Published in partnership with Carolina Public Press Gov. Roy Cooper and members of the state’s congressional delegation say they will continue to press the case for assistance for individual victims of Hurricane Dorian after the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s recent decision to deny the state’s request. State officials received a…
Search Results for: Kirk Ross
Ocracoke In Recovery Mode, Awaiting Relief
…About 75 Ocracoke middle and high school students got a much needed break on Friday, gathering at the ferry station for a ride across the sound to East Carteret High School and a weekend of events on the mainland hosted by the school and its booster club. On Sunday, the…
House Set to Vote on Disaster Recovery Bill
The North Carolina Legislative Building. Photo: Mark Hibbs RALEIGH — Funds for buyouts and repairs, bridge loans for local governments, repairs at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, environmental cleanup and a major resiliency study are all part of a disaster recovery package that is expected to be considered this…
Powerful Surge in Store for Sounds, Rivers
Storm surge is likely to be Dorian’s most dangerous and destructive force as the hurricane passes near or over the North Carolina coast Thursday night and into Friday. A storm the size and strength of Dorian pushes an enormous amount of water around and as it makes an expected curve…
Impasse Snags PFAS, Clean Water Funding
The North Carolina Legislative Building. Photo: Mark Hibbs RALEIGH – As the state budget impasse heads into its second month, work on most major bills, including controversial environmental measures, has all but stopped on Jones Street. On Monday, with a vote to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s June 28 veto of…
Brown Says Wind Energy Bill Dead For Now
The Avangrid Renewables Amazon Wind Farm, the first commercial-scale wind farm in North Carolina, became fully operational in late 2016. Photo: N.C. Department of Revenue RALEIGH — A bill that started out as an effort by Sen. Harry Brown, R-Onslow, to limit the areas available for wind energy projects won’t…
Swamp No More: New Plan Ahead for River
A segment of the lower Cape Fear River as captured by NASA astronauts, June 15, 2013. Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center Process to Better Manage Pollution Could Take Years RALEIGH — Shortly after noon on July 10, the Lower Cape Fear River ceased to…
Cooper Signs Shellfish Aquaculture Bill
Oysters in a Pamlico Sound sanctuary are shown. The Support Shellfish Aquaculture bill includes the establishment of three shellfish leases in Pamlico Sound. Photo: N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. This story has been updated. RALEIGH – Gov. Roy Cooper late Friday signed a bill making long-sought changes to North Carolina’s…
Reworked Bill to Limit Wind Energy Advances
The bill would base decisions on wind energy on this map identifying areas where the structures pose a high risk to safety and the military’s ability to perform aviation training. Map: N.C. Commerce Department RALEIGH — A new version of legislation spelling out restrictions on wind energy projects passed the…
Retooled Shellfish Leasing Bill Advances
Oyster sanctuaries, such as this one in Pamlico Sound, are intended to boost oyster populations throughout the estuary. Photo: N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. RALEIGH – Long-term efforts to expand shellfish leasing in North Carolina waters cleared another legislative hurdle this week, an indication that, unlike last year’s bill, this…
Senate Lowers Bottom Line on PFAS Funding
Co-published with Carolina Public Press RALEIGH — Senate and House budget proposals contrast sharply with the governor’s on how each deals with emerging contaminants. In the years since the 2017 revelations about GenX in the Cape Fear River, legislators as a group are far more familiar with the challenges of…
Senate Budget Puts Tighter Hold on DEQ
The North Carolina Senate Chambers RALEIGH — The three-way negotiation between the House, Senate and Cooper administration hits another milestone this week, with the Senate prepared to vote out its version of the $24 billion, two-year spending plan. The Senate bill, which was released Tuesday, includes significant differences in funding…