The Junction and Breakwater Trail Bridge over the Munchy Branch in Sussex County. Photo by Robert Bayles

Delaware residents, along with government agencies, New Castle, Kent and Sussex conservation districts, and non-profit organizations throughout the state, can help support Delaware’s continuing quest for clean water by taking advantage of an annual grant opportunity administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and funded through the federal Clean Water Act. More than $1.233 million in Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source grant funding for Delaware was recently announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

DNREC is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants for Section 319 grant projects that reduce Delaware’s nonpoint source (NPS) pollution and improve water quality by reducing nutrients that drain or leach into impaired Delaware waters. NPS pollution is caused by precipitation moving as overland runoff and through the ground. As runoff moves, pollutants are picked up and carried along with it, and eventually deposited into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and groundwater.

DNREC will accept Section 319 Nonpoint Source grant proposals from Monday, Dec. 6, 2021 until Feb. 9, 2022.

While eligible Section 319 projects may focus on reducing any source of NPS pollution, grant applications most frequently involve agriculture, reforestation activities, stormwater retrofits, shoreline stabilization, and restoration-based Best Management Practices (BMPs). A predominant 319 grant focus is on watersheds with water quality impairments caused by polluted runoff, along with Delaware watersheds that have approved watershed implementation plans through U.S. EPA.

“While there has been vast improvement in Delaware’s water quality, challenges still persist, and meeting those challenges is crucial to our state’s achieving our goal of clean water for all Delawareans,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “These Clean Water Act grants offer leverage for government agencies and nonprofit organizations who continue to make headway on the state’s clean water challenge. These grants help fund investments in cover crops, nutrient management, land conservation, stormwater retrofits, and tree planting projects – all of which enhance and improve water quality statewide.”

Past Delaware Section 319 grant recipients and their projects have included:

• The Kent and Sussex Conservation Districts for implementing agricultural BMPs including cover crops, nutrient management planning, water control structures, and structural BMPs to address manure storage and composting.
• The Delaware Botanic Gardens for urban-type BMPs such as living shorelines and stormwater facility enhancements to further water quality benefits.
• Delaware’s Center for the Inland Bays also used 319 grant funding for stormwater retrofits, reforestation projects, and living shorelines to help filter nonpoint source pollutants.
• The Delaware Wild Lands organization for implementing reforestation practices in the form of tree plantings on marginal cropland areas, enhancing both water quality and wildlife habitat benefits.
• The Sussex Conservation District in cooperation with the Delmarva Chicken Association for implementing various agricultural BMPs on poultry farm production areas, including tree plantings used as windbreaks, grass buffers, pollinator habitat areas, shallow water ponds for wildlife habitat and nutrient filtering capabilities.

All projects must include match funding from a non-federal source totaling at least 67% of the federal funding requested through the Section 319 Nonpoint Source grant proposal.

More information on applying for a Clean Water Act Section 319 grant, along with the application form and DNREC NPS program contact information, can be found on the DNREC website at de.gov/319grants.

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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

###

A crew of 13 installed the living shoreline on the Lewes Canal in just one day in June. DNREC photo.

A living shoreline project developed by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary to help Lewes, Delaware with shoreline stabilization was completed in partnership with Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee.

The Lewes Canal project was a joint effort to add a 180-foot feature adjacent to an already existing living shoreline constructed in 2014 behind the Lewes Little League ball field. A method of shoreline stabilization and protection for wetlands, living shorelines absorb storm energy and protect property while reducing the potential for shoreline erosion issues. They also filter pollutants to improve water quality, a notable benefit as Delaware recognizes National Water Quality Month in August.

“Living shorelines are an innovative and environmentally friendly alternative that uses natural materials such as oyster shells,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “This project is a good example of the benefits living shorelines provide: pollutant filtering to improve water quality; habitat for animals, fish and birds; and protection from erosion and of infrastructure; as well as aesthetics for property owners.”

The new portion was constructed using natural materials: a small amount of coconut fiber coir logs and 1,300 recycled oyster shell bags. A crew of 12 configured the oyster shell bags in long, wavy pyramid formations along the intertidal zone to reduce wave energy and allow wetland habitat restoration. The design includes breaks in the structure to allow tidal exchange, fish and fauna passage, and runoff outflow. This project will be monitored through a collaborative effort for several years to document increase of wetland size and populations of ribbed mussels and oysters.

“From fisheries and water quality to flood protection, the ecological health and resilience of the Delaware Estuary depends on our historically abundant coastal marshes, but sadly we are losing about an acre per day,” said Kathy Klein, executive director at the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, which launched the Delaware Estuary Living Shoreline Initiative in 2008. “Thanks to its science-based design and monitoring, this project showcases how innovative, nature-based tactics can help stem these wetland losses.”

The project is a launching point for developing more partnerships and solutions to coastal restoration, as well as promoting green infrastructure efforts of the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee, a working group dedicated to facilitating the understanding, peer review and implementation of living shoreline tactics within the state. DNREC’s participation is represented by the Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program.

Supporters of the project include the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, United States Fish and Wildlife Service Delaware Bay Estuary Project, who provided funding through a small grant, and continued support from the Environmental Protection Agency. Property access and shoreline coordination provided by Lewes Historical Society and the Overfalls Foundation.

For more information, visit Delaware Living Shorelines at delawarelivingshorelines.org.

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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

DOVER – As a significant step toward environmental remediation of hazardous substances found within the Town of Blades in Sussex County, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed the Blades Groundwater Site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL), Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn M. Garvin announced today. The NPL is EPA’s list of priority sites where there have been releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants requiring evaluation for possible remediation.

When the Blades Groundwater Site – which DNREC began treating with carbon filtration in 2018 to maintain safe use of the town’s water supply – is listed to the NPL, it will be eligible for remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program. NPL eligibility will allow EPA to use Superfund authority and resources to help DNREC continue to investigate and remediate the contamination and protect human health and the environment in Blades. DNREC requested EPA’s assistance with the management and remediation of the site due to the complex nature of the hazardous chemicals and the extent of the contamination. DNREC worked closely with the EPA and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) in February 2018 identifying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, notifying local officials and the public, and securing safe drinking water supplies.

The proposed listing of the Blades Groundwater Site is due to the identification of electroplating compounds, PFAS, and hazardous metals contamination in municipal and residential drinking water wells in and near the Town of Blades. PFAS includes the chemicals, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and is also referred to as perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and perfluoroalkyls.

The public drinking water currently provided by the Town of Blades is treated to remove contamination, including PFAS. DNREC also coordinated carbon treatment for the impacted private residential wells, following DPH’s recommendation for appropriate carbon treatment. The finished drinking water meets federal and state safe drinking water standards. Recent testing completed in October 2019 indicates the Blades municipal drinking water continues to meet drinking water standards.

The EPA – with support from DNREC, DPH, and the Town of Blades – plan to hold a local public information meeting in December in the Blades area to provide information on the site and the proposed listing to the NPL. EPA, DPH and DNREC will work closely with state and local agencies and officials throughout the NPL listing process. Supporting documentation for the proposed listing of the Blades Groundwater Site is available at: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/current-npl-updates-new-proposed-npl-sites-and-new-npl-sites.

If the comments received throughout the NPL listing process do not affect EPA’s scoring of the site, the site could be eligible for listing on the NPL. If the site is listed on the NPL, EPA will again provide public notice in the Federal Register, and formally respond to the comments received.

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

DOVER – Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has filed a petition for review in the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals seeking review of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s denial of Delaware’s and Maryland’s Clean Air Act Section 126(b) “good neighbor” petitions. Delaware’s Section 126 petitions seek to reduce the amount of air pollution generated elsewhere that crosses into Delaware.

“EPA was unfairly dismissive of our Section 126 petitions, and we are now seeking a court order requiring EPA to reconsider our petitions that we feel, if acted upon, will help reduce the amount of air pollution that crosses our borders from neighboring states,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “Both the public health of our citizens and Delaware’s economy are at stake.”

Delaware’s petition for review, filed Nov. 5, was consolidated by the DC Circuit Court with petitions filed by Maryland and environmental groups that also seek review of EPA’s decision to deny Delaware’s and Maryland’s Section 126(b) petitions earlier this year. The DC Circuit Court is now asked to rule on whether EPA followed proper procedures in reaching its decision to deny the Section 126(b) petitions and whether the evidence of record supports EPA’s denial. The court’s decision is expected sometime next year.

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

Vol. 48, No. 309

-30-

DOVER – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it will propose the Newark South Ground Water Plume Site for listing on the National Priorities List (NPL). The listing in the Federal Register will allow EPA to use Superfund authority and resources to work with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to help resolve ground water concerns in the Newark area and determine the sources of contamination there.

“We are pleased that EPA’s proposed National Priorities Listing for the Newark South Ground Water Plume site enables us to further our efforts to better understand the extent of ground water contamination in the Newark area,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “We continue partnering with EPA to address historical contamination in the area as we work to protect and restore Delaware’s precious ground water resources.”

The Newark South Ground Water Plume Site encompasses an area of southeast Newark along Route 72 between Interstate 95 and Route 4 (East Chestnut Hill Road) in New Castle County. Working with 20 years’ environmental awareness of the site, the City of Newark, DNREC and the Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Public Health Office of Drinking Water (DPH ODW) successfully maintain a safe drinking water supply for the city.

Cleanups at NPL sites are financed under the Federal Superfund program. Once a site is proposed for potential listing in the Federal Register, a 60-day public comment period on the proposed listing ensues. If comments do not affect EPA’s scoring of the site using EPA’s Hazard Ranking System, the site is eligible for listing on the National Priorities List.

The City of Newark has six municipal wells located in the area where ground water has been impacted by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – organic compounds found in some industrial and commercial products that can cause adverse human health effects. Newark’s ground water is treated by the city to remove VOCs from the water supply, enabling the water to continue meeting both federal and the more stringent state safe drinking water standards.

The source of the ground water contamination at the South Newark Ground Water Plume Site has not been identified. DNREC requested EPA’s assistance to help fully investigate the site and identify the sources of the VOCs contaminating the ground water. The proposed NPL listing by EPA will provide federal funding and resources for additional investigation at the Newark South Ground Water Site, including identification of possible responsible parties for the contamination. The listing comes at a time when Delaware’s Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act (HSCA) fund has been reduced significantly, limiting DNREC investigations.

EPA will also hold a public information session and presentation on the NPL proposal Tuesday, Aug. 15, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Newark Senior Center, 200 White Chapel Drive, Newark, DE 19713. A formal presentation will begin at 7 p.m. The session will provide residents with information about the Newark South Ground Water Plume Site, the EPA’s Superfund process, and guidance on how to submit comments on the proposal.

For more information, please visit DNREC’s Newark South Ground Water Plume Site webpage. Additionally, contact can be made with following DNREC, EPA and City of Newark representatives about the site:

– For more information about DNREC’s remedial investigations and cleanups in the Newark South Well Field area, please visit: http://www.nav.dnrec.delaware.gov/DEN3/ or contact:
Christina Wirtz
DNREC Division of Waste & Hazardous Substances
302-395-2600
Email: Christina.Wirtz@delaware.gov

– For more information about EPA’s Superfund program and the NPL, please visit:
https://www.epa.gov/superfund or contact:
Roy Seneca
Office of Communications and Government Relations
U.S. EPA, Region 3
215-814-5567
Email: mailto:Seneca.roy@epa.gov

– For more information about the City of Newark’s drinking water supply and treatment system, please visit: http://www.cityofnewarkde.us/water, or contact:
Kelly Bachman
Communications Manager
City of Newark
302-366-7035
kbachman@newark.de.us

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

Vol. 47, No. 173

-30-