Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced Tuesday that the Department of Energy will provide $18.5 million for offshore wind research, specific to the United States, with the goal to reduce the cost.
News Briefs
Brunswick to Study Water Treatment Options
Water treatment options will be explored before Brunswick County expands its Northwest Water Treatment Plant in Leland.
Options Eliminated For Cape Fear Crossing
Planners have rejected half of the 12 originally proposed alternative routes for a project to improve transportation around New Hanover and Brunswick counties and the North Carolina Port of Wilmington.
UNC Students To Present Shorelines Projects
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill students will present their Capstone Project research findings this month. Students based the Morehead City Field Site will present Dec. 8 and those at the Outer Banks Field Site on Dec. 14 in Wanchese.
Prep Work Begins For Removal of Frisco Pier
Work has begun in preparation for the removal of what remains of Frisco Pier, which was already closed when damaged during Hurricane Earl in 2010.
Cape Lookout Readies for Winter
Cape Lookout National Seashore has announced its winter hours. Effective Dec. 10, the Beaufort Visitor Center will be closed and the Harkers Island Visitor Center will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sunday.
Bald Head Ferry Authority Meeting Dec. 14
The first meeting of the Bald Head Island Transportation Authority is set for Dec. 14 in Bolivia. The ferry system that was once privately owned is now under Brunswick County’s management.
North Topsail Beach Manager Resigns
Town Manager Stuart Turille submitted a letter of resignation from his position in North Topsail Beach effective Jan. 1, 2018. The town board of aldermen will meet in a closed session Dec. 6 to discuss how to proceed.
Jones Urges Study of Proposed Channel Shift
Congressman Walter B. Jones wants the Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate all possible outcomes of its proposal to move the Morehead City Port channel 700 feet west, away from Shackleford Banks and toward Atlantic Beach.
Coastal Commission’s Science Panel To Meet
The North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission’s Science Panel will meet Dec. 5 in New Bern to review inlet shoreline change rates and to discuss methodologies used to update inlet hazard area.
Public Forum Dec. 4 To Hear GenX Concerns
A meeting of the N.C. Science Advisory Board is set for Monday in Wilmington, followed by a public forum to hear feedback on GenX and other concerns surrounding emerging contaminants.
NCDOT To Upgrade To New, Larger Ferry
Elliot Bay Design Group has designed a 38-vehicle ferry for NC DOT Ferry Division expected to replace the 26-vehicle, M/V Thomas A. Baum Hatteras-class ferry in March 2019 when vessel construction is completed.
Senate Bill Would End Red Wolf Program
A Senate panel has asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to end its 30-year effort to help the nearly-extinct eastern red wolf recover in the wild.
Donald Van Der Vaart Resigns DEQ Position
Donald van der Vaart, the former Department of Environmental Quality secretary under Gov. Pat McCrory, has resigned from his position in DEQ’s Division of Air Quality after being put on suspension.
State Seeks Input on VW Settlement Funds
The state received $92 million in Volkswagen settlement funds to reduce air pollution from mobile sources and is looking for public input on how the funds should be invested.
New Data Show High GenX Concentrations
Department of Environmental Quality announced Wednesday that concentrations of GenX at Chemours’ wastewater discharge outfall in Fayetteville recently exceeded the state’s provisional drinking water health goal.
