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Opponents call EPA proposal on persistent PFAS ‘dangerous’
Speakers during an online public hearing Tuesday largely and roundly criticized the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to repeal federal drinking water limits for four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and delay the deadline for water utilities to comply with limits for related compounds by two years.
Spotlight
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Pine Knoll Shores aquarium readies for ‘Birthday Splash’
With the North Carolina Aquariums celebrating 50 years in 2026, Coastal Review talks with Jay Barnes, the former Pine Knoll Shores site director about the early days of the facility, which is hosting two celebrations Saturday for the anniversary.
News Briefs
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New film series explores NC during American Revolution
The North Carolina Museum of History launched the 20-part “It’s Revolutionary!,” a series that provides an overview of the people, places, and events of the American Revolution, part of its America 250 programming.
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Residents urged to conserve water as drought persists
Dry conditions continue across North Carolina this week, despite localized heavy rainfall in portions of the state.
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State aging agencies offer fans to eligible adults until Oct. 31
The state-managed Operation Fan Heat Relief has been providing fans since 1986 to adults living with disabilities or are 60 and older to help reduce heat-related illnesses and make their living environment more comfortable.
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Indigenous group to lead environmental justice conversation
The three-hour webinar set to begin at 11 a.m. July 18 “centers Indigenous knowledge systems, lived experience, and community-led solutions to environmental justice,” according to organizers, Two Rivers Saponi-Occoneechee Association.
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DEQ seeks feedback on draft river basin action plans
The public may provide feedback on draft plans for the Lumber and Tar-Pamlico river basin action strategies during a July 20 virtual information session.
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Special Report

Conflicts on the Water: Growing Shellfish, Increasing Tensions
The state’s burgeoning mariculture industry combined with coastal development is a recipe for disagreement over leasing, but is a moratorium the solution?
News & Features
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Opponents call EPA proposal on persistent PFAS ‘dangerous’
Speakers during an online public hearing Tuesday largely and roundly criticized the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to repeal federal drinking water limits for four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and delay the deadline for water utilities to comply with limits for related compounds by two years.
Science
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Shark depredation isn’t new, but widely seen as modern issue
Hemingway wrote masterfully about an aging Cuban fisherman’s heartbreak after losing a giant marlin he’d caught to hungry sharks, a problem that is not an emerging issue, as is often perceived, according to a recently published study.
Commentary
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Scientific data: Understanding rising sea levels for anglers
Dr. Shintaro Bunya, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Center for Natural Hazards Resilience, works with government agencies and communities to help them better understand and prepare for coastal flood risks, and here he does the same for anglers.
Our Coast
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Pine Knoll Shores aquarium readies for ‘Birthday Splash’
With the North Carolina Aquariums celebrating 50 years in 2026, Coastal Review talks with Jay Barnes, the former Pine Knoll Shores site director about the early days of the facility, which is hosting two celebrations Saturday for the anniversary.
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Albemarle Region’s tallest hotel offered luxurious amenities
The nine-story, 100-room Virginia Dare Hotel, completed in 1927 amid a hotel industry trend of going taller and taller, enjoyed a only a brief heyday but still stands as an Elizabeth City icon.
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State names bridge for Cornelius Nixon; city recalls his grace
Wilmington’s staggering growth has displaced numerous homes and businesses, but “Sonny” Nixon refused to let his longstanding and pioneering Market Street wholesale and retail seafood business stand in the way of progress.
Featured Photo
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Drought creates feeding trough
The state’s ongoing drought is affecting water levels in the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s North River Wetland Preserve near Otway, where wading birds take advantage of conditions recently to feed on the fish, tadpoles, frogs and aquatic insects left with nowhere to go. Nearly the entire state was facing drought conditions at the time this was published, with most of the coast in moderate drought with increasing severity toward New Hanover and Brunswick counties and the western portions of most other coastal counties.






