Press Releases

Severe drought has returned to North Carolina for the first time since September 2015 as rainfall deficits continue to impact the southwestern mountains. Portions of Macon, Transylvania, Jackson and Haywood counties were upgraded from moderate drought to severe drought due to lack of adequate rainfall, according to the most recent federal drought map, which is updated every Thursday. Severe drought is the second highest of the four drought categories.

Coastal recreational fishermen hooked more fish in North Carolina in 2015 than they did in 2014. Anglers brought an estimated 10.2 million fish to the docks in 2015, an increase of 6.8 percent over 2014. The estimated weight of these landings rose by 32 percent to 11.6 million pounds. Anglers also released 6 percent more fish in 2015 than in 2014. The top five recreational species harvested, by pounds, were dolphin, bluefish, yellowfin tuna, cobia and wahoo. Landings increased for three of these five species.

The state environmental department will hold a public hearing June 22 in Hickory to hear comments on a draft modified wastewater discharge permit for Duke Energy’s Marshall Steam Station. The facility is required to have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES, permit to cover discharges of wastewater to Lake Norman in the Catawba River basin. The draft permit under review is a renewal of permit #NC0004987.

As part of Governor Pat McCrory’s initiative to protect low-income and minority communities from the effects of coal ash, the state environmental agency has evaluated the potential impact of storing ash in a new lined landfill in Wilmington. An initial review found that storing ash in a new landfill near the Sutton Steam Station would have no disproportionate impact on low-income, minority, and other residential communities within a mile of the proposed site.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun implementing a revised water control plan at Kerr Lake dam, as negotiated by the Corps, the state’s lead environmental agency, other state and federal agencies, non-government organizations and Dominion. Under the revised plan, when the water level in Kerr Lake is above the new guidelines, water releases from the dam that flow into the Roanoke River and floodplain will occur in larger amounts and for shorter periods of time than they have in the past.

A new environmental rule will reduce paperwork for more than 1,400 business owners while freeing up resources North Carolina will use to protect air quality. The businesses that would qualify for air permit exemptions include food manufacturing and colleges and universities.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public meeting on a proposed new artificial reef near Oregon Inlet. The meeting is set for 6 p.m. June 16 in Room 168 of the Dare County Administrative Building, 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo. Staff with the division’s Artificial Reef Program will receive comment on the proposed siting of the reef at 35° 41.672’N/ 75° 26.313’W, which is approximately 8 nautical miles south-southeast of Oregon Inlet. At this site, the reef would be situated in 67 to 72 feet of water.

Governor Pat McCrory has awarded $75,000 in grants to five coastal cities and towns for local planning and management that will help them prepare for the future. The awards are:

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public meeting on a proposed new artificial reef near Oregon Inlet. The meeting is set for 6 p.m. June 14 in Room 168 of the Dare County Administrative Building, 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo. Staff with the division’s Artificial Reef Program will receive comment on the proposed siting of the reef at 35° 41.672’N/ 75° 26.313’W, which is approximately 8 nautical miles south-southeast of Oregon Inlet. At this site, the reef would be situated in 67 to 72 feet of water.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is seeking public input on a proposed oyster sanctuary near Wysocking Bay. Comments will be accepted at a meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. June 14 in the Hyde County Government Building, 30 Oyster Creek Road, Swan Quarter. Staff with the state’s Oyster Sanctuary Program will discuss a plan to construct Gull Shoal Oyster Sanctuary, a 10-acre sanctuary located about 4 miles (3.5 nautical miles) southeast of Wysocking Bay. Those in attendance will be asked for input on the plan.