• http://www.sncca.org/

The Southern New Castle County Alliance opposes using state lands for waste water  

“In response to recent proposals to use State land for wastewater disposal, please contact your STATE SENATORS and TELL THEM TO DO WHAT THE HOUSE DID TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF PUBLIC CONSERVATION LAND FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT. THE SENATE SHOULD ALSO PASS HB30 IN JANUARY 2008!!!

Ask them to demonstrate conservation leadership and endorse the recommendations of Mr. Robert L. Graham, as outlined in his letter to Governor Minner on September 19, 2006.Click here http://www.sncca.org/WastewaterOpenSpace.pdf for info.

Mr. Robert L. Graham was the Federal Aide Coordinator for the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife for many years. He was one of the States most notable conservationist, and very instrumental in the protection of thousands of acres of open space for the enjoyment of the Citizens of Delaware. The Robert L. Graham wildlife area in the Southwest Corner of Sussex County was named after Mr. Graham in recognition of his conservation leadership.

Delaware Chapter of The Nature Conservancy strongly opposes use of state parks, fish and wildlife areas, and state forests for disposal of treated wastewater ...

Civic League for New Castle County Passes Resolution Recommending State Legislation be Passed by the Delaware General Assembly to Prohibit the use of State owned parks, fish and wildlife areas, forest lands or historical properties for Wastewater Disposal

Click here http://delawareway.blogspot.com/2006/11/legislation-for-consideration-from.html for info.”

See website http://www.sncca.org/

Delaware Chapter [of THE NATURE CONSERVANCY]strongly opposes use of state parks, fish and wildlife areas, and state forests for disposal of treated wastewater September 26, 2006   "The Honorable Ruth Ann Minner Governor, State of Delaware Tatnall Building, 2nd Floor Wilmington, DE 19801   Dear Governor Minner:   As you may know, the Delaware Clean Water Advisory Council recently reviewed an “Issue Paper” considering options for disposal of treated wastewater on state-owned lands.  I write you today to convey The Nature Conservancy’s clear and strong opposition to using state parks, fish and wildlife areas, and state forest for this purpose.   The Delaware Chapter of The Nature Conservancy has been a strong advocate for increased funding for our Open Space, Farmland Preservation, and recently enacted Forestland Preservation Programs. We have also actively partnered with several state agencies to acquire and preserve thousands of acres, including many critical additions to our state parks, fish and wildlife areas and state forest. These public lands were acquired principally to preserve important natural habitats and provide the people of Delaware outdoor recreational opportunities. In all instances our partnerships were based on the fact that lands were being acquired expressly for conservation purposes.   While it may be technologically feasible to use these lands for advanced spray irrigation wastewater treatment, that is not sufficient justification to violate the trust that the hunting, fishing, wildlife and general recreating public has placed in us to acquire, use and manage these lands for conservation. It is a glaring omission that the “Issue Paper” fails to recognize the trust and partnerships of a great many Delawareans who value these lands for the open space and the natural habitats that they support.   In closing, let me lend my voice in opposition to this proposal and encourage you to publicly oppose the use of all state-owned fish and wildlife, parks and forest lands for wastewater treatment.   Sincerely,  Roger L. Jones, Jr. State Director   cc:   The Honorable John Carney         Mr. John Hughes, Secretary, Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control         Mr. Kevin Donnelly, Director, Division of Water Resources         Ms. Lee Ann Walling, Policy Advisor to Governor Ruth Ann Minner         Delaware Board of Trustees"  BACKGROUND: "Using state-owned land to treat wastewater under review

By Kevin Spence

Cape Gazette staff

As thousands of new housing units spring up in rural Sussex County, state and local officials are faced with the costly issue of getting rid of wastewater. Caught in the middle are people already here who may have to pay the infrastructure costs of those yet to come. At the same time, coastal environmentalists say the area is brimming with people as it is, taxing a fragile and sensitive region. By 2007, the City of Lewes will operate a new $12 million wastewater treatment facility, and Rehoboth officials are eyeing a $36 million proposal to send treated wastewater 6,000 feet into the ocean, the cheapest alternative by far, they say. For unincorporated lands outside these municipalities, high growth rates require solutions for economical wastewater disposal. Lt. Gov. John Carney called for new solutions, Aug. 10, for disposing wastewater, in light of increasingly expensive land in southern Delaware. That prompted a controversial proposal to get rid of wastewater using land-based methods on state-owned land. While the state-owned land proposal is under review by Delaware’s Clean Water Advisory Council, environmentalists and other politicians oppose it, saying developers should buy private land, not use publicly held space. Nicholas DiPasquale, former secretary of Delaware Department of Natural Resources (DNREC), submitted a proposal to use the state-owned land to the advisory board, Wednesday, Sept. 6. Sussex County officials, said DiPasquale, were concerned about rising land costs and this proposal may actually help them save money. In addition, he said using publicly held land for wastewater disposal would give the state more control over Sussex County’s development. It is also environmentally sound, he said. “Since municipal and county systems would not have to take on the cost of buying land for spray irrigation, rapid infiltration beds, or other land disposal methods, their land acquisition costs are eliminated,” said DiPasquale. He says the state could better control costs and development by accepting treated wastewater from municipal and county treatment plants, reducing costs to local governments. “The other beauty of doing that is the cost for providing that service will be on the developer and the newcomer who are buying homes in new developments,” DiPasquale said. Today, county and local municipalities foot the bill to upgrade plants to pollution control limits, which, he said, is being paid for by people already living here. Developments springing up now are being built haphazardly on soils that may not be suited for rapid infiltration or other wastewater disposal methods for on-site disposal, he said. Some state lands are already being used for depositing treated sewage, such as land at the Stockley Center, near Millsboro, and at Wolfe Neck in Lewes. Other state land, not just public parks, may also be considered, said DiPasquale. “The quid pro quo is if we’ll provide state land, [private developers] have to treat it and target high-growth areas,” he said. The response While the vote is still out for the advisory council, local politicians and activists weighed in. “I don’t think the private sector should benefit from public lands being used,” said Sussex County Councilman George Cole. “The trouble with Sussex County and the county council is the whole county is a ‘targeted growth area.’ Development is open-wide in the county,” he said. Cole said the county already has sewer systems in place to accommodate current residents. “The proposal would permit development in areas of the county that don’t have the infrastructure. “Basically, it would encourage development in level 4 areas. This would make parts of the county that don’t have the infrastructure more attractive to developers,” said Cole. Not so, says Sussex County Councilman Vance Phillips. “I don’t have a problem using public land for public good. If the developers are going to gain a benefit, they should certainly be required to pay a fee,” he said. Phillips suggested that revenue generated from using state land could be spent elsewhere in the state to preserve wildlife. But, Joan Deaver, president of Citizens for a Better Sussex, says “enough” to overdevelopment and “no” to the proposal. “I think it’s a terrible idea. Growth in Delaware is really out of control. Why do we want to take the state’s precious land to encourage more growth?” She said there is little oversight over public/private unions. “I cringe at the idea of an organization funded by the county with taxpayers land and run by developers,” she said. She added if developers can’t accommodate regular septic service then land should not be developed. “If they don’t want to spend money to buy additional land to serve the community, I don’t see why we should subsidize that. An enterprise like this is going to run amuck. Do we want another boondoggle?” “This sky-falling mentality sometimes overwhelms,” said Phillips. Other concerns DiPasquale, who also chairs the Delaware Audubon Society, is president of Kent County Conservancy, a land trust designed to preserve land. “I’m a conservationist. I do believe the state has to gain control over unplanned growth,” he said. “I’d probably be more receptive if he would have suggested this while working for the public sector,” said Cole, referring to Dipasquale’s 3 1/2 years as DNREC’s secretary. DiPasquale now works for Duffield Associates, a structural and environmental engineering firm based in Georgetown. Others asserted a conflict of interest because the advisory board’s vice-chair, Jeffrey M. Bross, is also Duffield’s president. “Some people accuse me of working for Duffield and somehow offering something to developers and the company. If this concept moves forward, I will not benefit. The company was just fine and encouraged me to offer this up. There is no conflict of interest, no advantage to me or to the Duffield Associates,” said DiPasquale. He added the proposal was sent to the advisory’s board’s wastewater subcommittee, created Sept. 5, for review, not to the council in general. “The matter was referred to a subcommittee. Hopefully, they’ll invite a lot of people to participate in this discussion,” said DiPasquale, who said at this point the proposal also needs further examination. “We are not taking any position on the ‘white paper,’ before reviewing it. From a pure, council perspective, it’s in our interest to look at other perspectives. “There will be no decisions made until the public is informed,” said advisory board Chairman Joseph J. Corrado, who referred to his board as “a transparent council.” The Clean Water Advisory Board is tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 18 at Delaware Technical and Community College in Dover."