Charles Megginson August 23, 2022 Business, Headlines
A public workshop will focus on permit applications for the expansion of a Seaford biogas facility that some say is anything but environmentally friendly. (Getty Images)
Delaware’s environmental control agency will hold a virtual community workshop on Sept. 28 to discuss a proposal to expand a Seaford biogas facility.
Biogas is a renewable fuel produced by the breakdown of organic matter, such as animal manure. The result is a mixture of gases, primarily consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.
Bioenergy Devco, the company that owns the Seaford facility, has applied for five permits from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control: A resource recovery facility permit, two natural minor air pollution permits and two wastewater facility construction permits.
The facility is currently permitted to accept organic waste from approved poultry industry sources for composting.
The proposed expansion would allow for processing of up to 250,000 tons of organic waste per year.
In addition to an anaerobic digestion system, the proposal includes the construction of a wastewater pre-treatment system, biogas upgrading plant and emergency generator.
If allowed to move forward, the company plans to process poultry industry waste into pipeline-grade renewable natural gas and compost.
The facility will accept poultry litter, hatchery waste, dissolved air flotation solid cake and liquid sludge, offal, waste-activated sludge, fats, oils and greases.
At least one environmental advocacy group opposes the facility’s expansion.
Food & Water Watch Delaware believes that by creating a market for poultry waste and monetizing its production, biogas incentivizes the buildout of factory farming and deepens the state’s economic reliance on unsustainable farming practices.
“Factory farm biogas, termed ‘renewable natural gas’ by the natural gas and industrial agriculture industries, is a false climate solution seeing increasing investment from industries posturing toward ‘greener’ revenue sources,” the group said after Sussex County Council approved the plan in 2021.
RELATED: Sussex P&Z approves natural gas facility next to elementary school
Food & Water Watch is particularly disturbed by a plan to truck the biogas from the production facility to an offloading station just 1,300 feet from Seaford’s Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, which is home to some 600 students.
The group is concerned because “local drivers and children at the elementary school next door will be in harm’s way,” it said in a March 2022 news release. “After all, ‘non-traditional’ biogas is just as explosive as ‘traditional gas.’”
RELATED: Bridgeville natural gas facility would put kids at risk, opponents say
According to DNREC, the Sept. 28 workshop will allow the community to learn more about Bioenergy Devco’s expansion plans and the information included in the permits.
Attendees will be able to ask questions about the proposal.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Click here to view registration and connection information .
DNREC will hold a public hearing on Oct. 26 at 6 p.m.
The hearing will allow attendees who have pre-registered to offer comments on the applications to be entered into the public record.
Click here to register for the Oct. 26 public hearing.
Detailed information about the project and community resources are available at de.gov/biodevco .
Charlie Megginson covers government and politics for Town Square LIVE News. Reach him at (302) 344-8293 or [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @cmegginson4.
Tom Neuberger Wilmington attorney Tom Neuberger has been an advocate for women in sports since the 1970s when he helped ensure equal athletic opportunities for girls in Delaware under Title IX. He thought he had won that battle, but nearly 50 years later, Neuberger fears women’s sports are being threatened once again. But since he’s begun to speak up about what he believes is a genuine infringement of women’s rights, Neuberger says he’s been cast as some type of bigot. In a recent story published by WDEL, Mike Brickner, executive director of the ACLU of Delaware, said the idea that “we have to prevent transgender students from playing in girls sports also comes from, I think, a very sexist notion that young women have to be protected in some way.” “This idea that transgender girls would have some sort of automatic advantage over cisgender girls, I think, is kind of sexist in that, we’re saying that cisgender girls are these weak flowers that can’t compete in sports when many of them are extremely competitive.” But Neuberger said any suggestion that his argument comes from a place of sexism flies in the face of his “47 years of experience representing women, minorities, the blind, survivors of rape, and others.” House Bill 199, sponsored by Rep. Valerie Longhurst, D-Delaware City, seeks to amend Article 1, Section 21 of the Delaware Constitution. That section — added to the state constitution in 2019 — prohibits the denial or abridgment of equal rights under the law based on sex. It was amended in 2020 to include race, color, and national origin. House Bill 199, which has been assigned to the House Administration Committee for review, seeks to add protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. On Dec. 16, Neuberger penned a letter to Rep. Sean Lynn, D-Dover, who is chair of the House Judiciary Committee, asking that the General Assembly remove “gender identity” from House Bill 199. He’s not anti-trans at all and he does want to see their rights protected, he explained in an interview with Delaware LIVE News, but he fears that the law, as written, could unintentionally jeopardize single-sex girls’ sports in Delaware. In a six-page memo attached to his letter, Neuberger said his position comes down simply to a matter of biology. “It is undisputed that the average male is bigger, faster, and stronger than the average female,” Neuberger writes. “Accordingly, when it comes to athletics, single-sex competitions have long been the norm.” Neuberger posits that “in head-to-head competitions, allowing even one or two male-bodied athletes to compete in the women’s division can severely limit the chances of success for female athletes.” Allowing transgender girls to play on teams with limited roster spots, he argues, could also take away positions, including playing time and potential scholarship opportunities, from biological female athletes. And in many sports, Neuberger says, allowing male-bodied athletes to compete with and against females will inevitably increase the risk of injury to female athletes. “As the number of natal males seeking to compete in women’s sports grows, the risks to [biological] female athletes also grow,” he writes. He acknowledges that transgender women in sports are often subject to rules that require testosterone suppression for varying amounts of time before they may play on women’s teams. But testosterone suppression therapy fails to account for many of the biological athletic advantages associated with the male body, he said. He cited in his memo a study by British biologist, Dr. Emma Hilton. The study, published in Feb. 2021 in the journal “Sports Medicine,” is titled “Transgender Women in the Female Category of Sport: Perspectives on Testosterone Suppression and Performance Advantage.” “Given that biological males experience a substantial performance advantage over females in most sports, there is currently a debate whether inclusion of transgender women in the female category of sports would compromise the objective of fair and safe competition,” the study reads. The study goes on to report that “current evidence shows the biological advantage, most notably in terms of muscle mass and strength, conferred by male puberty and thus enjoyed by most transgender women is only minimally reduced when testosterone is suppressed as per current sporting guidelines for transgender athletes.” “In laymen’s terms,” Neuberger summarizes, “in head to head competition with a transgender female, a biological female high school athlete has a smaller heart, smaller lungs, less bone mass, is weaker, does not have the muscle strength and everything else compared with the transgender female.” Neuberger believes a more fair solution is to allow transgender women to continue playing sports, but only on teams associated with the gender they were assigned at birth. This, he asserts, is necessary to account for biological differences that could create unfair advantages in women’s sports. And ultimately, he said, granting rights to a protected class of people should not come at the expense of others’ rights. “We’ve got conflicting concerns here and I think the interests of high school girls and women would outweigh those being asserted in the area of gender identity,” he said. And aside from the biological advantages Neuberger feels transgender women have over those assigned females at birth, he believes including gender identity as a protected class in the Delaware Constitution “will be an open invitation to litigation in the Delaware courts to define that term.” “In my legal opinion an unintended result of the enactment of H.B. 199 will be the eventual elimination of single-sex high school girls sports in Delaware, and in other states if this Delaware State law constitutional precedent is followed elsewhere.” The conflict comes on the heels of a decision by the Red Clay School District to enact a policy that reaffirms transgender and gender diverse students’ right to use the restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity. Under Board Policy 8005, students who “consistently assert” a gender identity other than that which they were assigned at birth may use the corresponding restroom, or alternatively, a single-person restroom. […]
Items that can be checked out of Newark’s new Library of things are displayed just like books are. Photo courtesy of Newark Free Library. Want to try a new board game or keyboard? Need a tool or video camera one time only and don’t want to fork out the cash for it? Newark Free Library’s new Library of Things will allow you to check out the things like that — and more — to try or use that single time. Among other things, the Library of Things features home improvement and maintenance items that are only ever used once in a blue moon. A drywall moisture meter, for example, is a tool often used by home remodelers and carpenters to determine if ventilation is faulty or a leak has occurred somewhere in the house. It’s rarely used more than once, if ever, by a homeowner. Now instead of buying one and letting it sit in a toolbox, Delaware library card owners can check out one at the library, just like a book or DVD. “Home tools are really aimed for patrons that may not be able to afford an item that’s like a one-time use sort of thing,” said Pam Stevens, a librarian at the Newark Free Library. “It really is an assistance to the community.” Also on offer are instruments, board games and audio/visual equipment. Items can be transferred to other libraries to be checked out, she said. While the games have already become popular, Stevens believes that home tools and particularly a mid-size keyboard will be in high demand as more people find out about the Library of Things. “I think that it has a wide appeal to different ages,” Stevens said. “Whether someone is just dabbling in music or wants to create a career in music, I think it’s something that is a tool that is not easily accessible and can propel one’s life towards goals they may have.” Librarian Pam Stevens expects this mid-size keyboard to be a popular item to be checked out. Checking out a item from the Library of Things works much the same as checking out a book. Patrons can keep the item for up to three weeks. When returned, the items are cleaned before going back on the shelves. It an item is accidently broken by a patron, the library will approach the problem the same way they would a book. First, the library will try to fix the item. If it can’t be fixed and it’s an item of particularly high demand, they will replace it. The library plans to begin a YouTube tutorial series explaining how to use some of the items available. Stevens was one of the first to see the possibilities offered by a Library of Things. “I was introduced to the idea while I was doing my master’s degree in information science,” she said. “This is something that has been going on around the country and becoming very popular and useful for the community. We wanted to implement that here in Newark and throughout New Castle County libraries.” The borrowing program was funded by a $25,000 grant from Newark 5th District City Councilwoman Lisa Diller to the Friends of Newark Free Library. Library staff used that cash to purchase the things available at the Library of Things. The staff hopes the program will encourage current and new patrons to return to the library as it continues reopening while COVID-19 vaccinations continue to rise in the face of mounting new cases of the Delta variant.
Under a proposed law unanimously released from the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee Tuesday, Delawareans who are prescribed medical marijuana could own firearms without fear of being prosecuted by the state. It is currently illegal under federal law for medical marijuana patients to purchase or own firearms. That wouldn’t change under House Bill 276, although the state would not be able to prosecute a medical marijuana patient for possessing a firearm. “Essentially what this bill says is that if you are a medical marijuana patient, you do not have to give up your Second Amendment rights,” said one of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Jeff Spiegelman, R-Clayton, during the meeting. Federal law prohibits unauthorized users of any controlled substance, including marijuana, from possessing, shipping, transporting, or receiving firearms or ammunition. It is also unlawful to sell a firearm or ammunition to any person if the seller knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the purchaser is an unlawful user of marijuana. “This bill makes it clear that the state will not prosecute you,” Spiegelman said. “It is not a crime in this state to possess medical marijuana and a firearm at the same time.” He argued that the issue is one of fairness and noted that medical marijuana remains the only medication that, when prescribed, requires a patient to abandon their right to bear arms. Six members of the public spoke during the meeting — five of whom indicated support for the measure. Gun-related bills routinely draw dozens of speakers. Ryan Bunting, vice-chair of the New Castle Libertarian Party, said the proposed measure is long overdue. “One should never have to exchange one right for another,” Bunting told the committee. “For far too long, those that choose to utilize cannabis for medicinal purposes have had to exchange that right for the right to bear arms. This bill reaches across party lines and does a great service in removing the barriers to self-defense that everyone has, regardless of whether or not they partake in medicinal cannabis.” If passed, firearm transactions that require background checks would still be illegal, as the form required for such transactions includes a question that asks the applicant to affirm they are not a user of any controlled substances. The question asks: “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?” It includes a note that reads, “Warning: The use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under Federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.” If an applicant answers ‘yes’ to that question, their application will be denied. Having been released from the committee, the bill will now advance to the full House for consideration. If passed there, it will be heard by a Senate committee, then the whole Senate, after which it will go to the governor for his signature.
The Sals (1-1) have their home debut on Thursday at 7:15 p.m. against St. Elizabeth.
A bill aimed at restricting the capacity of firearm magazines passed in the state Senate Tuesday by a vote of 13 to 7. Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 6 bans the possession, sale, purchase, receipt or transfer of magazines that hold more than 17 rounds of ammunition. That’s higher than the 10 round-maximum in Maryland, New Jersey and New York. One Democrat — Sen. Bruce Ennis, D-Smyrna — voted against the bill. “Delaware took a major step forward today in addressing gun violence,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola, D-Newark, the bill’s prime Senate sponsor. “No responsible gun owner has a legitimate need to fire off more than 17 rounds without reloading.” A previous rendition of the bill already passed in both chambers but lost steam after two amendments were attached in the House. The bill never returned to the Senate for final approval. The substitute bill took on new life after a series of mass shootings sparked another nationwide debate on “common-sense” gun reform measures. The bill appropriates $45,000 for a compensation program to allow residents to hand over their large-capacity magazines to participating law enforcement agencies in exchange for $10 compensation per magazine. Residents would have until June 30, 2023 to relinquish their magazines. Those who fail to turn over their high-capacity magazines by that deadline could be found guilty of a Class E felony. It would be a Class B felony to possess a large-capacity magazine during the commission of a felony. An amendment introduced on the Senate floor Tuesday would have exempted from the law Delaware-based large-capacity magazine manufacturers, so long as the manufacturer intends to sell the magazines outside of the state. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, failed along party lines. “This [amendment] explicitly says that anything that’s manufactured here cannot be distributed in Delaware,” Pettyjohn said. “This is to keep jobs here in our state — jobs that we’ve made significant investments to attract.” Pettyjohn said a Sussex County firearms accessory manufacturer will lose revenue and be forced to cut jobs under the bill’s current language. The Georgetown company, Atlantis Industries Corp., is an injection molding company that fabricates high-capacity magazines for military and police departments nationwide. “I’m disappointed that my amendment for SB6 was not added to the bill,” Pettyjohn told Delaware LIVE News after the vote. “My interest is to keep close to 100 good paying jobs in Delaware and this amendment would have guaranteed that. I intend to file standalone legislation in the upcoming days that will have the same effect as the failed amendment.” The bill will advance to the House of Representatives for a committee hearing and vote. Other measures included in a gun safety package announced by Gov. John Carney last week are expected to advance in the coming weeks. House Bill 423, a bill designed to strengthen background checks, was released Tuesday from the House Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee. HB 450, which would ban semi-automatic firearms in Delaware, and HB 451, which would raise the legal purchasing age for long guns from 18 to 21, are slated to be heard in the House Administration Committee on Wednesday.
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