After reading the newly released response about the Atlantic Fields project from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, I am left wondering why this proposal is still moving forward. DNREC did not offer reassurance. It did not say the project is safe. What the agency actually did was lay out a series of red-flag statements that should have stopped this rezoning in its tracks.
First, DNREC classifies gas stations as what they call stormwater hotspots. In everyday language, that means a location where spills, leaks and polluted runoff are expected to happen. Anyone who has ever filled a tank knows that fuel drips and spills are routine. That is exactly why gas stations are placed in the highest risk category.
Second, DNREC confirms the developer wants to use underground infiltration systems. DNREC explains this method will send runoff straight into the water table. There is no misunderstanding here. The agency clearly states that stormwater will move through the soil and into the aquifer. That aquifer is the source of drinking water for thousands of people.
Then comes the most important part. DNREC explains that infiltration systems are not recommended for hotspot areas because of the potential for contamination. In other words, DNREC is warning the exact combination the applicant is proposing is the same combination DNREC tells planners not to allow.
This is not a small issue. This is not a detail to work out later. This is the heart of the entire threat. You do not place fueling stations in a protected well area and then design the stormwater system to send contaminants into the ground. DNREC even states that an accidental fuel release can reach the aquifer if it enters the stormwater system.
So why is Sussex County still entertaining this proposal? Why are we pretending this is a routine land-use decision when it's clearly not? DNREC has already told us exactly what is wrong here. If the county approves this project, it will not be because the science supports it; it will be because warnings were ignored.
Our drinking water must be protected from this risky development. It’s time Sussex County rejects this rezoning. Please protect the aquifer that so many families depend on.
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