DIVISIONS
The Division of Air and Waste Management oversees the handling, transferring and storing of solid and hazardous materials by regulating, monitoring, inspecting, enforcing and responding to emergencies. The Division also implements the state's air monitoring, permitting and compliance programs. The Division's responsibilities include:
- Administering Delaware's Air Quality Program, including air monitoring and regulating air emissions.
- Administering a program for the maintenance & installation of underground and above ground storage tanks & overseeing cleanup of tanks which may leak.
- Administering programs to prevent industrial accidents, to assure emergency planning and community right to know, and to respond to environmental emergencies.
- Administering programs to remediate sites contaminated by hazardous substances. · Administering programs for the reuse, recycling, transport and disposal of solid and hazardous waste.
The mission of the Division of Fish and Wildlife is to conserve and manage the fish and wildlife resources of the state, to provide safe and enjoyable fishing, hunting, and boating opportunities to the citizens of Delaware and its visitors, to manage and make available for public use and enjoyment the lands with which it has been entrusted, and to improve the publics understanding and interest in the state's fish and wildlife resources through information and outreach programs.
The Division of Parks and Recreation operates and maintains 14 state parks and related preserves and greenways throughout Delaware totaling more than 20,000 acres. The state's land protection programs, as well as the state's Greenways program, are administered by the Division. The Division is also responsible for providing recreational opportunities and educational and interpretive programs for the public. Other responsibilities include:
- Acquiring and developing recreational lands & facilities
- Providing for the protection of natural areas
- Overseeing & planning for statewide recreational needs
The Division of Soil and Water Conservation is responsible for preserving and protecting the state's soil, water and coastal resources by managing the state's shoreline, coastal zone and navigable waterways, by regulating coastal and urban land use and construction activities and by promoting wise agricultural land management practices. Specifically, the Division:
- Provides for the preservation & enhancement of the state's beaches
- Maintains & improves navigational channels in Delaware's inland waterways
- Provides planning & organizational assistance for the development & maintenance of tax ditches to ensure the conservation of both agricultural & urban areas through improved drainage & water management
- Provides technical assistance to landowners regarding sound conservation practices
- Serves as the administrative lead for the Delaware Coastal Management Program
- Provides for the development & implementation of the state's recently mandated Sediment and Stormwater & Nonpoint Source Pollution Programs
The Division of Water Resources manages and protects water resources through various regulatory programs by providing technical assistance, laboratory services, and educational services; performing applied research; and helping finance water pollution control measures. Our staff serves over 15,000 individual water resources customers each year and protects water resources for Delaware's visitors and residents.
The Office of the Secretary provides overall direction, management and policy, as well as central administrative functions including human resources, financial management, information and systems management, business and permitting assistance and public information and education.
