Contractor’s Long-Delayed Start Leads to Pause in DNREC’s White Creek Dredging Project for Environmental Restrictions

Priority Project Must Now Wait Until Fall Before Dredging Can Resume

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that, due to contractor delay, the White Creek priority dredging project in Sussex County will not be completed this season. The project was initially scheduled for completion March 31 to comply with existing seasonal dredging restrictions established to protect wildlife and natural resources. Although dredging was scheduled to begin in early 2023 to avoid any conflict with these environmental restrictions, the project contractor delayed the start of dredging for more than four weeks, pushing the completion date beyond the scheduled deadline. Accordingly, dredging will proceed until the March 31 cutoff and then resume in the fall.

“All dredging permits require that this Department work within windows that are protective of marine wildlife, and adhering to and abiding by those restrictions is incumbent upon us as a natural resource and environmental agency,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “But let me be clear: DNREC would not be bringing this project to a halt for at least the next six months had the contractor not failed to get it under way in time to complete it. DNREC is not in this position for lack of a timetable being written into the contract, or for lack of our following up with the contractor to let them know that they were not meeting contractual obligations.”

Secretary Garvin also said DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section is working to develop a solution that will enable DNREC to complete as much of the project as possible before the March 31 cutoff, while reiterating that the restrictions are in place to ensure the continued enjoyment of outdoor recreation and natural resources by current and future generations of Delawareans and the state’s coastal visitors.

The White Creek dredging project encompasses a portion of the Assawoman Canal. Both waterways have been at the top of DNREC’s prioritized list for dredging since 2020, when the maintenance dredging of a third Sussex waterway, Massey’s Ditch, was completed. After DNREC’s announcement of the project last December, Sussex County Council approved a cooperative agreement with DNREC to contribute $1 million toward the $4.685 million cost of the White Creek project, with the remainder to be paid by the State of Delaware and DNREC.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife places certain environmental restrictions on the State’s waterways to ensure the continued enjoyment of outdoor recreation and natural resources by current and future generations of Delawareans and the State’s coastal visitors. As a result, dredging projects may not be performed during certain windows of wildlife activity in the waterways, and the project contractor was made aware of this at the time of bidding. A section of the Assawoman Canal – 1,200 linear feet – was dredged before the February 28 cutoff in that waterway for environmental restrictions, as was a high-traffic boating area where White Creek meets the Assawoman Canal. Boaters are advised to continue to exercise caution in the area because shoals may shift during the summer boating season, DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Section administrator Jesse Hayden said. On March 1, the contractor moved their equipment to the western prong of White Creek, to be followed by dredging of the waterway’s eastern prong, with both expected to be completed by the March 31 environmental restriction deadline for White Creek.

Hayden noted the delayed start to the project means that a span of White Creek will not be improved by maintenance dredging for the coming recreational boating season. He said DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section will share updated channel depth data (for informational purposes only, not to be used for navigation) after the dredging project pauses at de.gov/whitecreek.

“DNREC reminds all boaters to exercise caution and to keep boating safety in mind for themselves and others when using any waterway with shallow depths, including the unimproved span of White Creek,” Hayden said.

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 Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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Volunteers Needed for DNREC-Sponsored Christina River Watershed Cleanup April 22

Volunteers at an earlier Christina River Cleanup offload trash and debris collected during the event/DNREC photo.

 

Registration Open for Event in New Castle County

As part of the 2023 Earth Month celebration in April, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will join the Christina Conservancy and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary to mobilize volunteers to pick up trash in northern Delaware during the annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup.

The cleanup will be held from 8 to 11 a.m., Saturday, April 22 at 12 sites in northern New Castle County, from Brandywine Hundred south through Glasgow and Bear. Cleanup volunteers are encouraged to register now through Thursday, April 20 on the Volunteer tab at Volunteer.ChristinaRiverCleanup.org.

Volunteers registered for the cleanup will receive gloves, trash bags and safety vests to use for the cleanup, and a Christina River Watershed Cleanup reusable tote bag or a commemorative 30th anniversary t-shirt while supplies last. Registered volunteers are asked to document their findings on the submission link at ChristinaRiverCleanup.org, or they may use provided cards.

“Part of DNREC’s mission is to promote ways to keep Delaware’s great outdoors clean and free of trash, an effort that also aligns with Governor Carney’s Keep DE Litter Free campaign,” said Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “In addition to encouraging Delawareans and visitors to clean up all year long, we strongly support organized one-day annual cleanups like the Christina River Watershed Cleanup to highlight the importance of keeping trash out of our landscapes and waterways, where it impacts water quality and wildlife, not just the view.”

“This is the 31st year for the annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup, and we hope to collect – or surpass – our annual average of 800 volunteers collecting 15 tons of trash, from piles of tires and appliances to household items and uncountable pieces of plastic. With 12 cleanup sites this year, we are focused on restoring the health of the river and watersheds,” said Christina River Watershed Cleanup Coordinator Shirley Posey. “We invite everyone to come on out and join us for another environmentally successful cleanup on April 22.”

For a chance to win a 2023 Delaware State Parks annual pass, volunteers are encouraged to share cleanup photos as often as they like on @ChristinaCleanup; #ChristinaRiverCleanup; or @CRWCleanup. Each photo post counts as an entry. Information about the 2023 Christina River Watershed Cleanup will also be posted on social media at Facebook and Twitter.

Important Reminders for Cleanup Activities:

  • Know your limitations and be aware of possibly hazardous areas, including along roadways, streambanks, and steep or slippery slopes.
  • Dress appropriately for the weather, with sturdy shoes or boots that can get dirty.
  • Always Recycle Right. Items with lots of dirt or grit attached or inside should be placed in the trash.
  • As encouraged by Governor Carney’s Keep DE Litter Free initiative, make every day a cleanup day — not just once a year — by packing a disposable bag and rubber gloves whenever you take a walk or go hiking, to collect and carry out trash you find along the way.

Avoid These Actions When Cleaning Up:

  • Don’t enter private property without permission of the landowner.
  • Don’t place yourself in any danger while volunteering for the Christina River Watershed Cleanup.
  • For any independent cleanup volunteers participating, don’t collect any trash that your household waste hauler might not accept. Tires, construction materials, and metal drums may be unacceptable.

More information can be found at ChristinaRiverCleanup.org, or by emailing ChristinaRiverCleanup@gmail.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.  For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, Joanna.wilson@delaware.gov, Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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DNREC Announces New Director for Division of Fish and Wildlife

Pat Emory Has Served 39 Years with the Department

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Environmental Control has named Pat Emory to lead its Division of Fish and Wildlife. Emory has served his entire career with the Department, most recently as director of DNREC Division of Community Affairs.

Emory is to replace former Director David Saveikis, who recently retired from DNREC after a nearly 40-year career with the Department, and had served as Division of Fish and Wildlife director since 2011.

Emory will assume the official title on Monday, March 13.

The division director manages fish and wildlife conservation management policies of the state and runs day-to-day operations of the division, which includes 114 full-time positions and an annual budget of more than $10.7 million.

“Pat is an experienced and trusted leader in the state who has demonstrated his passion for the mission of the Department over the course of his career,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “I am pleased he will continue his commitment to public service and environmental stewardship in this role.”

Emory joined DNREC in 1984 as a seasonal park ranger and led the Division of Fish and Wildlife from 2003 to 2011. He has been the director for the Division of Community Affairs for the last five years. A former president of the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, he holds certifications in several environmental areas, including sediment and storm water management, emergency response and hazardous material handling. A native of Milford, he is a graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy and earned a Bachelor of Science from Salisbury University.

For more information about the division, visit de.gov/fw.

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 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, InstagramTwitter or LinkedIn.

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

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DNREC Appoints Dr. Katera Moore as State’s First Environmental Justice Coordinator

Dr. Katera Moore has been appointed DNREC’s – and the State of Delaware’s – first environmental justice coordinator. DNREC photo

 

New Webpage Builds on Commitment to Serve All Delawareans

Secretary Shawn M. Garvin today announced a new appointment to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s leadership structure, naming Dr. Katera Moore as the agency’s – and the state’s – first environmental justice coordinator. Dr. Moore will join DNREC’s Office of the Secretary to work with the state’s underserved communities, who historically have experienced disproportionately adverse human health and environmental impacts to their minority and low-income populations.

An experienced educator who holds a doctorate in Earth and Environmental Sciences with a specialization in geography from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Dr. Moore is an urban geographer who uses an environmental justice lens to focus on and examine how socio-political structures contribute to disparities that impact everyday life.

“At DNREC, environmental justice is part of our DNA,” Secretary Garvin said. “With her strong and diverse background – and already interacting with Delaware residents across the state in her short time here at DNREC – we look forward to Dr. Moore building on our commitment to expand and strengthen DNREC’s capacity for practicing and promoting a holistic environmental justice approach that benefits all Delawareans.”

Secretary Garvin also announced the launch of a new DNREC environmental justice webpage designed to be an evolving tool for two-way communication between the Department and constituents – especially those residing in the state’s underserved communities, for whom DNREC can help facilitate environmental justice that may be overdue.

“The new online resource is the result of community feedback, but it is a work in progress, so we encourage the community members to give us feedback on how we can make this EJ tool better,” he said of the new page de.gov/dnrecej. “This is a ‘living’ site for engaging Delawareans on their environmental justice concerns – engagement being an overarching tenet of our EJ mission.”

The new environmental justice webpage will also include a mapping tool that DNREC is currently developing that will enable Delawareans to use a wide range of screening criteria for pinpointing areas that have historically been vulnerable to contaminants and other pollution to the state’s land, air and water. Users are encouraged to make comments and suggestions for expanding both online content and capabilities in helping DNREC serve constituents.

“The Department under Governor Carney’s administration aims to be as accessible to the public as possible. We welcome – we want – public feedback on how we can do better at bringing environmental justice to the forefront of our work – feedback from the communities will help inform and strengthen Dr. Moore’s work as DNREC’s and Delaware’s EJ practitioner and advocate,” Secretary Garvin said.

As DNREC’s environmental justice coordinator, Dr. Moore is responsible for developing and leading the implementation of the agency’s strategic vision of environmental justice while seeing that it aligns with federal guidance on EJ issues. To that end, Dr. Moore also serves as DNREC’s Title VI coordinator.

Prior to joining DNREC last year as ombudsman for the DNREC Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances, Dr. Moore served as the interim associate director of the Einstein Health Network’s “A Better Start” program, building a strategic plan to address community public health, an overarching symptom of broader environmental injustice. For five years Dr. Moore served in a similar role as the director of the Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships. Dr. Moore received her Master of Environmental Studies and Bachelor of Urban Studies degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

More information about environmental justice at DNREC – along with an opportunity for the public to share EJ ideas and suggestions on how the Department might better interact with the state’s underserved communities – can be found at de.gov/dnrecej.

DNREC also looks forward to receiving feedback and constructive criticism for helping develop online content that fosters active and meaningful participation on environmental justice issues.

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 @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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DNREC Funds New Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Stations

EV Drivers Can Look Forward to More Fast Charging Options

Electric vehicle drivers will have more opportunities to charge up along Delaware roads with the installation of 14 new DC Fast Charging stations funded by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Grants were awarded to several businesses and one Delaware municipality for the 14 sites. The chargers will be accessible to the public 24 hours a day and users will pay a fee for powering their vehicles.

The 14 project locations represent a variety of charging location types and manufacturers, and reflect geographic diversity across the state. The projects selected for funding will be in downtown areas, shopping centers, hotels and traditional fueling centers, and will provide both en-route charging opportunities and neighborhood charging opportunities.

“These charging stations represent the first wave of major investments in Delaware to build out a network of reliable and convenient fast electric vehicle charging stations for our residents and visitors” said Shawn M. Garvin, DNREC Secretary. “It doesn’t stop here. DNREC and DelDOT are working together on an electric vehicle infrastructure plan that will guide future investments and programs to ensure a smooth transition to a cleaner, more equitable transportation system.”

Transportation is the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in Delaware. Building out the state’s charging network will accommodate the growing number of electric vehicles on the roads and is among the strategies identified in Delaware’s Climate Action Plan to reduce emissions.
The funding builds upon Delaware Clean Transportation Incentive Programs, which include a suite of rebates for light-duty vehicles and Level 2 charging stations. Funding for the DC Fast Charging Stations comes from the Environmental Mitigation Trust, a negotiated settlement between Volkswagen and the federal government.

Locations where new DC Fast Charging Stations will be installed include:

New Castle County
Wawa (Claymont): 2621 Philadelphia Pike
ShopRite (Wilmington): 1600 W. Newport Pike
Shore Stop (New Castle): 906 S. Dupont Highway
Budget Inn (New Castle) 3 Memorial Drive
Candlewood Suites (Newark): 1101 S. College Avenue

Kent County
City of Milford (Milford): 200 N. Front Street
Comfort Inn Suites (Dover): 1654 N. Dupont Highway
Quality Inn (Smyrna): 190 Stadium Street
Holiday Inn Express & Suites (Harrington): 17271 S. Dupont Highway

Sussex County
Quality Inn & Suites (Georgetown): 20530 Dupont Boulevard
Comfort Inn Suites (Seaford): 23420 Sussex Highway
Arby’s (Lewes): 17719 Coastal Highway
Gulf (PepUp Bethany Beach): 32919 Coastal Highway
Arby’s (Millsboro): 28669 Dupont Boulevard

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 Climate, Coastal and Energy uses science, education, policy development and incentives to address Delaware’s climate, energy and coastal challenges. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Jim Lee, JamesW.Lee@delaware.gov.