Folks, we need you to write comments and send them in on the Army Corps' permit to build the proposed Ocean Outfall pipe for the Rehoboth Beach Sewage Treatment Plant.
We've written a set of talking points for your letter and provided the email address to send them to etc below. Please take 5 minutes to write this letter! Text and a picture of the talking points below. Thanks!
ATTENTION BEACH LOVERS -
Ocean Outfall Must Be Stopped! We Need Your Support! We Have One More Chance!
• Rehoboth and Sussex County have some of the best bathing beaches in the Eastern United States.
• Tourism is the largest industry in the Sussex County Cape Henlopen area, which annually generates over $700 million to the local economy
• The City of Rehoboth has proposed to construct an ocean wastewater outfall directly in front of Deauville Beach at the north end of the Rehoboth boardwalk
• The outfall will release on a daily basis treated wastewater effluent, which according to the Environmental Impact Statement contains pharmaceuticals, heavy metals such as copper and other toxic materials approximately 6000 ft. from the beach.
• An overflow of treated effluent occurred most recently on July 26 2016 when a discharge of brown sludge and solids was released due to a malfunction from the Rehoboth Waste Water Treatment Plant into the Canal. This could have been in the ocean if Ocean outfall was in place.
• The U.S. EPA estimates that up to 3.5 million people each year are exposed to sewer overflows and become ill from swimming in polluted water.
• Ocean outfall is short sighted, and does not reflect the true cost to the local economy, to the marine ecosystem, to tourism, and it is the least desirable environmental alternative. Let’s study current alternatives.
• Ocean City, MD constructed their ocean sewage outfall in 1970. Rehoboth Beach is about to implement a 1970’s technology for 2016 problem?
• On September 1, 2016 a 30 day Public Notice was issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District soliciting comments from the public on the issuance of a permit to allow the ocean sewage outfall to be built.
If you are against Ocean Outfall and believe that a more sustainable solution for disposal of sewage effluent should be studied, then your comments are needed. Let the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers know that you object, & that you request a public hearing and why!
Write a letter of objection by September 30th to:
District Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District Wanamaker Building
100 Penn Square West, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107-3390 Or send an email:
michael.d.yost@usace.army.mil
