Dangerous heat and bad air on the agenda for today and over the weekend.
The Chapter Chair of Delaware Sierra is now listed as Jim Black.
Black, formerly with "Clean Air Council," made a presence in Legislative Hall, mostly by sucking up and advocating bad ideas. He promoted a biomass incinerator in Newport Delaware, and garbage gasification, etc, in Wilmington Delaware. A slippery and toxic guy.
Clean Air Council does not have a good history in Delaware but perhaps Black became a bit much even for them. See, for example: Alert 671: Delaware environmental laws under attack by "Clean Air Council".
Green Delaware and others had to work hard to shut down these schemes. See, for example: "Good News: Proposed ‘biomass’ incinerator in Newport cancelled by BASF."
Delaware’s anti-incineration laws are commonly under attack. Republicrat Governor Jack Markell vetoed a bill to strengthen them, with a veto message right out of the burner industry playbook.
Now, the City of Wilmington seems to be endorsing sewage sludge incineration. Nothing could be worse for the already-polluted air of Wilmington, inhabited mostly by lower-income people of color who already face many health challenges. But then, it is not easy to envision a worse mayor than Wilmington has. All over the country, cities are yapping about being "green" and "sustainable" while taking actions in the opposite direction. Why would Wilmington be any different?
Is the Sierra Club in promoting incineration in Delaware? Please share with us what you know about this! Is "Clean Air Council" up to more mischief?
ACTION: Please let Governor Markell and your elected officials you don’t want incineration brought back into Delaware:
Jack.markell@state.de.us, 577-3210 (Wilmington), 744-4101(Dover)
Note also: Friday June 29th is a Code Orange bad air day in Delaware. Quoting the DNREC:
"June 29 – Friday is a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ozone. Temperatures are expected to reach in the upper 90s. Friday looks to be the first of several days of poor air quality. Particulate matter concentrations will also increase during this period but for now are expected to stay within the moderate (Code Yellow) range."
Today temperatures are predicted to reach 104. Here is the text of the official Excessive Heat Warning. As well, pollen counts are often high in Delaware.
As we’ve written many times, the combination of ozone, particles, heat, humidity, and allergens can be very dangerous to your health. Air pollutants commonly spike on the 4th of July due to fireworks.
Please take are.
Alan Muller