Press Releases

The Andrea Harris Social, Economic, Environmental, and Health Equity Task Force Wednesday released its first biannual report outlining policy recommendations to address disparities in communities of color disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.  The Environmental Justice and Inclusion Subcommittee provided recommendations to increase the consideration of environmental justice and equity concerns in state decision-making and address environmental and economic impacts in disadvantaged communities.

The state Secretaries’ Science Advisory Board will meet on Monday, December 7, via WebEx, to discuss challenges and regulations on PFAS mixtures and to continue its discussion on hexavalent chromium.

The North Carolina Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (DEMLR) has issued a mining permit for Alamance Aggregates LLC to operate a mine in Snow Camp, NC. Following DEMLR’s review of input from the public, the final permit includes additional control measures to safeguard public health and the environment.

The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve will hold local advisory committee meetings by web conference December 1-11, 2020. The public may join the meetings online or by phone.

The Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Water Resources (DWR) will conduct an online public hearing Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at 6:00 PM to review proposed amendments to the Blue Ridge Paper Products, LLC’s (d/b/a Evergreen Packaging) effluent discharge permit.

At its November meeting last week, the State Water Infrastructure Authority adopted distressed unit criteria and identified and designated four local government units as distressed, an important first step in allocating $9 million in funding made available through recent Viable Utility Reserve legislation, Session Law 2020-79, signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper July 1, 2020. 

The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) has extended the public comment period to noon on Monday, December 14, for the proposed Special Order by Consent (SOC) for the City of Greensboro’s T.Z. Osborne Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) NPDES discharge permit.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission wants input from its advisors before it moves forward with possible future modifications to small mesh gill net rules.

The Division of Coastal Management (DCM) is seeking professional services from qualified organizations to provide technical assistance to localities participating in Phases 1 and 2 of the N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP). A Request for Applications is now available to identify contractors who will lead the effort in completing Phases 1 and 2 of the program using DCM’s RCCP Planning Handbook.

The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve will hold local advisory committee meetings by web conference December 1-11, 2020. The public may join the meetings online or by phone.