Environmentalists Out In Force At The Delaware City Day Parade - Ask PBF Refinery To Stop Killing Our Fish

Update II: Clarification and comment from DE City Councilman Buchheit~

You have been reporting that Representative Longhurst refused to announce the Green Party on Delaware City Day. That is a lie. I was on the stage along with 2 other community members who heard Representative Longhurst announce the float. She did refuse to read the banner trashing the Governor. She also did not read many other banners. She did say it was in poor taste. But for you to write she refused to announce them is NOT TRUE.  

I must say I agree with Representative Longhurst.  The event was a celebration for Delaware City to promote tourism and living in Delaware City. It was not to trash our town in which the Green Party and Sierra Club did. If they wanted to put on a show do it at a refinery event not our city. I have always supported the Sierra club thinking they were in it for our best interest. If they had a float promoting clean air and river I would be writing a check to support. But they put a black cloud on a pretty little town when our town is celebrating our history and promoting itself. I lost a lot of respect for both organizations the Green Party and the Sierra club. It was very poor taste.

Sincerely,

John Buchheit

Delaware City Resident ,Merchant and Councilman

Noted Snub ~ Rep. Valerie Longurst refused to announce the Green Party float at the judging stand - "the truth leaves a sour taste in the mouth."

Delaware City Day Parade: Green Party of DE - Toxic Jack Markell

 PBF Refinery - Stop Killing Our Fish

 Sierra Club

(David Carter images)

Item in the News Journal ~ PBF critics take to skies at 33rd Delaware City Day

A single-engine plane towed a banner with the words: “PBF Energy Stop Killing our Fish” around town. The banner, paid for by Delaware Audubon and the Sierra Club Delaware chapter, referred to the Delaware City refinery’s longstanding permit to take more than 452 million gallons of Dela­ware River water daily for a once­through cooling of plant equipment and systems.

State regulators recently approved a permit that will allow the company to cut the withdrawals to 303 million gallons daily by the end of the year, but environmental groups have said the company should install systems that recycle cooling water, drastically reduc­ing demands on the river and losses of fish and other aquatic life.

Past studies have estimated that more than 45 million fish, fry and other aquatic organisms die on intake screens or are killed inside plant pipes each year. Losses include a sizeable percent­age of the Delaware’s bay anchovies, an important part of the estuary’s food chain. Past owners have put the cost of cooling water towers at $100 million or more.

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