Biser was elected during the fall meeting of the Environmental Council of the States this week.
DEQ
$1M in grants to go to five coastal towns for resilience
Five coastal communities are in line to receive a total of $1.1 million in grants to carry out resilience projects.
Swimming advisory lifted for Oak Island beach site
State recreational water quality officials had announced the advisory Friday when stormwater from flooded streets and roads was being pumped onto the beach.
AECs: A way for people to promote responsible development
North Carolina has a process the public can use to nominate an Area of Environmental Concern and protect the natural and cultural treasures in coastal areas that belong to everyone.
Swimming advisory lifted at Sandy Bay area in Dare County
Officials said Thursday that the advisory was lifted because water testing shows that bacteria levels have dropped below the state’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s standards set for swimming and water play.
Rick Shiver, retired DEQ manager, supervisor, died May 1
Shiver was employed at the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, and its predecessor, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, from Aug. 1, 1973, until his retirement July 31, 2011.
Momentum picks up on draft Flood Resiliency Blueprint
NCDEQ staff and AECOM consulting firm began working with local and state agencies, nonprofits and others last month on creating the draft statewide Flood Resiliency Blueprint.
PFAS mitigation, DEQ staffing funded in Cooper’s budget
The proposed budget includes funding to address PFAS in drinking water sources and to support a team within DEQ to address PFAS statewide.
DEQ now offers online option to request public records
The new online form on the state Department of Environmental Quality website is an effort by the state agency to improve efficiency, tracking and fulfillment of requests by staff, officials said.
Panel to host meeting on threatened oceanfront houses
The Threatened Oceanfront Structures Interagency Work Group that formed in August is to meet at 1 p.m. Feb. 27 by WebEx to discuss property acquisition and financial assistance options for owners.
DEQ launches new webpage with grants, funding sources
The new webpage is a one-stop shop for local governments, businesses, community and nonprofit organizations and others, looking for grant and loan funding information for a variety of environmental projects.
Applicants can now apply online for CAMA major permits
CAMA general permits, enforcement and compliance actions issued under CAMA will transition to the online system in the coming weeks.
State, Chemours settle discharge permit challenge
The agreement ends litigation without changing the discharge permit issued to Chemours for the treatment of contaminated groundwater to reduce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances entering the Cape Fear River.
Understaffed environmental agency ‘stretched to the limit’
With nearly 20% of N.C. Department of Environmental Quality jobs unfilled and hundreds of staff set to retire, cracks are revealed in permitting, regulatory functions.
ECU, NCDEQ selected for pollution-prevention grants
East Carolina University and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality are among 32 recipients across the country that are to receive more than $9 million in pollution prevention grants from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Secretaries’ Science Advisory Board to discuss PFAS
Dr. Jane Hoppin is set to speak to the state Secretaries’ Science Advisory Board Monday about a recent GenX study.