For the past 46 years the Coastal Zone Act has protected some of Delaware's most beautiful and sensitive areas. This projection has afforded us nationally rare ecosystems, amazing recreational opportunities and a booming tourism economy. The very narrow prohibition on only the riskiest and most polluting and land uses has allowed for the flexibility to grow our economy, while protecting our health and preserving our environment.

Unfortunately a bill has been introduced in the state legislature which threatens to allow polluting new heavy industries and bulk product transfer facilities to be built in Delaware's Coastal Zone.

House Bill 190 would allow new heavy industries to be built on any of a series of 14 sites in Delaware's Coastal Zone that were "grandfathered in" under the 1971 Act. Some of these are continuing to operate, like the Delaware City Refinery or the Port of Wilmington. These businesses are allowed to continue and even expand under the CZA. Some others have since closed. Some of them are currently in the process or have already been redeveloped into less polluting industries.

The argument by some proponents of HB 190 that we need to allow new [polluting] heavy industries in order to clean up these abandoned sights is false. Of the 14 sites, all of the abandoned sites--and some of those still operating-- are enrolled in state or federal clean up programs.

Additionally, the Coastal Zone Act DOES NOT prevent new businesses from coming in and building manufacturing facilities, warehouses, solar farms, commercial properties or a variety of other potential uses that could create jobs. Why would we want to clean these sites up only to recontaminate them with new polluters?