Special Report: The repeal and replacement of the Obama-era Waters of the United States rule under the Clean Water Act will soon go into effect, putting North Carolina’s wetlands and fisheries in peril, but challenges are expected.
Move On to Take Over River Locks, Dams
The Fayetteville Public Works Commission was expected to submit a letter of intent this month to take ownership of three Cape Fear River locks and dams now owned and managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Rezoning Request For Sand Mine Tabled
The Pender County Planning Board has tabled indefinitely a rezoning request for hundreds of acres proposed to be a sand mining site in Hampstead.
Corps Pulls Sunset Beach Dredge Application
The Army Corps of Engineers has withdrawn Sunset Beach’s permit application for dredging Jinks Creek because the placement area for sand removed from the channel has not been determined.
Navassa History Misunderstood: Planner
Navassa town planner Barnes Sutton, who has spent the last two years trying to balance growing the small town while preserving its history and heritage, says much of that history has been obscured.
‘Where I’m Supposed to Be:’ Navassa Planner
After spending most of his childhood bouncing from one military base to the next, Barnes Sutton, Navassa’s planning director, says the largely African American community is the place to settle and put down roots.
Pender Sand Mine Rezoning Request Delayed
The Pender County Planning Board has tabled its consideration of a controversial rezoning request that was set for Tuesday until April, when the meeting can be held in a space with larger capacity.
State Extends Time For Input On New IHAs
The Division of Coastal Management has added another month for public comments on proposed redrawn inlet hazard area boundaries and associated development rules that have some beach towns concerned.
Sunset Beach Threatens to Take $1.2M Lot
Sunset Beach has sued the new owner of a $1.2 million oceanfront lot near Tubbs Inlet, saying it’s considering taking the land via eminent domain and building a public parking lot and access.
Heritage Center Would Boost Pride: Mayor
Navassa Mayor Eulis Willis says the state’s first Gullah Geechee cultural heritage center planned for the former Kerr-McGee site in town would be a welcome source of community pride.
Rule Change May Threaten Coastal Areas
The recent reversal of a rule that limited where sand from federally restricted coastal zones may be placed may help towns with beach renourishment but could also put sensitive resources at risk.
Navassa Group Urges EPA to Clean Site
Saying it fails to protect the community, a Navassa nonprofit is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to reverse its “no action” decision in a plan for the contaminated Kerr-McGee site.
State’s Inlet Hazard Plan Criticized at Hearing
Holden Beach residents and a town official objected this week to the Division of Coastal Management’s proposal to expand the designated inlet hazard area at Shallotte Inlet.
Study Eyes Onshore Risks of Offshore Drilling
Onshore infrastructure needed to support offshore drilling would also pose a substantial threat to the environment, according to a study released this week by Environment North Carolina.
Residents Urge Stricter Oversight of CPI Plant
Southport residents are demanding the Department of Environmental Quality increase its regulation of the CPI USA North Carolina power plant near their homes.
Southport Backs Off Plan For Sewage Plant
Southport officials have halted design work on a proposed city-owned wastewater treatment plant in an ecologically sensitive area near homes after residents spoke out against it.
