The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that a second ground fire of unknown origin at the Polly Drummond yard waste site within a week’s time has caused DNREC to shut the northern New Castle County site until further notice.

The second fire drew local fire companies to the yard waste site this morning, forcing its immediate closure for public health and safety concerns at least until DNREC can determine the cause of the fires. DNREC also is looking into how a recurrence of these blazes might be prevented on the Delaware State Parks’ land where Polly Drummond is sited in what is essentially a residential area.

In an abundance of caution, DNREC is closing the site earlier than originally planned (January 17) until the Department can determine how to best address what’s become a real and threatening problem to keeping the yard waste site open in the future – or for reopening it in the spring.

The safety issue behind the closure was magnified today because of the site’s accepting Christmas trees for recycling into organic mulch – and the possibility that a blaze could break out again and threaten residents who had come to the site to dispose of their trees after the holidays.

DNREC has operated the Polly Drummond site since 2008 when it opened seasonally – from spring to fall, and then after the holidays – for use by the public. The Polly Drummond site was one of three “demonstration” yard waste drop-off sites in northern New Castle that the General Assembly put under DNREC’s administration after yard waste was banned from Delaware landfills in 2007. Polly Drummond is the last of those sites remaining, and the only one currently in operation.

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 Waste and Hazardous Substances ensures Delaware’s wastes are managed to protect human life, health, safety and the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

###

After Tropical Storm Isaias and tornados spawned by the storm left a destructive wake through the state this week that included many downed trees and limbs, the cleanup has begun for many Delaware residents – and will include disposing of more yard waste than usual. Yard waste is banned from Delaware’s landfills so it cannot be placed in trash containers or recycling bins, but DNREC provides resources to help Delawareans manage their yard waste in ways that are protective of human health and the environment.

Yard waste typically consists of materials such as grass clippings, leaves, brush, small limbs (4” in diameter or less), Christmas trees or other vegetative materials. Downed trees or large branches should be cut into manageable lengths for pickup by waste haulers or for drop-off at yard waste sites. Other materials, which might have been lost to the storm or mixed into your yard waste debris such as fence posts, treated wood, plastic or metal items and trash should be separated from yard waste. DNREC reminds Delawareans that managing waste streams properly helps ensure that these materials are disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.

What DNREC asks Delawareans to do for better management of yard waste:

• Make sure yard waste and normal trash are separated so that they can be collected properly.
• Utilize one of the many drop-off locations statewide for yard waste if you don’t have curbside collection. A list of sites can be found at http://de.gov/yardwaste.
• Consider working with your Homeowners Association or your neighbors to rent a chipper or hire a landscape company to mulch all fallen tree limbs and brush in your neighborhood and then put that mulch to use across your home landscape.

What should Delawareans not do with their yard waste:

• Do not burn yard waste! Open burning is prohibited in Delaware during this time, and punishable by fine of $500 to $1,500 plus court costs.
• Yard waste should not be mixed with other waste that goes into your trash cart.
• Do not deposit your yard waste in vacant lots or open space areas. This is illegal dumping and will be prosecuted by DNREC’s Environmental Crimes Unit.

Check with your hauler or municipal or county government to see if additional or different yard waste schedules for pickup are available due to extenuating circumstances from the recent tropical storm. Additionally, some haulers or communities might have specific established guidelines to follow for yard waste pickup.

Report environmental violations, including trash dumping, to the DNREC Environmental Crimes Unit by calling the 24-hour toll-free hotline at 800-662-8802 or text ECUTIP to TIP411 (847411).

Information about yard waste management can be found online at de.gov/yardwaste or by calling DNREC’s Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances at 302-739-9403. Information about open burning can be found online at https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/air/open-burning/ or by calling DNREC’s Division of Air Quality at 302-739-9402.

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. 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

###

DOVER, Del. – The Polly Drummond Hill drop-off yard waste site near Newark, which opened for the season on Saturday, April 18, was closed to further drop-offs about noon on Sunday because of yard waste material capacity and traffic issues.

On Sunday morning, the site had already reached about 80 percent capacity from material that was dropped off by residents on Saturday. Then dozens of cars trying to access the site at once created a long line out of the entrance and onto Polly Drummond Hill Road, blocking traffic and requiring DNREC Natural Resources Police and Delaware State Police to respond.

DNREC will work this week to have its contractor shred and remove all the material that was dropped, and create a traffic plan with the goal of reopening the site on Saturday, April 25. The site operates Saturdays and Sundays.

A list of commercial yard waste drop-off sites that residents can use as an alternative is at https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/waste-hazardous/yard-waste/drop-off-sites/

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 Contact: Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

###