Sampling at Asheboro’s wastewater treatment plant revealed elevated discharges of 1,4-dioxane, a likely human carcinogen, in a waterway upstream of drinking water sources for some 900,000 North Carolinians.
DEQ
Pony Patrol marks three years of watchful eyes over herds
The third season for the persistently protective volunteers was off to a rough start with abandoned foals having to be removed from the herd, but summer turned around with a filly’s birth on Shackleford Island.
Seafood dealers reminded to switch software by year-end
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries reminds seafood dealers that they need to switch from the PC Trip Ticket Software Program to the new VESL software by the end of the year to report their transactions with fishermen.
State to host meetings for charter, for-hire businesses
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Marine Fisheries Division is hosting three meetings to cover relevant topics such as mandatory harvest reporting.
Wastewater rules comment period extended, hearing set
Public comments will be accepted through Dec. 15 on a draft rule that would allow domestic wastewater discharges into zero-flow streams.
Chemours is doubling down on its toxic history: NRDC
Chemours is not a company that can be trusted to expand its operations responsibly, and it’s an example of the national PFAS pollution crisis, writes Drew Ball of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Opponents urge EPA to uphold objection to Asheboro permit
Those who spoke last week at the Environmental Protection Agency’s hearing on Asheboro’s wastewater permit urged the EPA to uphold its objection to the city’s proposed permit with no effluent discharge limit for 1,4-dioxane into the drinking water supply of hundreds of thousands downstream.
Leland council bans open burning for land clearing
The Leland Town Council unanimously adopted a ban on open burning for the purposes of clearing land within town limits.
Attorneys allege Chemours hid emission data from public
The company “improperly withheld vital emission data from the public” in its Aug. 14 application to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality, according to a letter to regulators from Southern Environmental Law Center attorneys.
Henry Barksdale of Virginia lands state record almaco jack
Barksdale was fishing with Capt. Shaun Dunn out of Teach’s Lair Marina in Hatteras Village.
Coastal fishing charter awarded air pollution reduction grant
An Onslow County fishing charter is one of nine recipients to be awarded from more than $1 million in grants for projects that will reduce air pollution from diesel-powered engines.
State accepting public comments on temporary cooling well
The contractor hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has asked to install a temporary groundwater well off Carolina Beach’s ocean shore to use to cool a pump during an upcoming beach nourishment project.
Public may comment on revised Vanceboro quarry permit
N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources is accepting public comments through Oct. 29 on the revised discharge permit for the Martin Marietta Material Inc. Vanceboro Quarry.
State officials remind public to avoid discolored waters
North Carolinians are reminded to avoid coming into contact with discolored looking water in ponds, lakes and rivers because it could indicate the presence of an algal bloom.
Wild herd, long shadows
Wild horses cross tidal waters from Town Marsh to Bird Shoal along Beaufort’s barrier islands, which are part of the Rachel Carson Reserve, in Carteret County. The cluster of islands includes Carrot Island, Town Marsh, Bird Shoal, and Horse Island, and the horses are descended from those brought to the islands by a Beaufort area resident in the 1940s, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. The state manages the horse population for its health and for the health of the environment, but the herd is otherwise left to fend and forage for itself. Photo: Dylan Ray
State issues permits, certification for mid-Currituck bridge
The Department of Transportation has received a Coastal Area Management Act dredge and fill law permit as well as a water quality certification for its proposed mid-Currituck bridge.
