The state Division of Coastal Management will hold several public hearings on proposed updated inlet hazard area boundaries and building rules, following hearings on the updated erosion rates used to determine the proposed IHAs
Corps Expands Jinks Creek Plan Review
The Army Corps of Engineers is doing a more comprehensive review of a proposed project to dredge parts of Jinks Creek in Sunset Beach, triggering a 30-day public comment period.
Topsail Island’s Southern Tip Back on Market
A 110-acre, oceanfront tract at New Topsail Inlet that’s in a federal Coastal Barriers Resource Act zone has again been listed for sale, prompting new worries about development.
Coastal Power Plant Up For Permit Renewal
A small power plant in Brunswick County is up for renewal of its five-year permit to discharge pollutants into waters just off Caswell Beach.
Law Shifts Recovery Funds to Topsail Towns
Gov. Roy Cooper has signed into law a bill that transfers $5 million marked last year for a Winston-Salem nonprofit to Topsail Island towns for hurricane recovery projects.
Vibrio Survivor, Wife Warn of Bacteria’s Risks
Richard Flaherty of Oriental was just helping a neighbor last year after Hurricane Florence hit the area, but hours later he nearly died after exposure to bacteria in the standing water.
Math May Favor Buyout of North Topsail
A $30 million buyout of North Topsail Beach’s most vulnerable properties would save over 30 years nearly twice what the town will spend trying to hold back the ocean, says a new university analysis that Mayor Dan Tuman calls “uninformed.”
Navassa Residents Grill Officials on Plans
Frustrated Navassa residents pressed government officials this week for answers on the long-in-the-works plan to restore the town’s creosote-contaminated Superfund site.
Summit Focuses on Climate Risks, Response
More than just the environment, climate change threatens the economy, labor market and infrastructure, according to speakers at Day 1 of the two-day Coastal Resilience Summit this week in Havelock.
Five Research Teams Seek Answers on PFAS
Scientists from seven North Carolina universities who make up the PFAST Network Research Initiative are working in teams to study per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and their effects on human health and the environment.
Samples Suggest Unreported Coal Ash Spills
Contamination levels from coal ash in Lake Sutton’s sediment indicate a long-term process of unreported, unmonitored spills, according to findings of a Duke University study announced Monday.
Tool Shows Best Sites For Resilience Projects
A new online tool can help identify sites where natural resiliency projects, including living shorelines and wetlands restoration, can most benefit people, fish and wildlife.
Towns Eye Dune Systems for Stormwater
Kure Beach officials are awaiting results of a feasibility study of a proposed project to reduce stormwater discharge from ocean outfalls as Caswell Beach advances on a similar plan.
Study: New Normal Demands New Approach
A new report finds the effects of hurricanes and other weather disasters are getting worse, especially for the poorest, and that now is time for building community resilience.
EPA Denies Retaliation Against Scientist
The Environmental Protection Agency says there was no retaliation against a scientist at its Raleigh office for talking to state lawmakers as alleged in a Wilmington-based advocacy group’s social media posts.
Ports Authority Set to Appeal Permit Denial
The State Ports Authority will try to persuade the Coastal Resources Commission this week that a proposed expansion project’s economic benefits outweigh any environmental concerns.
