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.
News Briefs
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.
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.
Perry is Trump’s Pick to Lead the DOE
President-elect Donald Trump has picked former Texas governor Rick Perry to lead the Department of Energy.
Men Sentenced for Illegal Waste Dumping
Two cargo ship engineers convicted of illegal dumping ship waste off of Wilmington’s port will spend months in federal prison.
Staff Prepares for Cold-Stunned Turtles
Staff at the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation Center at the North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island are prepared in case plummeting temperatures this week result in a flood of cold-stunned turtles.
Trump Picks Scott Pruitt to Lead EPA
Oklahoma’s attorney general is chosen to lead the EPA over North Carolina Environmental Secretary Donald van der Vaart.
Rabon Appointed to Rules Committee
Sen. Bill Rabon of Brunswick County has been named the new Senate Rules Committee chairman, Senate majority leader Phil Berger announced Tuesday.
Wood Pellet Facility Operations Set to Begin
Enviva’s terminal at the N.C. Port of Wilmington and the company’s wood-pellet production facility in Sampson County are substantially complete and the port’s handling of the biofuel is expected to begin this month.
Swan Days Festival Set for Dec. 10
Lake Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge will host its annual celebration of bird migration Saturday.
