Town Hall November Closure Dates
Town Hall will be closed in observance of the following holidays:
November 3rd- Election Day
November 5th- Returns Day
November 11th- Veteran’s Day
November 26th & 27th- Thanksgiving
If you have an emergency call 911, all other calls may be directed to the police on duty police cellphone at (302) 542-8793.
November 15th America Recycles Day!
November 15 is America Recycles Day!
In an effort to greatly reduce the contamination that is ending up at Delaware’s sorting facility, we would like you to share the Recycling in Delaware poster with your friends and neighbors. If contamination continues, haulers will likely be forced to increase their rates to customers. Recycling in Delaware is easy. There is only one program that applies to the entire state, no matter if you are at home, work, or school. Please encourage everyone to place all Acceptable materials loose, empty, clean, and dry in their curbside recycling cart or dumpster.
This Recycling in Delaware poster is the only message Delawareans should be following. Recycling varies from state to state, so national and regional messages don’t apply here.
Follow Delaware Recycles for more helpful information that you can share.
Hurricane Zeta Update
A Flood Watch remains in effect for portions of southeast Pennsylvania, most of southern New Jersey, and Delmarva. Gale Warnings remain in effect for the Atlantic Coastal waters and Lower Delaware Bay. A Wind Advisory is now in effect for Delaware Beaches.
The primary concerns are waves of heavy rain leading to possible flooding, strong winds over the marine waters and possibly strong winds along the coast, and minor coastal flooding.
For the latest forecast please visit www.weather.gov/phi. If you have any questions at all, please contact our office.
This is the final briefing for this event, unless there are significant changes.
- Timing: Thursday into Friday
- Heavy Rainfall: Moderate to heavy rainfall at times with a widespread total of 1-3 inches, which may lead to minor flooding in urban and poor drainage areas. As you can see from the attached rainfall graphic, the heaviest rain is anticipated to fall near and south of the Philadelphia Metro.
- Gale-Force wind gusts are possible Thursday night into Friday on the Atlantic.
- Cold air will wrap behind this system as it exits the region Friday night with the potential for a widespread hard freeze to much of the region.
For the latest forecast please visit www.weather.gov/phi. If you have any questions at all, please contact our office.
NWS Mount Holly
Delaware Oil Spill Extends from Upper Delaware Bay to OC, MD.
For immediate release
Oct. 28, 2020
Cleanup Operation Extends from Upper Delaware Bay to Ocean City, Md.
Officials Warn Beachgoers to Avoid Oily Debris
The Maryland Department of the Environment has joined the U.S. Coast Guard and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control in a joint response, Wednesday, overseeing the cleanup operation of weathered oil called tar balls and oiled debris scattered along the shoreline from Bowers Beach, Delaware to Ocean City, Maryland.
As crews under the unified command continue to pick up the coin- to pancake-sized tar balls, beachgoers are strongly advised to stay out of the water and avoid walking along the wrack line, where oily debris is deposited by each high tide. The oily debris that has come ashore has forced the towns of Lewes, Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach to close their beaches until further notice. The 4-wheel drive surf fishing crossing at Delaware Beach Plum Island Preserve, managed by Delaware State Parks, also remains closed so cleanup operations will not be hampered by vehicles tracking oil onto the sand.
“We’re not sure how long oily debris will continue to wash up with the tide,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin, who was on scene today surveying oil on the Delaware beaches. “Unfortunately, oil can be very persistent in the marine environment, but our environmental professionals are persistent too. They’re out there, working up and down the coastline, getting it out of the sand as much as possible. I have put out a call for additional resources from within DNREC this week and the response has been outstanding – with their help and the effort from our federal partner the Coast Guard, we’re making progress on this incident.”
As of late Tuesday, cleanup crews of more than 100 personnel had successfully recovered about 65 tons of oily debris and sand from Delaware beaches.
“At this point in the response, we’re critically examining our resources, looking at the big picture and seeing where the greatest needs lie,” said Lt. Cmdr. Fredrick Pugh, federal incident commander for the response. “We’ll continue to assess the situation, across all impacted coastlines through our on-the-ground experts and through the diligence of our local partners in the affected municipalities.”
The unified command dispatched the cleanup crews to South Bethany yesterday, ahead of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which started a planned beach replenishment. DNREC Secretary Garvin also dispatched an advance crew of 15 DNREC personnel to comb the beach at South Bethany for tar balls and oil patties before new sand was pumped onto the beach there. DNREC established a line of communication with the Army Corps of Engineers’ replenishment contractor to ensure that any significant deposits of oil sighted on the beach can be removed before sand pumped ashore could cover it over.
Crews have surveyed the stretch of coastline by air, land and sea. This week, officials say the oily material that has been spreading along the coast is all from the original amount discovered last week that has been moved repeatedly by the waves and tide, being broken into smaller and smaller pieces. Response officials do not believe there is an ongoing or undiscovered patch of oil out in the bay or ocean.
The Coast Guard has not ruled out any possible sources. The Coast Guard has sent samples of the oil to be analyzed by its Marine Safety Laboratory for a “petroleum fingerprint” that might help determine the source of the spill. If a source is identified, the responsible party would be required to reimburse the federal government for the cleanup operation.
With Tropical Storm Zeta likely to make working conditions difficult later in the week, the unified command may suspend the cleanup operation temporarily while the storm passes through before resuming it over the weekend and continuing into next week.
The public is asked to continue reporting any findings of oil patties or oiled wildlife. For reports concerning the Delaware coastline, call DNREC’s environmental hotline at 800-662-8802. For reports concerning the Maryland coastline, call the Maryland Department of the Environment at 866-633-4686.
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.
Delaware Bay Oil Spill Update
UPDATE: 10/26/2020
Fenwick Island has received reports of oil on the beach. DNREC inspected the beach late this morning. At this point, we have confirmation that some small spots ( 1 centimeter spots) were found in Fenwick, and we also know that Ocean City has reported spots of oil as well. Oil is on Fenwick Island beach and now part of DNREC’s cleanup list.
U.S. Coast Guard, DNREC Recover 55 Tons of Oiled Debris
The cleanup of an oil spill from an unknown source continues Monday, one week after oil patties first washed ashore on Broadkill Beach and began migrating to other Delaware beaches on both the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Coast. About 55 tons – enough to fill four construction dumpsters – had been successfully recovered through Sunday afternoon under the unified command of the United States Coast Guard and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
“The job of removing oil from our beaches is challenging and labor-intensive, but we’re making progress,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin. “Our teams are getting more and more of it off our beaches every day.”
More than 100 personnel have been engaged in the cleanup operation daily over most of the last week, working where needed along the Delaware coastline. Surveys over the weekend and early Monday found small globs of oil and oily debris scattered from Bowers Beach to Fenwick Island. An additional information advisory originally issued for bay beaches last week was extended to some ocean beaches, which now includes the following areas: Slaughter Beach, Fowler Beach, Prime Hook Beach, Broadkill Beach, Lewes, Cape Henlopen State Park, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach and the Indian River Inlet.
The towns of Lewes and Dewey Beach closed their beaches temporarily due to the oil that washed up on shore, some of it settling into a gravel-like substance, known as tar balls. Signs were posted by local authorities at beach crossovers and on dune fences informing the public to avoid the oil patties and tar balls at the water’s edge, and of area closures. The 4-wheel drive surf fishing crossing at Delaware Beach Plum Island Preserve, overseen by Delaware State Parks, also remains closed so cleanup operations will not be hampered by vehicles tracking oil onto the sand.
“Our crews and technology are yielding positive results,” said USCG Lt. Cmdr. Fredrick Pugh, federal incident commander. “We’re seeing a lot of this pollutant coming off of our beaches by the ton and that feels like a high level of productivity, but we’re not letting up. These communities need their beaches back.”
The unified command received additional reports of oiled birds, but they were not encumbered by the oil. Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research of Newark remains on standby to treat any birds that require may rehabilitation.
While the oil spill cleanup continues, the Coast Guard and DNREC strongly advise the public not to handle any oily product found or attempt to assist affected wildlife along the shore, but to report these findings to DNREC’s environmental hotline at 800-662-8802 so the situations can be addressed by hazmat-trained professionals.
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 thewebsiteand connect with DNREC onFacebook,TwitterorLinkedIn.
Delaware Bay Oil Spill Hotline 1-800-662-8802
If you believe there is oil on the beach please contact the Delaware Bay Oil Spill Hotline at 1-800-662-8802.
Delaware Bay Oil Spill
For immediate release
Oct. 23, 2020
Oil Spill Cleanup of Delaware Bay Coastline Intensifies
Today With Additional Resources Deployed
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and U.S. Coast Guard continued Thursday and Friday to spearhead a cleanup operation for the oil spill that has deposited blobs of oil called tar balls and oiled debris this week over a stretch of Delaware coastline extending from the upper Delaware Bay to the tip of the Atlantic Ocean. The cleanup operation intensified this morning with additional resources deployed by state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations.
More than 125 environmental professionals from DNREC, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), the Coast Guard and its environmental contractor, and the Delaware Bay and River Cooperative are expected to be engaged Friday in removing oil found littering beaches and rafting around debris offshore. The Delaware Bay and River Cooperative, a non-profit funded by industry in the event of an oil spill, dispatched an oil skimming vessel to remove oily debris seen Thursday afloat in the Bay. Tri-State Bird Rescue of Newark continued to play a key role in the cleanup coalition, investigating reports of wildlife impacted by oil and treating captured sea gulls and other wildlife that has been oiled in the water.
“We continue to mobilize our expert resources as the tides spread oil from the beaches back into the water and back on the beach,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin. “We are combing the beaches and, shovel by shovel, removing the tar balls and contaminated sand.”
The crews are manually removing oil patties and tar balls are being found on various locations along the coast. Approximately 21 tons of oily sand and debris, filling 1 ½ dumpsters, was removed from the affected areas as of 7 p.m. Thursday.
“We are grateful for our interagency collaboration with DelDOT and for the help from the Delaware Bay and River Cooperative enabling us take the cleanup onto the water,” Secretary Garvin said.
The city of Lewes Thursday closed its beaches temporarily due to oil that had come ashore and posed a threat to people and pets alike who visit them. DNREC closed the 4-wheel drive surf fishing crossing at Delaware Beach Plum Island Preserve, overseen by Delaware State Parks, so cleanup operations will not be hampered by vehicles tracking oil onto the sand.
While the oil spill cleanup continues, the Coast Guard and DNREC strongly advise the public not to handle any oily product found or attempt to assist affected wildlife along the shore, but to report these findings to DNREC’s environmental hotline at 800-662-8802 so the situations can be addressed by hazmat-trained professionals.
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.
Revised- Committee Participation Sign- Up extended thru October 30th
Due to a clerical error excluding Board of Adjustments and Business Development Committees we are extending sign-up thru October 30th. If you have already signed up and wish to be apart of these committees please resubmit your application. If you DO NOT want to be apart of these committees and have already submitted an application, then your application is considered complete and THERE IS NO NEED TO RESUBMIT.
The updated form is below and needs to be returned by October 30th.
2020-2021 Committee Participation Application
The form may be either dropped off to Town Hall in the drop box outside (right hand corner of the building), faxed to 302-539-1305, or emailed back to townclerk@fenwickisland.org.
The committee assignments will be announced on the website by close of business on November 2nd.
State of Emergency Extended an Additional 30 Days
Governor John Carney on Friday, October 2, 2020 formally extended the State of Emergency declaration another 30 days to confront community spread of COVID-19, and issued the following statement:
“We remain committed to getting more children in school, and more Delawareans back to work. To do that, we need Delawareans to stay vigilant, and follow the public health precautions to prevent the spread of this virus. Wear a face covering and avoid large gatherings. Wash or sanitize your hands frequently. Keep your distance from others outside your household. We’re beating COVID-19, but this fight isn’t over. Let’s not erase the progress we’ve made.”
Governor Carney’s State of Emergency declaration – including each of its modifications – carries the full force and effect of law. Delawareans and visitors also must follow local restrictions in place to limit community spread of COVID-19.
Anyone with a question about COVID-19, whether related to medical or social service needs, should call Delaware 2-1-1. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can text their ZIP code to 898-211. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Questions can also be submitted by email at DPHCall@delaware.gov.
Report a business for COVID-19 non-compliance using this form.
DPH will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. For the latest on Delaware’s response, go to de.gov/coronavirus.
