‘Slowly poisoned’: Neighbors protest controversial Delaware port project over health concerns

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Dressed in red shirts and holding signs, protesters made their objections known during Monday’s ceremonial groundbreaking at the site of the controversial Edgemoor container terminal project.

The long-awaited kickoff drew Delaware state officials, union representatives and members of the state’s congressional delegation. The Diamond State Port Corporation, the quasi-public entity that oversees the Port of Wilmington, purchased the Edgemoor property on the Delaware River in 2017. The land was formerly a DuPont chemical plant.

“We’re taking a site that sat idle for years and turning it into opportunity,” Gov. Matt Meyer said. “We’re building something that will outlast every single one of us, something that will create jobs, strengthen our economy, and open doors for Delaware families for decades to come.”

The port board, along with private port operator Enstructure, began doing some construction this summer. Supporters of the $669 million infrastructure project say building and operating the container terminal will create thousands of high-paying jobs.

State Rep. Frank Cooke teared up as he recalled how the port offered a leg up for multiple generations of his family when Black Delawareans were shut out of other industries.

“Some Blacks couldn’t get jobs at Chrysler. Some Blacks couldn’t get jobs at [General Motors]. They couldn’t get jobs at Atlantic Aviation,” he said. “Let’s not forget the airport. They had to physically work at the Port of Wilmington to make great money for housing, for food on the table.”

Edgemoor project faces legal, environmental challenges

The Edgemoor project faces continued legal challenges by Holt Logistics Corp., which operates upriver ports in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Affiliates of the company filed a lawsuit in June seeking to invalidate permits re-issued in April by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for construction. Holt and the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, or PhilaPort, successfully sued in 2024 to block the Army Corps project approvals.

Edgemoor also faces considerable pushback from neighbors concerned about excessive truck traffic, ship exhaust and lax environmental enforcement.

In addition, there are two lawsuits filed by residents who live in the area and have environmental concerns. One challenges a 2021 permit approval by the secretary of the Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The second alleges that the Diamond State Board Corporation and other Delaware officials have poorly managed the port over the past several years and asks the court to appoint a monitor to oversee its management.

Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, who also chairs the port board corporation, acknowledged the protesters and said “their voices deserve to be heard.” However, residents who live in surrounding neighborhoods told WHYY News they feel there is a lack of transparency and willingness to engage with them.

The Delaware Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, which describes itself as a diverse cross-section of residents committed to environmental justice, has been engaged in a multiyear effort to persuade Enstructure officials to sign an agreement to protect those impacted by the project.

“The planned expansion is part of an ongoing process that has minimized residents’ concerns in the planning phase and threatens to further jeopardize the health of residents and the environment by moving the project forward before proper planning, assessments and mitigation measures are in place,” DelCBAC Executive Chair Jeffrey Richardson said in a news release. “The promise of jobs should not require our communities to be slowly poisoned.”

Simeon Hahn, a retired environmental scientist who is a plaintiff in both suits, was one of the protesters at Monday’s groundbreaking. He said he has worries about possible harm to local wildlife.

“We’re very concerned about the dredging and the impacts that will have on endangered species like the Atlantic sturgeon and submerged aquatic habitat,” he said. “They’re going to dredge 3.3 cubic million yards, 90 acres, and the mitigation is woefully insufficient to cover the impacts that are going to occur.”

The cost to build phase one of the Edgemoor container terminal construction has soared from $415 million to $669 million. The state agreed to pitch in an additional $110 million to help cover a $189 million shortfall.

The Meyer administration took the $110 million from a secret unclaimed property fund after spending weeks declining to answer where the money was coming from. Former Gov. John Carney also tapped that little-known fund to transfer nearly $200 million to the port.

The amended joint development agreement shows that the state is now contributing $325 million in funding for the first phase. Enstructure is pitching in $225 million, and another $119 million is coming from the federal government.