As the 2017 session of the General Assembly begins, the House and the Senate remain divided on key environmental issues, many left over from last year, including a continued fight against renewable energy projects.
Legislators Seek to Shut Down Wind Farm
Ten North Carolina legislators and Congressman Walter Jones have signed letters urging the Trump administration to shut down a wind farm in the northeast because it could interfere with a nearby Defense Department radar.
Conservatives Wary of Cooper’s DEQ Pick
A coastal legislator and conservative groups have hinted at the confirmation battle that may be ahead in the Senate, leveling criticism at Michael Regan, Gov. Roy Cooper’s pick for environmental secretary.
Cooper Names Michael Regan to Lead DEQ
Gov. Roy Cooper named on Tuesday Michael Regan, a veteran of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Environmental Defense Fund, to lead the Department of Environmental Quality.
General Assembly: A Tale of Two Sessions
State lawmakers held two special sessions last week, unanimously approving disaster relief in one and enacting controversial limits on the incoming governor’s authority and sparking protests in the other.
Extra Session Called After Disaster Relief Vote
Leaders in the General Assembly decided to keep going Wednesday after approving a disaster recovery bill, calling another session for measures aimed at diminishing the incoming governor’s powers and loosening environmental rules.
Cooper Seeks to ‘Restore Credibility’ at DEQ
An adviser on Roy Cooper’s transition team says integrity and broad support are the governor-elect’s top priorities for choosing new leadership at the state’s environmental agency.
Gauging Matthew’s Environmental Damage
Efforts to measure the environmental damage caused by Hurricane Matthew, especially the flooding that occurred in its wake continue, but officials are crediting lessons learned from previous storms.
Matthew Relief Funding Remains in Limbo
More than a month since Hurricane Matthew inundated the state, requests for federal disaster aid appear to be stuck in an end-of-year morass.
McCrory Outlines Matthew Recovery Plan
The governor says state lawmakers will likely be called back to Raleigh this month for a special session to address Hurricane Matthew recovery needs, as a new committee begins work to coordinate efforts.
Officials Eye Water Quality As Floods Recede
Rivers have crested and begun to recede in the week and a half since rain from Hurricane Matthew inundated the eastern part of the state, but officials are unsure about the nasty stuff that’s heading downstream.
UNC Officials Appoint Collaboratory Advisers
UNC-Chapel Hill officials have appointed seven scientists and policy experts as advisers to the N.C. Policy Collaboratory, as university faculty continue to scrutinize how the legislature’s creation will operate.
Lawmakers Tour New River Inlet
Members of a state House committee took a boat ride through New River Inlet to get firsthand look at shoaling and the erosion at North Topsail Beach. They heard about dredging, terminal groins and even jetties as possible solutions.
UNC Center Names Interim Director
UNC chose an interim director for its new environmental policy center amid heightened concerns both on and off campus about the potential for political interference in the center’s work.
Lawmakers Fund New Policy Center at UNC
State lawmakers included in the budget passed in June millions of dollars to create a new kind of environmental research and policy center on the UNC campus.
Wind Farm Bill Got Caught in Turbulence
A bill that would have banned land-based wind farms in most of Eastern North Carolina was one of the victims of a late-session showdown between the state House and Senate. It didn’t pass, but its sponsors say they’ll be back next year.
