DDTT - Environment

Grant, S. J. (2003: 217), indicated that the environment is a key resource. It includes natural resources such as the climate, oceans and rivers, forests and wildlife. Economists increasingly take the environment into account in their analysis and are becoming more involved in searching for solutions to environmental problems. The three principal environmental problems facing the world today are pollution, global warming, and loss of wildlife and wildlife habitats. Dover an Delaware face all of these problems.

The environment of the city of Dover is not a healthy one, starting with the drinking water. One will notice immediately the strong odor of chemicals in the water. The water in the local parks is red and has distinctive smell of chemicals due to water pollution. There is no place for children to play in any of Dover’s parks. City beautification is kept to a minimum, and the only place kept tidy and nicely presented is the old historical district near the city centre, where most government buildings are located, but which is not visible to casual travelers or potential tourists who travel through town on the major highway. Government resources are inadequate, and official planners lack a strategic approach to spending as everything is determined on a yearly base. Recycling is limited and does not include all items, such as glass. The budget may hold the only answer as allocation of necessary monies for everything is based on the previous year’s expenditures.

The need for regulation to protect the environment gets widespread but grudging acceptance: widespread because everyone wants a livable planet, grudging because of the lingering belief that environmental regulations erode competitiveness. The prevailing view is that there is an inherent and fixed trade-off: ecology versus the economy. On one side of the trade-off are the social benefits that arise from strict environmental standards. On the other are industry’s private costs for prevention and cleanup – costs that lead to higher prices and reduced competitiveness. With the argument framed this way, progress on environmental quality has become a kind of arm – wrestling match. One side pushes for tougher standards; the other tries to roll them back. The balance of power shifts one way or the other depending on the prevailing political winds, noted Porter, M. E. (1998:351).

To deal with these competing perspectives and issues, many regulating bodies have thus been created. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is the highest authority in Delaware. It consists of multiple agencies and branches, among them Emergency Planning and the Community Right-to–Know Act (EPCRA). Every year an inventory on Toxic Release (TRI) is published with full details and data.

Each state is required to establish a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) to oversee planning efforts. The SERC must appoint Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC), which in turn develops emergency response plans for their respective districts. In Delaware, the secretary of the department of Public Safety chairs the SERC. Emergency planning districts have been established in each county and for the city of Wilmington in the North. Facilities having specifically identified Extremely Hazardous Substances above the established focus of planning activities.

In the event of an accidental chemical release above an established amount, a facility is required to provide immediate notification of the release. A follow up written report is also required to provide details about the sequence of events, the actual response actions, and to identify any known or anticipated health risks associated with the release. The public may receive notification through the Environmental Release Notification System.

From an economic development perspective, the city of Dover and particularly the downtown area project a derelict image and poor environment. Resources are allocated for welfare purposes and not for economic regeneration purposes. Many houses in the downtown area are in desperate state of repair, and this in Dover’s main venue. The situation discourages tourists from exploring the area and also raises safety issues among the residents of other affluent parts of town who view downtown as a dangerous environment and thus are reluctant to visit or do business with the traders in the area. Since the economically comfortable middle class is most attracted to suburban areas, the political, economic, and social problems of the older communities and environment tend to be left behind.

Of all the problems pertaining to the quality of the American environment, probably none were more numerous and concentrated than those of the inner city. Hence a brief examination of environmental trends as they impinged upon the largely low-income heartland of urban society will bring into focus not only the evolving interconnections between environment and welfare in urban society as a whole, but also the larger sociological changes, other than those already discussed in connections with natural resource exhaustion and the doomsday debate that occurred after World War II, noted Scheiber, et al. (1976:470).

In regards of water issues, the Dover Post on 21 September 2005 reported that Dover water system flushing had been planned between Sunday, September 25, and Friday, October 14. All sectors of the city distribution system would be affected. During the first week, flushing would take place continuously each night from 9 pm until 6 am. An additional flushing of the system was scheduled after September 28 with dates to be published in the Dover Post later at a later date. Frederica, a neighboring town, flushed its system after discovering coliform bacteria in the town’s water, according to the Dover Post on the 10 August 2005.

Another issue of the Dover Post on the 31 August 2005 mentioned environmental concerns over the sewage system because developers are using septic systems instead of the Kent County sewer system. The elected commissioners echoed concerns, stating: “Thou shall not allow septic systems when county sewer is feasible,” in reference to new development in Dover, which is situated in Kent County.
In another article, Scott Koenig, director of the Department of Public Works, complained that the city is paying extra money for unnecessary sewer treatment because rain water is running into the sewer systems instead of going into the flooding system, where it would be diverted into the area’s rivers and waterways instead.

In the northern part of the state, the risk of water contamination by VX, the world’s deadliest nerve agent, puts citizens at risk. DuPont Corporation, which manufactures chemicals, has been contracted by the army to dispose of the VX agent, and the fear is that it can cause a natural disaster as the elements are broken down and disposed of to the river and other waterways, which might contaminate the water table further south. (The News Journal, Wilmington, Delaware, April 7, 2005.)

Governor Minner is known for her environment protection tendencies, and she helped in legislating measures to protect the environment in the state. Among her efforts is her proposal to create a Green Infrastructure Program for preservation by asking lawmakers in the state to support her efforts “as we work to reduce pollution in our state and to protect even more of our valuable land from development.” The largest air pollution reduction in the history of the state, in which a Delaware City refinery committed itself to cut sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 28.000 tons each year, has also occurred during her administration.

Delaware commercial power plants’ commitment to reduce sulfur dioxide, nitrogen, and mercury, which were confirmed to be in the environment by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Preserving more than 4.300 acres of open space and protecting more than 34.000 acres of farmland from developers since 2001.
Proposal of allocating $22 million for the New Green Infrastructure Program.
Pedestrianization of the historical area of Dover and enhancing sidewalks and bicycle corridors in the city.

In addition, the State of Delaware:

Spent $80 million in state, local, and federal monies to preserve about 80.000 acres under the purchase of development rights programme since 1996.
Lost 10% of its farms, while farm acreage dropped by 8% between 1997 and 2002, in comparison to 2% and 4% on the National level, calling for drastic actions to be taken urgently. (www.newszap.com/dover/)
Passed an act to establish a forestland preservation program, by the 143rd General Assembly, Senate Bill no. 121.
Created Senate Bill 33, which became law in July 2001, about Toxic Releases and the Right-to-Know about these incidents immediately upon toxic releases into the environment or other any environmental emergency.
Countless policies and acts have been passed to protect the environment, including laws concerning the coastal line, wildlife, Co/ Co2 emissions, and air quality.

In the latter case, the State acted to protect the citizens of Delaware by the creation of an air-monitoring network. The majority of survey interviewees agreed that in order to improve the environment taxes always go up but that the price must be paid. The survey showed that the inadequate infrastructure, including sewer, quality of water, roads, and schools, simply could not keep pace with the increase of population. Dr. DeGategno, Dean of Arts and Sciences at Wesley College, summed up the situation by declaring, “Environment issues have strong emphasis here. But I am bothered by two items: the quality of drinking water and the lack of a statewide mandate for recycling at businesses and residences.”

The biggest polluters in the state of Delaware are the petro-chemical industries and the military, which relies on the civilian sector to decommission their old and dangerous equipment, which is hazardous to public health and highlighted in the media on an almost daily basis. Societal forces such as environmental groups are emerging and lobbying the government to address issues of environmental abuse.

The government proposed several pieces of legislation under pressure from environmental groups that highlighted toxic waste and violations of the law as a result of the introduction of the right-to-know act, according to data published in the Delaware Toxic Release Inventory Report in March 2005.

Senate Bill 33, which became law in July 2001, allowed the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to develop a system to allow Delawareans to learn promptly of any toxic releases above normal level, which is a hazard to public health in the neighborhood throughout the state.The debate on urban beautification (Dover Post, September 21, 2005) in derelict areas such as downtown along Division Street, with its African-American majority, is gaining momentum, even among the residents. Mr. Reuben Salters, a local politician and African-American leader in Dover, noted that a planned project for development on Division Street will add retail boost to the area and that it will be beneficial to not only the students of Wesley College but also the local residents, all of whom live at a walking distance.

Dover’s Mayor, Steve Speed, applauded the idea and noted that redeveloping Division Street is of greater importance than all the work the city has and is doing on Loockerman Street. He later elaborated, “Most people that come through here don’t use Loockerman; they use Division Street. It’s not as good looking…. It’s ugly. It’s definitely a place we need to be doing something about.” Dover definitely needs change champions to bring about prosperity and stop the effects of social inequality and decline.

“Just as communities need to upgrade and expand their gray infrastructure (roads, transit lines, sewers and so forth), so too communities need to upgrade and expand their ‘green’ infrastructure (parks, greenways, natural areas and so forth),” notes Edward McMahon in Land Development Magazine. In an ecologically complex and fragile state such as Delaware, poorly planned, unfocused growth injures land, air, and water. Here are some examples:

Delaware’s natural resource lands are being lost in their entirety as well as in sections due to dispersed development. Remaining natural areas are endangered since forests are often converted to residential uses, agricultural replacement for farmland lost to developers has been ignored, and forested habitats are disappearing rapidly. The smaller the parcel of open space, the more it is degraded to become a residential zoning area. Natural areas adjacent to lawns, roads, and structures are degraded through polluted runoff, sedimentation, non-native invasive species, and trash.

Delaware’s native plant and animal populations are dwindling. Most of Delaware’s native species require relatively large undisturbed areas. According to the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, an alarmingly high percentage of Delaware’s native plants and animals are now at risk of being entirely eliminated from the state – a direct result of the loss of, or alterations to, precious habitat. Of Delaware’s more than 1,600 native plants species, more than 10% are believed to be extinct, another 10% are extremely rare, and another 20% are uncommon. Division of Fish and Wildlife statistics show that 84% of native fresh water mussel species are either extinct or extremely rare; 50% of native reptiles and amphibians are extremely rare; 31% of native fish species are uncommon; and nearly 20% of the 379 bird species naturally nesting here are considered rare or extinct.

Humans are invading wild animal and wildlife habitats, not the opposite, so whatever the damage caused by animals to properties and disease, such as Lyme disease, can be attributed to humans and humans only.Delaware lost 42,000 acres of wetlands between 1951 and 1981, according to the October 1986 report “Status and Recent Trends of Wetlands in Five Mid-Atlantic States,” published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Another 2,000 acres of vegetated wetlands (most of which were forested wetlands) were destroyed between 1981 and 1992, according to an updated U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inventory.

Lack of an adequate transportation system has made Delawareans depend heavily on their cars to go travel to work or for leisure or in their daily lives. This pattern still contributes to increased traffic and emissions and poor air quality. Mileage traveled by cars increased by 12% between 1994 and 1997, according to the Delaware Department of Transportation Office of Planning, while the state population rose by only 3.6%, according to the Delaware Population Consortium. Automobile and other vehicle registrations rose by 9.6%, while the national average rose by only 6.7%, according to the federal highway statistics manuals.Motor vehicles traveling on Delaware roads contribute over 24% of the total emissions that make up ozone, according to the Delaware Department of Transportation. Delaware exceeds the national standard for this pollutant, resulting in public health risks and potential threats to continued economic development and future transportation investment. Federal Clean Air Act Amendments require that the state address this issue.

Northern Delaware residents rely primarily on drinking water from surface water sources such as White Clay Creek. Southern Delaware residents, including Dover and Kent County, rely on public and private water supplies from groundwater sources. Both the quantity and the quality of both surface and groundwater resources are threatened by over-use, the elimination of recharge areas, saltwater intrusion, and contamination from a variety of sources. For example, a recent water contamination problem in Dover required the purging of the entire water system due to the discovery of harmful bacteria in the system, plus chemical levels were above average.

Greenhouse gases are soaring back to record levels; it emerged yesterday (30th October) – as the British Prime Minster warned that time is running out to prevent a climate change disaster. The amount of carbon dioxide pouring into the atmosphere from the 40 richest countries is almost back to the record levels seen in the early 1990’s.

Economic revival in the former Soviet Union has stoked pollution, leading to a 2.4% rise in emissions between 2000 and 2004, a UN report said. In Britain, a separate report by economist Sir Nicolas Stern warned that delaying actions on climate change by just a few years would lead us into “dangerous territory”. The British PM said: “Unless we act now, these consequences – disastrous as they are – will be irreversible”. The UN study of 41 countries said carbon emissions rose to 17.9 billion tones in 2004. It is just 3.3% below the figure at the time many of those countries signed the Kyoto Protocol.

Britain’s emissions are down by 14% and, along with France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Monaco and Sweden, is close to achieving its Kyoto target. But in countries such as Italy, Spain, Japan and the US, figures are up to 49% higher than in 1990. Emissions in former Soviet bloc nations have risen by 4.1% from 2000 to 2004. At current rates, Co2 in the air will be double the safe level. The richest nations are responsible for 75% of all emissions. The cost of global warming could reach a staggering amount of $6.992 trillion a year and continue to increase, if remedial actions are delayed. At least 200 million people are at risk of losing their homes due to rising sea levels.

The threat of disaster caused by global warming is science fact and not fiction. All scientific evidence are indicating that climate change is caused by greenhouse gas emissions is now overwhelming in the light of sir Nicolas Stern’s report.
The British PM. Continued “It is not in doubt that if the science is right, the consequence for our planet are literally disastrous. This disaster is not set to happen in some science fiction future many years ahead, but in our lifetime. The rich countries - responsible for ¾ of all greenhouse gases - to rise to the challenge and suggest European targets on cutting emissions should be tougher”.The economist Sir Nicolas’s 700-page report suggests global warming could shrink the global economy by 20% but if action is taken now, then it would cost less, just 1% of global GDP. Doing nothing is not an option.Britain GDP last year was $2.28 trillion, so the recommendations could mean an extra $2.28 billion spent on tackling climate change. The total cost of global warming, if no action is taken will be incremental as mentioned before staggering $6.992 trillion. The world need to bring Co2 levels at under 500 parts per million of the atmosphere – but at current rates they will hit 850ppm.

Environment is the biggest asset we have. If it is lost, it will be lost forever. Cutting trees for no reason must be stopped, because forests and green spaces are the environment natural lungs. Trees do absorb Carbon Dioxide CO2 and release O2 instead. Earth atmosphere used to boost higher percentage of Oxygen, which is lost to global warming.

The natural answer right now and immediately is to “plant more trees” and give farmers what they need because they are the true and first Environmentalists.