Source: http://capegazette.villagesoup.com, March 17, 2016
By: Ron MacArthur

Officials point to sediment control issues

The developers of a community near Lewes have been cited for violations of the state’s sediment and stormwater regulations.
On Feb. 25, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary David Small issued fines to Oakwood Village at Lewes LLC, including an administrative penalty of $36,900 and an additional $5,535 in cost recovery reimbursement.
The developers have 30 days to request a public hearing.
Oakwood Village is a 64-acre, multiphase subdivision along Wil King Road. The 115-lot subdivision is being built in phases with the final phase under construction. The registered agent of the development is George and Lynch Holdings of Dover.
After a complaint filed by a citizen on July 11, 2014, Sussex Conservation District staff referred Oakwood Village’s developers to DNREC for enforcement. On that day, “a significant sediment-laden discharge occurred, originating from the construction site,” according to the order. The citizen documented the discharge with photographs.
Subsequent construction site reviews at Oakwood Village found six violations between July and October 2014, according to the secretary’s order. The violations were: deficiencies of the stabilized construction entrance; lack of vegetative stabilization; improper use of silt fencing; and lack of consistent maintenance.
According to the order, all of the development’s construction entrances were inundated with sediment, some sections of silt fencing were missing and some areas of silt fencing were not appropriate for the drainage area and were overwhelmed with soil and sediment.
In addition to site violations, environmental officials found administrative monitoring documents relating to water pollution control regulations were not at the construction site as required.
The secretary’s order can be found at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Info/Pages/SecOrders_Enforcement.aspx.
If a public hearing is not requested within 30 days, the order will become final and the developers will be required to pay more than $42,000.
A call to the developers was not returned as of presstime March 3.