Both items must be pre-ordered in advance and are available pick up-only

DOVER, Del. – Delaware residents may pre-order environmentally beneficial compost bins and rain barrels at discount prices during an online sale in May. Made available by DNREC’s Division of Waste & Hazardous Substances, in conjunction with the Division of Watershed Stewardship, advance purchases must be made for both items at www.enviroworld.us/delaware before the deadlines listed below:

• Kent County: May 3 pre-order deadline. Pickup: Saturday, May 9. DNREC Offices, 155 Commerce Way, Suite B, Dover, DE 19904. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (pickup: rear door at location).
• New Castle County. May 10 pre-order deadline. Pickup: Saturday, May 16. DNREC Offices, 391 Lukens Drive, New Castle, DE 19720. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (pickup: rear door at location)
• Sussex County: May 31 pre-order deadline. Pickup: Saturday, June 6. DNREC Lewes Field Facility, 901 Pilottown Road, Lewes, DE 19958

The FreeGarden Earth compost bins, offered through DNREC for $50 each, are made from recycled materials, and require no assembly. Compost bins have features that enhance the decomposition process and help make composting more efficient. These compact units transform food scraps and yard waste into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that replaces traditional fertilizers to produce healthier plants and vegetables in home gardens.

The 55-gallon FreeGarden Rain rain barrels made available by DNREC at $60 each, or about half the retail price, are attractive and easy to move, install, and use. They come with an insect resistant stainless-steel screen, three additional spigot mounting locations, as well as a childproof lid and square shape ideal for flush-to-wall and corner installations.

Rain barrels collect and store the water from roofs and downspouts for future uses such as watering lawns, gardens, and house plants; cleaning off gardening tools; and washing your car. Rain barrels help to lower your water bills, particularly in the summer months by collecting free water each year! Rain barrels play an important role in protecting our water resources by collecting the stormwater runoff from our homes before it reaches our local streams and rivers.

Compost bins and rain barrels must be picked up between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the chosen location and only those items ordered will be available. Buyers should note that no additional bins, barrels, or accessories will be sold at the pick-up locations.

For more information about composting, please visit DNREC’s Composting webpage or email or call Don Long of DNREC’s Division of Waste & Hazardous Substances at donald.long@delaware.gov or phone: 302-739-9403. For more information about DNREC’s non-point source program, which works toward reducing water pollution, please visit the DNREC Nonpoint Source Program webpage or email or call Phil Miller of the Division of Watershed Stewardship at philip.miller@delaware.gov or phone: 302-608-5468.

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 Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances ensures Delaware’s wastes are managed to protect human life, health, safety and the environment. The Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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DOVER – DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin has issued a Notice of Conciliation and Administrative Penalty Assessment Order to MEDAL Air Liquide to resolve compliance issues with state regulations governing air pollution at the company’s Delaware facility. The order for MEDAL Air Liquide calls for a cash penalty of $80,000, and an additional $4,000 as cost recovery reimbursement to DNREC associated with the Department’s investigation.

MEDAL Air Liquide owns and operates a plant in Newport, Del. that produces semi-permeable hollow fiber polymeric gas-separation membranes used in a variety of applications, such as air separation, industrial inerting processes and hydrogen purification in petroleum refining, enabling low-sulfur fuels.

On May 31, 2018, internal review of emissions for all operations onsite resulted in the discovery that MEDAL Air Liquide had exceeded its daily volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions limit permitted by DNREC. Facility representatives informed the Department of the VOC exceedances on June 18, 2018. The facility has reduced its operations to comply with permitted VOC limits while negotiating the Conciliation Order with the Department.

The Secretary’s Order addresses the air pollution compliance issues at the facility, and lays out a schedule for MEDAL Air Liquide to return to compliance that includes the application for and construction of a new thermal oxidizer – a control device that will ultimately result in a long-term reduction of emissions while allowing the facility to expand production.

The DNREC conciliation notice and Secretary’s Order also address both environmental benefits and the business needs of the Newport facility, enabling expansion and profitability for MEDAL Air Liquide in Delaware, while ensuring that the company reduces its environmental impacts.

The Notice of Conciliation and Administrative Penalty Assessment Order can be found on the DNREC website at
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Info/Pages/SecOrders_Enforcement.aspx.

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

Vol. 49, No. 20

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DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship Nonpoint Source Program is offering a free tree to Delaware residents in partnership with the Delaware Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry program within the Department of Agriculture. The free tree program is part of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Canopy Project to expand tree canopies in cities and towns across the country. Trees can be reserved at www.arborday.org/delaware.

Trees planted in strategic locations around a house can provide homeowners with numerous benefits, including: cleaner air and water, improved property values, less storm water runoff and flooding, and lower energy bills through reduced heating and cooling costs.

An online tool on the Arbor Day Foundation site helps Delawareans estimate the annual energy savings that can result from planting trees in the most strategic location near their homes or businesses. Residents can reserve one tree per household, and are expected to care for and plant their trees in the location suggested by the online tool. Quantities of trees are limited and the types of trees offered include the following: American sycamore, black tupelo, shadblow, serviceberry, swamp white oak, and tulip tree.

The program will continue until all 1,200 trees are reserved. Smaller trees will be delivered directly to homeowners at their mailing address. The larger two-to-four foot tall trees will be available for pickup from 3-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26 or 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Delaware Department of Agriculture at 2320 South DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901.

“Not only does this project help beautify our city’s landscape, it also provides immense environmental benefits that can help Dover residents save money on their energy bills,” said Marcia Fox, DNREC Nonpoint Source Program manager and chair of the state’s Urban and Community Forestry Council.

The “Community Canopy Project” online tool was created by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Davey Institute, a division of Davey Tree Expert Co., and uses peer-reviewed scientific research from the USDA Forest Service’s i-Tree software to calculate estimated benefits. In addition to providing approximate energy savings, the tool also estimates the trees’ other benefits, including cleaner air, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and improved storm water management.

For more information about reserving a tree, please call 855-234-3801.

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

Vol. 48, No. 282

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