It costs an additional $1-$3 million a year to remove 1,4-dioxane, a likely carcinogen, from drinking water drawn from the Cape Fear River, costs that could be avoided if upstream polluters were required to reduce the amount of the compounds they discharge.
Environmental Management Commission
Utility industry has heavy hand in draft PFAS monitoring rule
As a committee of the Environmental Management Commission works to draft a PFAS monitoring framework rule, environmental advocates argue the draft language protects industry polluters.
Commission OKs proposed wetlands rule for public comment
The Environmental Management Commission voted during its meeting Thursday to take the next step in the rulemaking process to codify an amendment directed by a 2023 session law to align the state with the federal definition of wetlands.
Commission set to further curb state wetlands protections
The Environmental Management Commission is to consider Thursday moving to public comment with a proposed amendment to align the state’s definition of wetlands with the federal definition, which was narrowed by a May 2023 Supreme Court decision.
Committee calls special meeting on industry dischargers
Updated Feb. 25: The Environmental Management Commission’s water quality committee special meeting scheduled for Feb. 25 has been canceled, NCDEQ officials announced Tuesday morning.
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.
Commission to mull groundwater rules for 4 substances
The Environmental Management Commission will hear the Division of Water Resources director’s recommendation for standards to replace the interim maximum allowable concentrations for three herbicides and a fungicide.
Anger at commission boils over during PFAS rules hearing
Public outrage greeted the state Environmental Management Commission Monday in Wilmington for its latency in adopting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance health standards, for including only three compounds in the proposed standards, and for appeasing the industries that make the chemicals.
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.
Commission sets vote on Tar-Pamlico wastewater hearing
The Environmental Management Commission, when it meets this month, is to consider approving a public notice and hearing on proposed revisions to wastewater-discharge rules put in place to reduce fish kills, harmful algal blooms and other longstanding water quality problems in the Pamlico estuary.
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.
Van der Vaart: Likely carcinogen does not equal carcinogen
Chief Administrative Law Judge and Director of the Office of Administrative Hearings Dr. Donald van der Vaart revoked permit limits of 1,4-dioxane for municipal wastewater treatment plants that discharge a compound the EPA calls a likely human carcinogen into the drinking water sources of tens of thousands.
Update: PFAS groundwater rule OK’d for public comment
The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission on Thursday unanimously waived the normal 30-day public notice, expediting the rulemaking process covering the compounds classified as likely carcinogens.
Commission members balk on 5 proposed PFAS standards
Committees of the Environmental Management Commission stalled proposed health standards for most of the eight synthetic compounds put forth, including two the EPA classified as likely carcinogens.
Environmental Management Commission to meet July 10-11
Committee agendas include DEQ’s proposed groundwater and surface water standards for PFAS.
Totals on PFAS-contaminated utilities ‘coming down daily’
The state’s top drinking water protection official told the Environmental Management Commission Thursday that a shrinking number of North Carolinians get their drinking water from public systems with at least one of the synthetic chemicals that exceeds new federal limits.
