Bridge Loan Program

Bridge Loan Program

In 2025. the North Carolina General Assembly allocated emergency disaster recovery funding to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Underground Storage Tank Section (NCDEQ-UST) to assist owners and operators with testing and repairing petroleum and hazardous substance underground storage tanks (USTs) affected by Hurricane Helene. The bridge loan program can be used to repair and test commercial underground storage tank systems located in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Eligible services include line and tank testing, product removal and disposal, and repair or replacement of aboveground piping, dispensers, and electronics. Examples of eligible projects include pumping water from USTs and integrity testing of tanks, piping, spill buckets, and containment sumps.

Please note that applications were due on December 31, 2025, and the application period is now closed.

This loan program is intended to provide temporary financial assistance for emergency services until federal disaster relief or insurance reimbursement is received. For those who were awarded a loan, it is interest-free and will mature upon the earlier of receiving federal disaster relief or other funding, or by June 30, 2030.

If you previously applied for a loan and have questions, or any other general inquiries, please reach out to Meredith Love Gawai at meredith.lovegawai@deq.nc.gov. 

The Permanent Rules, effective November 1, 2025, provide additional detail, clarification, consistency, and procedures for the loan application, award, and repayment requirements for the Emergency Infrastructure Bridge Loan Program for Commercial USTs established by S.L. 2024-53, Section 4C.8.