Legislators haven’t made much progress in reaching agreement on two “reform” bills that would have far-reaching effects on environmental regulations.
Senate Plan for ‘The Rocks’ Still Unknown
Officials want to know whether a Senate proposal calling for removal of “The Rocks” dam in the Cape Fear River will be part of the final budget agreement.
Senate Budget Bars Federal Energy Grants
Senate leaders have added a state budget provision that would prohibit agencies from applying for federal clean energy, efficiency and technology grants.
Coastal Stormwater Rules Redux
The state’s coastal stormwater rules were at the center of a debate this week at an unusual public hearing in the N.C. House over a bill that would weaken many environmental regulations.
Public Will Get Its Say on Regulatory Bill
A N.C. House committee, in an unusual move, will allow the public this morning to comment on a controversial state Senate bill that rolls back coastal stormwater standards and weakens a number of other environmental regulations.
A Return to Failed Rules?
Coastal stormwater rules would be rolled back to the failed standards of almost a decade ago under a sweeping reconstituted regulatory bill that is moving quickly through the state Senate and has even business-friendly regulators alarmed.
Coastal Issues Abound in Senate Budget Bill
The state Senate yesterday passed a biennial budget plan that once again contains numerous coastal provisions, including money for inlet dredging, improvements at the state ports and oyster restoration.
Oil Money and N.C. Energy Policy
With the shift of power in Raleigh came a dramatic increase in campaign donations from the oil and gas industry.
New Energy Bills Pave the Way
Timeline of N.C. Energy Bills
Conservation Funds Get Budget Boost
The state House begins debate today on its version of the biennial budget, which features a hefty boost in spending for conservation and clean water projects.
House Weakens Environmental Review
In a late-night session, the N.C. House approved a bill that critics and some legislators say will ultimately gut a 40-year-old law that requires environmental review of state projects.
Sand Bags as Seawalls; Wetlands as Drylands
Bills working their way through the N.C. General Assembly would make it easier to armor the beach and would weaken buffer rules by taking the “wet” out of wetlands.
Feds to States: Plan for Climate Change or Else
The next governor will have to sign off on an assessment of the risks from climate change or put the state at risk of losing millions of dollars in federal emergency-management grants.
McCrory Budget and the Environment
The proposed budget that Gov. Pat McCrory released last week cuts money to a grant program that protects water quality and sensitive land and continues the whittling of the state’s major environmental agency.
Proposed Move of State Parks Causes Jitters
Some worry that the protection of natural resources will get shortchanged if Gov. Pat McCrory succeeds in moving state parks to the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, which is more geared toward attracting customers.
State Studies LNG Plant at Ports
A plant to export liquid natural gas could be built at the state ports in Morehead City or Wilmington, according to a report presented recently to the N.C. General Assembly.
