Guest commentary: Ignoring the past guarantees a grim future for our coastal communities, as the fishermen of Rose Bay warned decades ago. Will we listen now, or once again pay the price for failing to protect our way of life?
EPA
No NC limit on 1,4-dioxane means water customers bear costs
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.
EPA drinking water grant for Brunswick snarled by DOGE
The Trump administration tried to cancel as “wasteful” a $20 million federal award to help Brunswick County’s rural communities of Supply, Ash and Longwood replace lead water pipes and clean up nearby wetlands, while the cofounder of a recipient nonprofit insists, “Our grant is so much about community.”
EPA targets remaining federal isolated wetlands protections
New Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency is pursuing a definition for the waters of the United States “that is simple, that is durable and it will withstand the test of time.”
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.
State seeks impaired watershed restoration project proposals
The Department of Environmental Quality expects to receive $1.5 million in federal grants to fund all or portions of eligible watershed restoration projects.
Navassa Superfund site progress update set for next week
Ongoing and future work at the former Kerr-McGee Chemical Corps site in Navassa will be discussed during a March 4 meeting at the town’s community center.
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.
EPA adds 9 more PFAS to chemical reporting requirements
Nine additional per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have been added to the EPA’s annual Toxics Release Inventory reporting requirements.
Meeting on Navassa superfund site cleanup progress slated
Representatives from the Multistate Trust, EPA and N.C. Department of Environmental Quality plan to host community meeting on the latest cleanup efforts in the former Kerr-McGee wood treatment plant Superfund Site.
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.
Federal court backs EPA’s GenX health advisory
Chemours vows to continue legal challenges against the regulatory agency; and while environmentalists view the ruling as a victory, some legal experts suggest an unpredictable regulatory landscape going forward.
EPA chief, governor visit Brunswick County to hail funding
Under a canopy of towering pines in the Green Swamp Preserve, Gov. Roy Cooper, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and others touted grants to reduce carbon emissions and help communities become more resilient.
EPA awards $421 million to multistate-nonprofit coalition
The Environmental Protection Agency announced the funding for a collaborative effort by North Carolina and three other states along with nonprofits for conservation and restoration work that reduces carbon emissions and increases resilience.
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.
