Energy Saver North Carolina initially will focus on single-family, owner-occupied housing, particularly those in high energy-burdened, disadvantaged regions and in areas with storm impacts, according to the state.
DEQ
EPA to NC: Solvent discharge limits deadline ‘mandatory’
A pending lawsuit notwithstanding, the Environmental Protection Agency has put North Carolina on notice: There’s no extension of the time frames for addressing the federal agency’s objections regarding the discharge of 1,4 dioxane into waters upstream of the Cape Fear.
Environmental Secretary Reid Wilson fills top agency roles
Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson last week named to his staff several individuals familiar to those in and around state government.
Coastal Land Trust secures final million to buy ‘The Point’
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is awarding $1 million to the state and conservation organizations to protect the 150-acre, undeveloped tract at the southern end of Topsail Beach.
Incoming environmental chief Reid Wilson revisits his roots
Former Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson sees important opportunities and challenges in terms of public health and environmental protection in his new role as Department of Environmental Quality secretary in the Stein administration.
What to do with natural Christmas trees after the holidays
Whether it’s for trapping beach sand or grinding it for fresh mulch, consider upcycling that live Christmas tree you’ll be undecorating as the holiday season comes to a close.
Pender, Brunswick businesses now certified clean marinas
Division of Coastal Management officials announced Thursday that Sloop Point Marina in Pender County and Calabash Marina in Brunswick County have been certified as North Carolina Clean Marinas.
Division sets training sessions for observer trip scheduling
The Division of Marine Fisheries is hosting a series of public outreach meetings to train fishermen on the Observer Trip Scheduling System for estuarine gill net permitholders in North Carolina.
DEQ adds applications for 4 permit types to online portal
The Department of Environmental Quality said the additions were part of a continuing effort to update and improve the permitting process.
Coastal commission lawyer: CAMA a 50-year ‘balancing act’
Coastal Resources Commission legal counsel Mary Lucasse, speaking during a recent legal symposium in New Bern, said the Coastal Area Management Act balances development and private property rights with protecting natural resources.
Descender devices: Safely resend released fish to their depth
Bringing up a fish too quickly is rough on the fish, and if not a keeper, releasing it improperly results in barotrauma, meaning the poor thing is shark bait — that’s where descenders come in.
State funding available for hurricane damage to beaches
Funding can only be used for costs associated with beach nourishment, artificial dunes and other projects to mitigate or remediate coastal storm damage to the ocean beaches and dune systems of the state.
Waste discharge agreement moves toward becoming rule
The Environmental Management Commission has advanced proposed changes that would codify an existing, long-term agreement with an association of wastewater dischargers into the Tar-Pamlico River Basin.
State Artificial Reef Program looking for advisers, input
Regional advisers and public feedback are needed to recommend materials and reef sites for enhancements in five areas over five years.
Science panel applies 2022 sea level report projections to NC
The Coastal Resources Commission’s science panel has released its “North Carolina 2024 Sea Level Rise Science Update” that applies the findings of a 2022 federal-level sea level rise technical report to North Carolina.
State sets temporary allowable PFAS limits in groundwater
The North Carolina Division of Water Resources released interim maximum allowable concentrations to help define cleanup targets for groundwater contaminated with high levels of the chemical compounds.
