of hydrochloric acid by DuPont Edge Moor, with a reduction of 4.4 million pounds compared to 2013. The largest increase was for the onsite treatment of hydrogen sulfide by the Delaware City Refinery, up approximately 97.2 million pounds compared to 2013.

Largest Chemical Reported: Hydrogen sulfide was also the largest reported chemical amount managed onsite, with 433.6 million pounds being treated onsite, with the majority of that amount being reported by the Delaware City Refinery.

 


DNREC announces latest Recycling Grant awards, disbursing $268,000 for range of recycling projects

DOVER – The latest round of DNREC’s Universal Recycling Grants and Low-Interest Loan Program has awarded nearly $268,000 to 12 different Delaware entities, municipalities, school districts and multi-family housing complexes. DNREC’s grant and loan program – an outgrowth of Delaware’s Universal Recycling Law championed by Delaware Governor Jack Markell – has advanced recycling collection programs, promoted recycling education efforts and spurred a range of innovative recycling initiatives with grant funding.

The grant progam’s emphasis has focused recently on helping Delaware schools and businesses achieve recycling requirements and eventually exceed diversion goals that can rank Delaware even higher nationally as a leader in single-stream recycling.

“Recycling not only reduces schools’ and businesses’ environmental footprint but can save them money,” said DNREC Secretary David Small. “To achieve the statewide goals of the Universal Recycling Law, we continue working with businesses on improving the recycling rate across the commercial sector. DNREC’s recycling grants program is a great opportunity to assist the educational and business communities with recycling start-up costs. And as Gov. Markell has stressed, universal recycling has helped drive both environmental and economic benefits for our state and its citizens.”

Awarding of grants in the most recent cycle of the Universal Recycling Grants and Low-Interest Loan Program and the amounts awarded by DNREC for each grant winner, along with project summaries, can be found below:

Applicant Funding Project Summary
Appoquinimink School District $6,993.59 Recyclable material handling equipment district-wide
Cape Henlopen School District $7,630.25 High school recycling program (interior and exterior) and cafeteria waste reduction (reusable trays) – Containers/equipment, plastic trays
Capital School District $15,276.00 District-wide recycling program – recycling dumpsters at all locations
BrightFields Inc. $1,119.66 Partial funding of onsite composting program – Composters, cart, interior organics collection bins, supplies
East Pointe Apartments $4,928.22 Multi-family residential program serving 216 unit complex – Interior recycling bins, outreach/education
Georgetown Manor Apartments $5,285.97 Multi-family residential program serving 419 unit complex – Interior recycling bins, exterior recycling dumpsters, outreach/education
Laurel School District $6,635.89 District-wide recycling program – Interior containers, material handling equipment
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary $12,029.50 Partial funding of oyster shell recovery program (from restaurants & wholesalers in NCC) – Containers/equipment, outreach/education
Red Clay School District $56,215.65 District wide recycling program – Interior containers, material handling equipment
Town of Fenwick Island $2,689.00 Beach recycling program expansion – Recycling carts, outreach/education
University of Delaware $5,985.00 Implementation of program at Coast Day /Expansion of Sharp Campus recycling program – Containers, outreach/education
City of Wilmington $143,150.00 Outreach/education component of citywide implementation of Pay-As-You-Throw waste reduction program

The Universal Recycling Grant and Low Interest Loan Program was created by the Universal Recycling Law. The law provides a framework to ensure recycling options are available for all in Delaware. The most recent requirement was effective Jan. 1, 2014, and requires commercial businesses actively participate in a comprehensive recycling program. The commercial sector includes any for-profit or not-for-profit retail or wholesale stores, offices, food service establishments, warehouses, and other manufacturing, industrial or processing activities, and institutions such as social, charitable, educational, health care, and professional and government services.

To help Delaware’s schools, businesses and institutions start or expand their recycling programs, DNREC will continue to offer the Universal Recycling Grant and Low Interest Loan Program. “We hope to announce the next cycle in January,” said Bill Miller, environmental program manager and DNREC recycling team leader, “and we will probably accept applications for a two-month window.” Funding is typically awarded for equipment and outreach/education, but creativity is welcome.

Schools, business owners, and organization managers are encouraged to explore the growing recycling opportunities in Delaware. To learn more about legislative requirements, grant funding, commercial recycling toolkits, free technical assistance, and more please visit: www.recycling.delaware.gov or call 302-739-9403.

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

Vol. 46, No. 2


Christmas tree recycling – a Delaware post-holiday tradition – carries on statewide for 2015/16

Take your tree to a yard waste site or contact your waste collector

DOVER – Delawareans are encouraged to give their recycling spirit a boost after the holiday season by delivering their Christmas trees to one of many yard waste recycling facilities located throughout the state. Please note that Christmas trees are no longer accepted for recycling at any Delaware State Park locations.

Christmas trees will be accepted free of charge for recycling from residents at the facilities listed below. Residents may be able to bring their trees as soon as Dec. 26 and as late as Jan. 30, 2016, but should contact the facility for specific hours and details. Trees will not be accepted from commercial haulers or tree vendors without prior approval. Artificial decorations, including hooks, wire, tinsel and ornaments, as well as wood and metal tree stands, must be removed from all trees before dropping them off for recycling.

“Many Delawareans have been recycling their Christmas trees for many years, and we encourage everyone to establish or continue this eco-friendly tradition,” said Bill Miller, program manager in DNREC’s Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Section. “Recycling these trees that are a product of nature is a wonderful way of giving back to the environment.”

Christmas tree recycling saves valuable landfill space. At least 18 percent of residential waste is composed of grass, leaves, brush, trees and other lawn maintenance and landscaped materials. Prior to Delaware’s yard waste bans, these materials – considered a resource for composting and reuse rather than waste – were deposited in landfills, taking up valuable space and limiting local markets for mulch and compost products.

Many entities collect Christmas trees, including various waste haulers and landscapers. Your regular trash hauler may offer special collections for Christmas trees in January.

Kent County will collect Christmas trees from Jan. 11-15 and 18-22 on your regular trash day for customers in trash districts that have the yard waste collection service.

Christmas trees, stripped of all decorations and detached from tree stands, can be dropped off by Delaware residents for free at any of the following locations:

New Castle County

  • Polly Drummond Hill Road Community Yard Waste Demonstration Site
    Located in the Pike Creek area on Polly Drummond Hill Road, about 1/2 mile north of Kirkwood Highway. Hours: ONLY Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. through Jan. 10. Site will close Jan. 11, 2016 through May 7, 2016 (More information: www.dnrec.delaware.gov/yardwaste)
  • South Chapel Yard Waste Site (operated by Holland Mulch)
    1034 S. Chapel Street, Newark, DE 19702; phone 302-737-1000
    Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m.-noon*
  • Copeland’s Mulch Depot (free for trees purchased at Copeland’s; otherwise $2)
    2 Honeysuckle Drive, Stanton, DE 19804; phone 302-633-9536
    Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.*
    Closed until Jan. 4.
  • Holland Mulch
    135 Hay Road, Edge Moor, DE 19809; phone 302-765-3100
    Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m.-noon*

Sussex County

  • Blessings Greenhouses
    9372 Draper Road, Milford, DE 19963; phone 302-393-3273
    Hours: Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-5 p.m.*
  • Blue Hen Organics
    33529 Fox Run Road, Frankford, DE 19945; phone 302-732-3211
    Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-4 p.m.*
  • Grizzly’s Landscape Supply Service
    18412 The Narrow Road, Lewes, DE 19958; phone 302-644-0654
    Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.*
  • Kaye Construction
    22288 Coverdale Road, Seaford, DE 19973; phone 302-629-7483
    Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.*, closed until Jan. 4
  • Millville Organic Center
    Whites Neck Road (0.5 miles north of Route 26) Millville, DE 19967; phone 302-423-2601
    Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.*
  • Selbyville Pet and Garden Center (free for active customers within the last 6 months)
    38205 DuPont Boulevard, Selbyville, DE 19975; phone 302-436-8286)
    Hours: Thursdays and Fridays 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m.***
  • Stockley Materials
    25136 DuPont Boulevard, Georgetown, DE 19947; phone 302-856-7601
    Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-5 p.m.*

*Please call ahead as businesses may alter their hours of operation around the holidays.

Only Christmas trees from residents will be accepted for free. Facilities may charge a fee for other yard waste. Other locations throughout the state also accept Christmas trees for recycling for a fee. For information on other yard waste drop-off sites in Delaware, go to: www.dnrec.delaware.gov/yardwaste and click “Yard waste drop-off options.”

Delawareans are also reminded that DNREC’s Polly Drummond Hill Road yard waste site is closing Jan. 11, 2016, and will reopen on May 7, 2016 for Saturdays only. For more information, click: DNREC’s Polly Drummond Hill Road yard waste site to close Jan. 11, 2016; will reopen next May Saturdays only.

For more information about yard waste, visit DNREC’s website, www.dnrec.delaware.gov/yardwaste or call 302-739-9403 ext.1.