Press Releases

State officials today lifted the precautionary advisory against swimming issued due to Tropical Storm Idalia is in most ocean and sound-side waters of the state. but a few areas remain under advisory.

The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (EMC) will meet Wednesday, Sept. 13, and Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, at the Wayne West Building at Carteret Community College, 3505 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC. The public may attend in person or via remote access. Room information and remote access links will be posted on the EMC webpage.

State recreational water quality officials are advising the public to avoid swimming in North Carolina coastal waters from Wright Memorial Bridge in Kitty Hawk south to the South Carolina State Line affected by Tropical Storm Idalia.

The 2023 recreational flounder season for Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters will open at 12:01 a.m. on Friday Sept. 15, 2023, and will remain open until 11:59 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. The possession limit will be one flounder per person per day.

During its Fall 2023 funding round, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure is offering Emerging Contaminants funding, available to local government units, non-profit water corporations and investor-owned drinking water companies for planning or construction projects addressing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in water or wastewater systems. An informational webinar about PFAS funding is scheduled for Aug. 31, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Due to ongoing preparations for the approaching storm and the State of Emergency issued by Governor Roy Cooper, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore have postponed the interagency work group meeting scheduled for Aug. 30.

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries will implement adaptive management with a harvest moratorium in the Albemarle Sound Management Area. Despite recent management actions taken by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC), the Albemarle/Roanoke striped bass stock continues to be overfished and to experience overfishing.

The North Carolina Mining Commission’s Committee on Rules Readoption meeting, scheduled for 1 p.m. on Aug. 29, 2023, has been canceled. Information on a rescheduled meeting will be communicated when determined.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore will host an interagency work group meeting on Aug. 30 by web conference to discuss government authorities for managing threatened oceanfront structures. The public may listen by computer or phone.