The Senate Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee released SB 9, the Wetlands Stewardship Act, from committee with seven favorable votes after a lengthy public hearing that drew broad bipartisan support and no formal opposition, while also hearing SB 276, which would relieve the Delaware Electric Cooperative of its default obligation to serve large load users exceeding 50 megawatts, though the outcome of that bill remains unclear as no vote was recorded in the transcript, and deferring a portable solar item to the Energy Stakeholders Group meeting on Friday.
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RC Willen raised concern that half-acre wetland areas not connected to a viable stream or watercourse do not survive and that focusing on small acreage would generate expensive permitting burdens without meaningfully protecting wetland function. Senator Pettyjohn asked directly how the half-acre figure was determined, drawing audible reactions from the audience. Senator Hansen explained it was arrived at through negotiation — stating 'an acre was just a bridge too far with our environmental groups' and 'a half acre just seemed to be something that everyone could live with.'
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“Since 2006, remember, we started with that 150,000 acres of non tidal wetlands. Beginning back in around 2006 or so, the Supreme Court came down with its Rapanos decision, which then dialed back on the federal government's jurisdiction of what it saw as non tidal wetlands. And it dialed it back by about in Delaware, we felt that in it dialed back about the protections on about 3,500 acres in 2020. The federal government then rolled back further what they considered under their jurisdiction under the Clean Water act. And so that 3,500 acres which were no longer protected, increased to 30,000 acres. And then just a couple of three years ago, we had the Sackett decision at the federal level that dialed it back even further so that now 75,000 acres of the original 150,000 acres that were covered are now no longer covered.”
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Sign in to subscribeOrder. I'm State Senator Stephanie Hanson. I'm the chair of the committee. Today's date is April 15, 2026. As Chair of this committee and in accordance with Senate rules, this committee is authorized to meet in a hybrid format. Committee members and members of the public can participate either in person or virtually through zoom webinar. Should any member experience technical difficulties, please call my Legislative Assistant, Anna Shields. The public may participate virtually by registering via the meeting link that is posted on the General Assembly's website, and the instructions for providing public comment are posted under this committee meeting's notice. Members of the public are also welcome to attend the meeting in person and should sign the sign in document for attendance and to indicate if they would like to speak on a bill. We'll begin today's meeting by taking a roll call. Attendance of the committee members present. When your name is called, please affirm your attendance. Senator Russ Huxtable. Senator Elizabeth Lockman. Absent. Senator Spiros Mancivinos. Absent. Senator Trey Pardee. Absent. Senator Ray Siegfried. Senator Eric Buxon. Absent. Senator Brian Pettyjohn. And myself, Senator Stephanie Hanson. We do not have a quorum at this point. We're…
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