may-june 2003 delaware audubon society newsletter

8/9/2019 May-June 2003 Delaware Audubon Society Newsletter

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BL U E B I R D CA P TA I N S

Bluebird Trail Captainsbegan training for thecoming breedingseason with Nest BoxProject Chair, PeggyJahn.

Pictured at the newlyinstalled Bluebird Trailat Buena Vista StateConference Center arePeggy Jahn, JenniferChristy, Diane Crom,Landscape Superintendent for Delaware State Museums, Julie Lawson, DeloresWhitely and Fred Jahn. Not in the picture is Robert Mentzer.

Vol. XXV No.5May-June 2003

Bird Tales ................................7

Books of Interest ......................8

Calendar ..................................4

Letter From the President ........2

News & Views....................5,6,7

Officers & Committees..............2

Site Seeing................................3

What You Can Do ....................3

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPERc

DELAWARE AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC.

A State-wide Chapter of National Audubon

D e l a w a r eAu d u b o n Journal

D E L A W A R E AU D U B O N

P R E S E R V I N G OU R

N A T U R A L ST A T E

IN TH I S IS S U E

MARCH 2001Motiva agreed to install smokestack scrubbers in a nationwide settlement ofFederal and State air pollution citations covering nine refineries. A consentdecree filed in U.S. District Court in Texas required one scrubber to beginoperating in Delaware in December 2003, and a second by December 2004.Scrubbers are devices that trap and remove air pollution from smokestacks or

factory exhausts.

NOVEMBER 2002State and Federal officials agreed in November to revise the plan outlined by the2001 agreement. That revision called for converting the plants sulphur dioxideair emissions to wastewater, rather than recycling them. Motiva claims therevised approach would be more reliable and result in cleaner air than therecycling option.

DECEMBER 2002

Delaware officials agreed to consider a Motiva Enterprises plan to cut airpollution from its refinery near Delaware City using equipment that insteadwould deposit more than 209 million pounds of sulfate wastes into the

Delaware River each year.

CH R O N O L O G YMO T I VA SE E K S MO D I F I C AT I O N S T O C U R B I N G AI R PO L L U T I O N

continued on page 6


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DE L AWA R E AU D U B O N

SO C I E T Y 2002-2003

OF F I C E R S & CO M M I T T E E S

If there are any issues you feel strongly aboutthat you think Audubon should address, pleasewrite Issues, P.O. Box 1713, Wilmington, DE19899, or call the office at 302-428-3959.Chairpersons can always be reached through the

office answering machine , 302-428-3959.

Honorary Chairman of the Board

Russell W. PetersonPresident Matthew Del Pizzo

Vice President Leslie SavageSecretary Ellen WrightTreasurer Mark Martell

CONSERVATION COMMITTEES:Environmental Advocate Grace Pierce-Beck

Recycling OpenDredging Leslie SavageProposal/pol icy Review Dave Chambers

Nest Box Projects Peggy JahnArmchair Activists OpenAdopt-a-Wetland

Peggy Jahn, Kathy TidballWhite Clay Creek Adopt-a-Highway

Dorothy MillerImportant Bird Area Program Ann RydgrenPROGRAMS COMMITTEE OpenPUBLICITY COMMITTEEInternet Fred Breukelman

[email protected] RECORDS David BrannanEDUCATION COMMITTEE Kathy TidballSOCIAL COMMITTEE

Annual D inner-Nancy FramptonFIELD TRIPS COMMITTEE Peggy Jahn

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Ann RydgrenFINANCE COMMITTEESFundraising-Grants Andrew Urquhart

Fundraising-Bird Seed SaleMark and Susan Martell

Fundraising Birdathon

Ruth Holden, Maud DaytonFundraising-Silent Auction Asha IyengarFundraising-Wildli fe Sanctuary OpenFundraising-Piping Plover Suite Ann RydgrenNOMINATING COMMITTEE

Matthew DelPizzo,Asha Iyengar, Leslie Savage

DIRECTORS FOR SERVICE UNTIL 2003

Dorothy Miller Grace Pierce-BeckAnn Rydgren

DIRECTORS FOR SERVICE UNTIL 2004:Fred Breukelman David Chambers

DIRECTORS FOR SERVICE UNTIL 2005:Peggy JahnLeslie Savage

REPRESENTATIVES

Sharon Burchenal, DoverKay Tebbens Greene, MilfordTill Purnell, Millsboro

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t WEB SITEhttp://www.delawareaudubon.org

t MAILING ADDRESS:Delaware Audubon Society

P.O. Box 1713

Wilmington, DE 19899

t TELEPHONE:302-428-3959

t DELAWARE AUDUBON SOCIETY E-MAIL:[email protected]

We can receive contributions

through your United Way

payroll deduction designation.

Our United Way designation

number is 9017.

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Subj: Motiva Consent Decree UpdateDate:03/31/2003To: Delaware Audubon Members

We are now moving into a different phase of theongoing dispute with Motiva and gettingregenerative scrubbers installed. In March 2001,Motiva and DNREC had agreed to install acontrol system in a settlement of a federalpollution suit. This settlement was going to take

sulfur dioxide out of their air emissions. Sulfur dioxide is a respiratory irritantthat causes acid rain and smog. Motiva and DNREC worked out togetherwhat kind of scrubbers would remove the air emissions, they agreed upon aregenerative technology (recycle chemicals used in the scrubbing process,diverting recovered wastes to other uses or disposal in a landfill). After thiswas agreed to things progressed and efforts were being made to install thistechnology,

Then Motiva decided they would use a cheaper substitute technology callednon-regenerative (would use the scrubber chemicals only once, and then,after treatment, send them into the river). Non-regenerative technologywould not capture contaminants as the regenerative technology would haveand they would be poured into the river and also use about 504,000 gallonsof water daily.

Motiva abandoned the regenerative scrubbers and pressed ahead with non-regenerative scrubbers regardless of their implications to pollution of theriver and aquatic li fe.

After a much publicized fight by concerned groups and citizens, DNRECrejected Motivas permit for the non-regenerative scrubbers, citing among

VISIT DELAWARE AUDUBON'S WEBSITE

http://www.delawareaudubon.org.

Sample educational, informative articles and features. Order books and othergoodies from the Marketplace! Search the archive of past articles. Visit our photogallery. Survey legislative updates and Action Alerts. Email policy makers.

TheAudubon Journal is

published bi-monthly by the

Delaware Audubon Society.

Original articles may be

reprinted without permission. Please give

credit to the Delaware Audubon Journal and

the author.

Editor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ann Rydgren

Assistant Editors: . . . . .Mary Leah Christmas

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barbara Roewe

Design & Layout : . . . . . . .Maryellen F. BirkPrinting: . . . . . .Sprint Quality Printing, Inc.

Delaware Audubon Society, incorporated in

1977, is a state- wide chapter of the National

Audubon Society.

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P reserve Our N atural State

W H A T Y O U C A N D O . . .

SI T E SE E I N G

This column will suggest Internet websitesthat may be of interest to readers. If you

have a favorite that you think will interestothers, please send the address to us,m a i l @d e l a w a r e a u d u b o n . o r g or call us at(302) 428-3959.

An on-line version of the American Birding Associations OPPORTUNITIESFOR BIRDERS directory. It lists projects by state that can use volunteer birders.

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VO L U N T E E ROP P O RT U N I T I E S

Join the fun!Meet new people!Do a great thing!

We need help in the followingareas.

WE NEED YOU!

V ATTORNEYExperienced in trust andcorporation law who will giveadvice pro bono. This is alimited project, not l itigation.

V BIRDSEEDMarketing Manager for ourfundraising birdseed sale inOctober. We need morecustomers. One month a year.

V WELCOME WAGONFun-loving, creative personneeded to recruit and integratenew members.

Please call 302-428-3959 andleave a message if you areinterested in helping.

Volunt eersMake It

Happen!

The first year I put up my Bluebird

nest boxes, I was happy to see I hadone brood of Bluebirds and severalbroods of Tree Swallows. I havelearned quite a bit since then.

After the first brood fledged, I shouldhave cleaned out the old nestingmaterial. This keeps the nest boxclean. The Bluebirds will build a newnest for the second brood.

The second year I did a much betterjob of monitoring my Bluebird boxes.

Its a good thing, because the HouseSparrows were determined to takeover all the Bluebird houses. TheBluebirds tried to nest in severalboxes but the House Sparrows kepttaking over. I did at least have one

brood of Tree Swallows. I tried to

check the boxes every day and throwout the sloppy nests House Sparrowsbuild with trash, twigs and feathers.

Eastern Birds Nests by Hal H.Harrison helped me learn what thedifferent bird eggs look like. Bluebirdeggs are pale blue or sometimeswhite. Tree Swallow eggs are purewhite and they like to line their nestswith feathers. House Sparrow eggsare white dotted with brown. When Ifound House Sparrow nests I

destroyed them. I learned it wasimportant to keep the HouseSparrows from reproducing since theytake over the Bluebird boxes.

Ellen Wright

MO N I T O R I N G BL U E B I R D BO X E S


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I want Audubon to sponsor a program on

..............................................................................................(topic) in my area.

Name: ..................................................................................

Phone: ( )......................................................................

Zip Code: ..............................................................................

Send to:Program, Delaware Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 1713, Wilmington DE 19899

Please call Field Trip leaders ahead of time and register.You wil l be notified if any changes arise. Most trips arehalf-day. Dress according to the weather and ask leader ifwaterproof boots, etc. are needed.

M AY

1 Thursday 6:00 pmANNUAL DINNER AND SILENT AUCTIONDelcastle Inn off McKennans Church Road, Dr. CarolynThoroughgood will speak about Marine Studies at theUniversity of Delaware.For information please call 302-428-3959.

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DELAWAREAUDUBON BIRDATHON

3 Saturday 6:00 am 2:00 pm

GREAT CYPRESS SWAMPDelmarva Ornithological Society. Meet at Boyds CornerPark & Ride. Bring boots, lunch and bug spray.

Kitt Heckscher 302-653-2880

3 Saturday 7:30 amFRIENDS OF WHITE CLAY CREEK WHITE CLAY CREEK STATE PARKSpring Migrants, Jeff Gordon.Meet at Chambers House Nature Center on Creek Roadnorth of Hopkins Road. No bi rd watching experience isnecessary, just bring binoculars. For further information orto reserve a pair of loaner binoculars, call Friends ofWhite Clay Creek State Park 302-239-2471.

7 Wednesday 11:00 PM

DELMARVA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETYRails. Meet at Boyds Corner Park & Ride, Rte13 & 301.Bring long boots. Andy Ednie 302-792-9591

10 Saturday

DELMARVA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETYSpring Count and International Migratory Bird DayJohn Janowski 302-834-9710

14 Wednesday 7:30 am

DELMARVAORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETYSpring Migrants. BrandywineCreek State Park Meet at thePark Maintenance Shop parkinglot. Don Vasallo 302-478-1733

17 Saturday 7:00 am

GRASS DALEBirding. Especially forbeginners. Meet in the picnicarea at Grass Dale Center onPolktown Rd., Delaware City.Please call, time may change.Ann Rydgren 302-235-0242.

17 Saturday 7:00-5:00

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATORY BIRDDAY, Bombay Hook NationalWildl ife Refuge Bird walks,boat rides, horseshoe crabs andmore. For schedule of events,please call 302-653-6872

17 Saturday 8:00-4:00INTERNATIONAL MIGRATORY BIRDDAY, Prime Hook NationalWi ldli fe Refuge Nature walks.302-684-8419.

27 Tuesday 6:30 - 9:00 pmDELAWARECITYCount herons and egrets as theyreturn to Pea Patch Islandrookery. Meet in the park atthe end of Clinton St.DNREC Chris [email protected]

31 Saturday 8:00 Noon

SHOREBIRD & HORSESHOE CRABCONNECTIONBombay Hook National Wi ldli fe

Refuge. Meet at RefugeHeadquarters. Pre-registrationrequired, 302-653-6872.

J U N E

7 Saturday

Come and work on a new trailwith the FRIENDS OF WHITE CLAYCREEK STATE PARK.Contact Wendel Cassel at(302) 737-3319 orWi [email protected].


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C L I M AT E UP S E T S

NAT I V E SP E C I E S

For wildlife, the biggest wallopfrom global climate change maynot be species ext inct ions butmajor shif ts in the make-up ofcreature communities.

Thats the prediction from the mostambitious application yet of thecomputer model for cl imate change

and biodiversity developed by A.Townsend Peterson of theUniversi ty of Kansas and hiscol leagues. They started withinformation on the current rangesof 1,870 birds, mammal andbutterflies in Mexico. Their modelcrunched the information undervarious scenarios of climate changeto predict the ranges of the speciesin 2055.

Fewer than three percent of the

species wi l l get squeezed intoextinction by then, according to themodel, but the mix of animals in alot of places will be different fromwhat i t is today. Lowlands, inparticular, may have more than 40percent turnover among theirspecies, the researchers report inthe April 11 N a t u r e.

Ecologist F. Stuart Chapin, III, ofthe University of Alaska-Fairbankscal ls the new model a real ly

important step forward. However,he cautions that plenty of otherfactors will combine with climateto determine the ultimate ranges ofspecies. An animal might find amore hospitable cl imate bymoving, but that s no good i fpeople have covered the escaperoute w ith houses and asphalt .

Excerpt from S. Milius,Science News

JO I N DE L AWA R E AU D U B O N NO W!

N ews & Views

BO A R D AC T I O N

Take Back Audubon(TBA) is a movement of concernedChapter leaders and members who are seeking to reformthe National Audubon Society and its relationship withChapters. An alternate slate of candidates for the NationalAudubon Board will be proposed this year and an effort toenact resolutions to democratize National Audubon will bemade.

Take Back Audubons mission is to restore a truepartnership between the independent Chapters and the

National Audubon Society through a real voice in theAudubon organization and in all decisions that affectchapters.

The Delaware Audubon Society Board of Directors voted tosupport the mission of the TBA movement.

We believe that reform will make National Audubon more relevant. Yourproxies will be needed at the next National Audubon annual meeting to passreform resolutions and elect board members that support those reforms. You willreceive more information about these issues as events develop.


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N ews & Views

JANUARY 2003No data concerning expected levelsof other wastewater pollutants,including mercury, have yet to bereleased by the company.Documents released under theFreedom of Information Act revealdoubts about the proposal withinDNREC.

Company responses to questionsfrom regulators are described asevasive and superfluous and a bit

insulting. Substantial errors werecited in Motivas descriptions of theplanincluding a failure to fullydescribe the likelihood of mercuryand other toxic metal releases to theriver.

Information gaps are cited inMotivas plan to curb air pollution.

The companys fi l ing failed tomention mercury or other toxicmetals or contaminants that could be

released to the Delaware River.

DNREC learned of the mercury riskfrom an environmental group late lastyear.

Motiva provided DNREC with thedata we know, adding: W erecontinuing our analysis on mercuryand more data wi ll be submitted.

Company officials want DNREC toissue a permit for the first pollution-

control system by Feb. 17, despiteobjections that the timetable preventsa formal review of related wastewaterconcerns and l imits publicparticipation.

State regulators have unansweredquestions. DNREC reported that theyhave no data from Motiva that theirtechnical experts can review.The public hearing was restricted to

other things the mercury releases, andthat the department did not know ofthe extent of the releases to the river.

We held a press conference andasked Motiva to not litigate and towork speedily with DNREC to installthe original regenerative scrubbers.We did not hear anything for a while.DNREC said there was some talk withMotiva on this but not much progress.

DNREC has hired a consultant, a

former British Petroleum executive, tohelp them in their decisions. We donot know if this is good for us or not.He may want to suggest acompromised settlement that wouldlean in favor of Motiva, and not thecitizens of Delaware.

In the meantime Motiva sent out aletter to neighbors of the refinery andsaid that the DNREC decision waswrong. Motiva held a communitymeeting in late March. In the

meeting they said that that theywould not l i t igate but that regenerative technology has neverbeen clearly defined.

Motiva said they would work withDNREC and the E.P.A. on what regenerative really means and ongetting the scrubbers installed oncethey agreed.

Motiva and DNREC certainly seemedto know what regenerative meant

back in March 2001 when theysettled on the consent decree. We arelooking to DNREC and the E.P.A. tohold Motiva to the original agreementthat will significantly improve our airquality without sacrificing the qualityof the Delaware River.

Thanks for your support,Matt Del Pizzo

Presidents Letter continued from page 2 Chronology continued from page 1

air-pollution issues. No discussion ofsubsequent water issues was allowed.DNREC orders Coastal Zone review.

FEBRUARY 2003DNREC rejects Motivas wastewaterpermit application as incomplete.

DNREC rejects Motivas plan to installair-pollution control systems thatwould have increased toxicwastewater releases into theDelaware River.

Motiva must now seek permits for apotentially cleaner but more costlytechnology.

The head of the EnvironmentalProtection Agency reaffirmed that theFederal government expects MotivaEnterprises to fulfill a 2001 agreementrequiring its Delaware City oilrefinery to reduce toxic air emissionswithout increasing the flow ofpollution into the Delaware River.

MARCH 2003

Motiva Enterprises holds the first in aseries of community meetings withpart of the session focusing onpollution-control plans at theDelaware City Refinery.

DNREC has yet to receive specificsabout Motivas plan.

NOTE:

Regenerativerecycle chemicalsused in the scrubbing process,

diverting recovered wastes to other

uses or disposal in a landfill. This isthe process ordered in the Consent

Decree.

Non-regenerativewoul d use the

scrubber chemicals only once, and

then, after treatment, send them intothe river.


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American RobinThe American Robin Turdus migratorius, one of thebest known birds in North America, was so named bythe early colonists because, although much larger, itreminded them of the English Robin.

For more information and a color picture of the bird goto our website delawareaudubon.org.

B i rd T a l e s . . .

B i rd T a l e s . . .

HE R E I S A

B I R D F O R Y O U

T O C O L O R.

N ews & Views

2/11/03

Big excitement in the yard thismorning! The hawk was back! Isaw him (?) go bulleting by inone direction, a large blurcausing the finches to scatterfrom the feeders. A few minuteslater, once the finches had re-grouped, I got a clearer look athim as he came swooshing by inthe other direction, feathersflaring as he came in low underthe feeders and swung back upand landed on the fence nearour windoweven closer to thewindow than the last time I sawhim, on January 10. He sat there

for a minute or so, then took offtoward the old farm behind ourhouse.

It was so exciting to see thishawk in action, it was hard toconcentrate on the markings,even when he was practicallysitting right under my nose!(Blinded again by adrenaline,

dontcha know.) The main thing Inoticed was his considerablesize. I did try to study the end ofthe tail, which seemed to bestraight, but I cant be 100%certain due to looking at himfrom an angle. But wouldnt astraight tail make him a Sharp-Shinned Hawk? The NationalAudubon Field Guide describesthem as jay-sized, fast-flyi ng.He was certainly fast-flyingvery impressive!but jay sized?I joked with my husband thatthis hawk uses jays for scuffybedroom slippers!

I also tried to concentrate on thecoloring. Brown on back with a

few flecks of white (but werethey flecks, or were theyunderfeathers showing throughafter being ruffled in flight?);underparts white with somebrown; a nicely proportioned,noble looking head (didnt makenote of eye colorseeadrenaline, above); and ofcourse that dramatic, striped tail.

The NAFG says of the Coopersand Sharp-Shinned, respectively,Immature brown above withwhitish spots, creamy-whitebelow, with streaks on breast,barring on flanks andImmature brown above, whitishbelow with fine streaks.

I guess its going to take time,patience, and furtherobservation for me to get thehang of this hawk businessifnot a pair of those binocularswith a built-in digital camera!

Mary Leah Christmas


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BO O K S O F I N T E R E S T

Legend is a word frequentlyassociated with Tony Florio. As arenowned artist and wildlifebiologist, he has earned it. Hiscurrent book of observations is avalued addition to Delawareana.

P r o g g e r recounts Floriosexperiences living on the marsh atthe Woodland Beach Wildlife Areain Delaware, which included suchunromantic things as run-ins withsnakes and being on the receiving

end of a bean sprayer loaded withpaint.

In addition to many idyllic scenes,Florio touches on everything fromthe excursion steamers which usedto ply the area 100 years ago, to theStates first attempts at mosquitocontrol, to Florios techniques forfine-tuning the rocket nets used inthe Canada Goose banding process.Also included are discussions of

Delawares wetland plants, localtidemarsh features and Floriosdefense of hunting. Each chaptercontains scratchboard illustrationsby the author.

MLC

Progger: A Life on the Marsh by Tony FlorioSmyrna-Clayton Heritage Association, Smyrna, DE. $20.

NO M I N AT I O N S

F O R YE A R

2 0 0 3 - 2 0 0 4

Matthew DelPizzo - PresidentLeslie Savage - Vice PresidentSecretary - Ellen J. WrightTreasurer - Mark Martell

Board of D irectors

Directors for service unti l 2006:Nicholas DiPasqualeDorothy Miller

Submitted by the Nominating

Committee:Asha IyengarLeslie SavageMatthew DelPizzo