Order Extends One-Half Mile from Scene Near Airport Road

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control issued a shelter-in-place directive this afternoon for a half-mile radius around the crash scene of this morning’s accident on Interstate-95 involving a trailer load of organic peroxide, which is considered a hazardous material. The order for the crash scene applied to the area around the intersection of I-95 and Airport Road.

DNREC Emergency Response and Prevention Section began burning off the peroxide at the scene shortly after 1 p.m. so that it posed no further threat to public health or the environment.

I-95 remained closed in both directions while the DNREC Emergency Response and Prevention section worked with local agencies from New Castle County to clear the scene once the peroxide was burned off. Before the decision was made to thermally destroy the peroxide, DNREC Emergency Response and Prevention section had worked earlier with the local agencies, including the New Castle County fire service and decontamination unit ,to regain temperature control of the organic peroxide from this morning’s traffic accident that involved a pickup truck pulling the trailer bearing the peroxide colliding with a disabled vehicle on the roadway.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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Community Meetings to Be Held on Claymont and Eden Park Studies June 22 and 23 to Help Determine Path Forward for Improving Air Quality

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has released final reports on two community air quality-monitoring projects for the Eden Park and Claymont communities in New Castle County. Drawing on the results from the two reports, DNREC will work with these communities to help them become less susceptible to air pollution and thus improve the quality of life for their residents.

“These types of studies support DNREC’s efforts to improve air quality in communities that may be disproportionately affected by sources of air pollution,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “Our adoption of targeted mitigation measures to reduce these emissions – which the air quality monitoring projects will help determine – will improve the quality of life for these impacted communities in Delaware.”

The DNREC Division of Air Quality launched the multi-year and multi-pollutant Eden Park study to investigate air quality based on community concerns of high levels of dust and other pollutants. DNREC found the amount of most types of air pollution at low levels and that air quality in Eden Park comparable to air quality found at other state monitoring locations in New Castle County and in Wilmington. However, while localized to the community, the amount of dust in Eden Park was confirmed to be higher.

Further analyzing the dust composition, DNREC concluded there were three main types of dust identified: concrete dust, soil dust, and dust from tire/brake wear. The concrete dust was the largest component when dust levels were highest. Using this information, the Department has been actively working with local industry to develop and implement mitigation measures to reduce dust in the Eden Park community.study

The Claymont study was conducted to investigate citizen concerns focused on volatile organic compounds (VOC) that could originate from the nearby Claymont/Marcus Hook, Pa. border where several industrial facilities are located.

The study shows that VOC concentrations in Claymont were very low and similar in both specific compounds and amounts as measured by the monitoring station in Wilmington.

DNREC will hold virtual community information meetings later this month to discuss the results of the Eden Park and Claymont studies. The Claymont community meeting is scheduled for June 22 at 6 p.m. The Eden Park meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 23. For more information about the meetings, including how to sign up for and attend them virtually, please visit the DNREC Events Calendar. More information about the studies and air quality reports can be found on the DNREC website at https://de.gov/airstudies.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Air Quality monitors and regulates all emissions to the air. For more information, visit the website and connect with DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has closed Fort Delaware State Park until Friday, June 4, to repair the Delafort ferry that transports visitors to the fort. The ferry is in need of repair due to an unforeseen mechanical issue. A second boat brought in as a temporary replacement to the Delafort also had mechanical issues.

Those with tickets to visit Fort Delaware during this timeframe can choose to receive a full refund or tickets for a future date.

The Delafort is operated under contract with the Delaware River and Bay Authority to provide ferry transportation to Fort Delaware and For Mott, N.J. For more information about visiting Fort Delaware, go do www.destateparks.com.

About DNREC

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Shauna McVey, shauna.mcvey@delaware.gov or Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov.

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Annual Free Fishing Days Designated for June 5 and 6

Families are invited to bring their kids out to try casting a line for a big fish in freshwater public ponds throughout the state when the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control holds its 35th annual Youth Fishing Tournament from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, June 5, 2021. The tournament is free of charge and will be held rain or shine.

This year, the tournament will be held at more than 30 public freshwater fishing ponds as a fish-on-your-own, semi-virtual event for children age 4 to 15. Participants must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and should bring their own fishing equipment.

The tournament was established by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife and is sponsored by the Delaware Natural Resources Police to introduce youth to the sport of fishing and to teach the catch-and-release approach to conservation, which is encouraged for all participants.

All preregistered participants will receive prizes. Prizes for the longest fish in each species category will be awarded in three age groups: 4 to 7, 8 to 11 and 12 to 15. Trophies will be awarded to participants who catch the longest fish in each age group, regardless of species.

To participate for prizes, young anglers must fish at one of the tournament’s designated freshwater fishing ponds, and parents or guardians must submit a registration form by noon, Tuesday, June 1.

Catch measurements should be submitted using the free Chaos fishing app, by including a photo of the fish on a Delaware fishing ruler or other ruler or tape measure with readable numbers to show the length of the catch. The app is downloadable by clicking login/register in the top right corner of the tournament web page and searching tournaments for Delaware Natural Resources Police. Creating an account on the app in advance of the tournament day is recommended, with more app user information available on YouTube.

The tournament is part of Delaware’s observance of National Fishing and Boating Week, June 5 to 13, which also includes DNREC’s annual designation of free fishing days for June 5 and 6 this year, when anyone may fish in Delaware waters without a fishing license. Anglers age 16 and over fishing without a fishing license during the free fishing days require a free Fishermen Information Network (FIN) number, available at license agents statewide and online at epermitting.dnrec.delaware.gov/get-a-fin. For more fishing information, visit the 2021 Delaware Fishing Guide.

Tournament participants and accompanying adults, along with anglers on free fishing days, are required to follow COVID-19 outdoor health and safety guidelines in effect the day of the tournament. Anglers and families must also follow all local rules and regulations at their chosen fishing site.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 65,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

Angela Marconi to Succeed Retiring Director David Fees in the Position

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn M. Garvin has named Angela Marconi the new director of DNREC’s Division of Air Quality, succeeding David Fees, who is retiring at the end of May from DNREC after 25-plus years in state government. Joining DNREC in 1995 as an engineer, Fees rose through career-ladder promotions and held several management positions prior to leading the division that addresses Delaware’s air quality issues, ensures regulatory compliance with air permits, and enforces the state’s air quality regulations in conjunction with the federal Clean Air Act.

“I thank Dave Fees for his dedication to the Department and the people of Delaware,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “In naming Angela Marconi as his successor, I know we have an experienced leader moving us into the future.”

For the last four years at DNREC, Marconi, an environmental engineer and program manager, has been responsible for all air permits issued in the state, overseeing a team that includes managers, engineers and support staff. “The Division of Air Quality’s Engineering and Compliance section – which includes all air quality permitting, compliance and enforcement work – has done an outstanding job under her management,” Secretary Garvin said.

Before coming to DNREC in 2015, Marconi, who holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Delaware, with a concentration in environmental engineering, worked in engineering positions with Cabe Associates and the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA).

In his 26-year career at DNREC Fees managed the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting program, the air emissions inventory program, and the Airshed Planning and Inventory Program, developing regulations and the state implementation plan under the Clean Air Act. He became director of DNREC’s Division of Air Quality in 2018.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Air Quality monitors and regulates all emissions to the air. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov