UD/TDC Update: On Air Permit FOIA, Petitions And Push Polls And A Brand New Candidate For Mayor!

(No Newark Power Plant image: Governor Jack Markell weighs in on the proposed power plant in Newark. )

At The Data Centers LLC's University of Delaware presentation, the company announced it had submitted an application for an air permit. When DNREC was asked for a copy of TDC's application the next day, the request was denied ~

On Wed, Oct 16, 2013 at 12:23 AM, Mirzakhalili, Ali (DNREC) <Ali.Mirzakhalili@state.de.us>wrote:

Dear Ms. Roe,

I apologize for the tardy response. It has been a long and busy day and I am going to be on travel for the next two days. We do have a draft application from the company which the staff is reviewing to make sure that all regulatory requirements and technical issues are addressed. We encourage facilities to share a draft application with us in an effort to reduce protracted administrative and technical reviews which are caused by poorly assembled permit application. Our intent is to return this submittal to the company with our comments on areas that they need to address in order to have an administratively complete and technically acceptable application.

I would encourage you to wait and spend your time reviewing the official application once it is submitted to us for review. Given the level of interest in this application, we are hoping to provide a link under the hot topics on the Division's internet page and provide the applications online for public access and review as soon as we can.

I am reluctant to make copies of this draft application and release it as it will likely create future confusion and document control problems.

Please let me know if you are not satisfied with this response and wish to discuss it.

Regards,

Ali

From: Amy RoeDate: Wed, Oct 16, 2013 at 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: Permit application, The Data Centers LLC
To: "Mirzakhalili, Ali (DNREC)" Cc: "Kowalko, John (LegHall)"

Dear Mr. Mirzkakhalili,
I appreciate your comments, but I do understand the DNREC process for reviewing permit applications.  I would appreciate a copy of the submitted draft permit application as soon as possible.  Please advise if I need to resort to the Freedom of Information Act to access this document.
Regards,
Dr. Roe

So a FOIA was submitted on October 17th. The draft application is a public document and subject to FOIA.

And two weeks after the document was submitted, Amy Roe writes ~ TDC's draft permit application, along with DNREC comments, is now online.
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Air/Pages/tds.aspx

Note: DNREC says that the zoning needs to be proven.
This is where we have a local stake. 

Meanwhile, from No Newark Power Plant: Newark Resident Eden Shand’s comments at UD Faculty Senate meeting

And a gag-inducing letter in the paper today ~ Let’s open Delaware to new businesses

Nationally as well as locally much newsprint and air time is devoted to the deplorable condi­tion of our unemployment and underemployment. Given that 6 percent of the country’s popula­tion is on disability and thus not counted, the numbers are prob­ably worse. In Delaware offi­cials are constantly bribing companies, with tax money, to locate within the state, often with disastrous results.

Amending the Coastal Zone Act, reducing regulations and a competitive tax structure would all help, but most of all a change in the attitude of those whose belief is that any busi­ness or industry is bad. We see this being played out in Newark, where a yet-to-be-built Wawa and call center are threatened by unhappy citizens. It’s not that these people do not want prod­ucts and services; they do not want them built near them, per­haps not even in the country.

Light pollution from the Wa­wa and carbon dioxide pollution from the call center are the rea­sons most often heard from the objectors; neither is good rea­son or even pollution. Carbon di­oxide is necessary for life, and so long as the hoax of human­ty” global warming is per­petuated and believed, a full and vigorous recovery, along with an abundance of jobs will never happen. The legislators and citizens of Delaware need to do what is necessary to make our state truly Open For Busi­ness.

David Arnold

Talleyville 

A few comment rescues ~ 

• 
  
  

  - Mr. Arnold. I find it odd that you could think Delaware is not “open” for new business with a very relaxed eye on the environment. All you would need do is come sit in MY backyard and witness the thousands of tanker cars of crude oil from Canada passing by on a line which three years ago was barely used. Delaware has been trying and often succeeding on many levels and for many types of businesses large and small but its tough competition. We still offer a great package of low corporate taxes, great location, intermodal transportation and quality of life. If we start sacrificing that last item simply to lure one particular business sector (which some would argue we already have) then we lose the ability to have a balanced economy for all. BTW…since you folks in Tallyville will be losing the Steel Company mind if we send some smokestack and turbine jobs up your way?

• - We certainly do NOT need to change the Coastal Zone Act, relax our regulations, or give corporations any more tax breaks. In fact, we need to strengthen the laws already on the books. At the same time, Newark residents (and everyone else) need to get the facts about exactly how much pollution will possibly be generated and work with the companies to eliminate any pollution entirely. 
  Residents should be asking how the new data center can operate efficiently and at the same time not pollute their air and water… not categorically refusing permission for the site to be developed at all.

- Unless you have been attending the council meetings and get a fulll understanding about what we are up against, you cannot understand why people in Newark are fighting this. If anyone out there who has been condemning the citizens of Newark for being against this data center, please come to the council meeting on Monday, the 28th at 7:00 pm. Enough has been said in these comments. Unless you are informed, you will not get it! We do want jobs and would welcome the data center - not the power plant and not just because of the carbon dioxide.

- Maybe we could point out, from the latest numbers, the city of Newark is doing slightly better than the state in terms of the latest unemployment rates (6.7% in Newark, vs. 7.3% for the state) and far better than the cities Wilmington (10.7%) or Dover (9.1%).  So obviously Newark has not been hostile to business.  Perhaps environmentally conscious development that anticipates and avoids NIMBY concerns turns out OK after all, and shouldn't that be the ultimate goal?  And Gov. Markell might like to do some reading on the fact that a NIMBY response to a data center - let alone a power plant - is a well-recognized phenomena that established companies like Apple, Google, Facebook anticipate - and that's why they typically build in rural areas, not densely populated college towns.   

Plus, the pro-power plant petition is being walked through Newark neighborhoods ~

I just got a knock on my door from a man named John Reape (millwright union organizer) asking me to sign a petition in favor of the power plant.  He had a door hanger that is identical to the handout that was being distributed at the governor's town hall meeting with the cardinals on it (Delawarejobsnow).

And area residents are receiving push poll phone calls from an entity called Central Marketing ~

From: Marge Hadden Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 1:58 PMTo: Cc: Gerry Clifton; Mark Morehead (Newark City Council); Doug Tuttle (newark city council); Kowalko, John (LegHall); Robert Baum Subject: Re: phone 'survey' about TDC and power plant
Hi all,
Thank you Steven for the information! Since I couldn't find information about "Central Research," one of the articles Steven provided stated that "Central Research" is a known front name for "WPA Opinion Research," (Wilson Perkins Allen Opinion Research) which advertises itself as using behavioral science and communications science discoveries to show their clients how to change opinion and behaviors; and they claim that for over a decade they've "helped elect Senators, Congressmen, and other leaders."
They also state "We interpret and analyze data to develop actionable strategies and tactics to best position our clients with respect to their competitors. We always start with the end in mind. We work with our clients to identify goals and objectives; then discern, from among many options, the most direct path to success."
SO...obviously, based on what Steven has communicated they are working for the pro-Data Center camp. Does that matter? Well, it does if information is being presented in a slanting or biased manner. Can we do anything about this? Not really, except to make sure that all information we put forth is the truth and factual.
Marge
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On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 12:41 PM,  wrote:
Hello local elected officials,
 Last night I received several calls from " Central Research ".  Finally picked it up to ask them to stop calling. Turns out it was survey about mayor's race and views on data center. Asked about perceptions of each candidate, also Funk and Markell, whether their view on TDC would affect our choice. Then they read series of pro and anti data center comments and facts being claimed by both sides and asked if any changed our minds. Most pro-facts had to do with all the good jobs, lower taxes, more money for schools, business climate improving. Most anti-facts were poorly phrased and a little extreme (environmental or quality of life issues, stopping TDC would send chilling message to future business investment). They asked 3 times if the 'information' presented changed my mind on TDC project.
Finally asked if anyone in the house was union or retired union.
Since it seemed like they were trying to influence the mayors race and the TDC, I thought you might be interested.  Seems to me they were trying to find out who supports which candidates and link to their feeling on TDC. While not wrong, it was a little shady. I went along with them because I wanted to see where it was heading.  This service has a history of phone surveys using misleading questions or statements which try to send slanted message about candidates or positions.
Obviously no candidate for mayor or group opposing TDC has funds for this. It had to paid for by TDC or unions.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/troubling-phone-polls/http://nyaltnews.com/cowardly-poll-attempts-to-smear-david-carlucci-but-fails-miserably/Cheers
S

Plus, here's the latest from Doug Rainey talking about the worry that environmental activists and NIMBYs are poisoning Delaware's business climate. Rainey also notes that "the STAR campus site is so large that some of the reclaimed Chrysler acreage will be used to grow hay for UD's livestock."........hmmmmmm Doug.......reclaiming brownfields for industrial manufacturing or office buildings is one thing but reclaiming severely tainted lands for FOOD PRODUCTION is QUITE ANOTHER. Will we  need to picket in front of the UD Creamery so people won't innocently eat toxic ice cream? Just sayin'.

And last but not least, Councilman Mark Morehead has entered the race for Mayor of Newark! Oh My!

~*~