Two Greek shipping companies were sentenced Thursday to pay penalties totaling $2.7 million after being convicted of charges connected to a cargo ship discovered at the Wilmington port to have dumped oily waste into the ocean.
Land Trust Announces Conservation Deals
The Coastal Land Trust announced Thursday two land deals completed in December that will protect a total of more than 1,000 acres in eastern North Carolina from development.
FerryMon Water Quality Program Suspended
Because of the lack of funding beyond 2016, operation of the North Carolina Department of Transportation ferry-based water quality program for the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound known as FerryMon has been suspended.
All Pending Atlantic Seismic Permits Denied
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Friday denied all pending permits for seismic airgun surveys in waters off the Atlantic Coast.
Groups Challenge Blounts Creek Decision
The North Carolina Coastal Federation and the Riverkeeper organization Sound Rivers are seeking to reverse a recent decision to allow a mining company to discharge millions of gallons of water into Blounts Creek.
Group Urges Denial of Seismic Permits
An alliance of East Coast business interests is making a last-ditch effort to protect the coast from offshore drilling, urging President Obama to deny pending permit applications for seismic testing.
Van Der Vaart Demotes Himself
State Environmental Secretary Donald van der Vaart has demoted himself to a position in the air quality division, a job apparently protected from political firing.
Wood Pellet Operations Begin at Wilmington
The Enviva wood pellet export facility at the state port in Wilmington is now operating, with capacity to ship more than a million tons of the biofuel annually.
Obama Blocks Drilling in Atlantic Waters
Using his authority under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, President Obama is withdrawing 3.8 million acres in the north and mid-Atlantic Ocean from offshore drilling for oil and gas, protecting an area from New England to Virginia.
NC Aquarium Opens Alligator Gallery
The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island recently added four new juvenile alligators to its Seven Rivers gallery.
Holden Beach Renourishment Set to Begin
Holden Beach is set to begin this week its long-planned, locally funded Central Reach beach-renourishment project,
‘Jug-Handle’ Bridge Plan OK’d for NC 12
N.C. Highway 12 is set to be replaced with a bridge after federal officials approved the proposal today.
‘Not So Summer Hummer’
Doug Waters of Morehead City recently captured this image of a hummingbird. Waters noted that hummingbirds remain in the coastal area despite the chill, so don’t put away the feeders just yet.
McCrory Signs $200M Recovery Bill
Gov. Pat McCrory signed a $200M Hurricane Matthew recovery bill, which includes funds for short-term housing and sustainable planning.
State Supreme Court Dismisses Nies Case
The North Carolina Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal of a lower court’s ruling in a civil case involving private property rights and public access to the beach.
Coastal Businesses Urge Drilling Ban
A group representing thousands of East Coast businesses sent a letter to President Obama, asking him to permanently ban Atlantic offshore drilling.
