Press Releases

To address the air emissions of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” three state environmental agencies today submitted a petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to add four specific PFAS chemicals to the list of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) under the Clean Air Act. PFAS air emissions affect surface water, groundwater and soil, and result in the contamination of public and private drinking water sources.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials today lifted a water quality swimming advisory at an ocean-side site in Brunswick County.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials today lifted a water quality swimming advisory for a sound-side swimming area in Beaufort County.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) is accepting public comments on draft revisions to the Inspection & Maintenance State Implementation Plan.Public comments are accepted through Sept. 4.The revisions, if approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, would remove the requirement for vehicle emissions inspections in 18 North Carolina counties and limit the vehicles subject to inspections in Mecklenburg County, the only county that would remain in the program.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational officials lifted water quality swimming advisories today at two sound-side sites in New Hanover County.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials today lifted a water quality swimming advisory for a sound-side swimming area in Dare County.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) wants to look at ways to allow more recreational access to flounder fishing in the future.At its business meeting last week, the MFC asked the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) Director to seek permission from the Department of Environmental Quality Secretary to move up the schedule to review the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan beginning this year. The intent is to allow for more recreational access while maintaining the rebuilding requirements of Amendment 3 to the plan.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials today lifted a precautionary advisory warning the public against swimming near two areas along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Rodanthe and Buxton.

The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) will meet Aug. 27 and 28 at the Beaufort Hotel, 2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort. The regular business meeting of the CRC will be called to order at 3 p.m. on Aug. 27 and will resume at 9 a.m. on Aug. 28. An in-person public comment period is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Aug. 27. At the chair’s discretion, comments may be limited to 3 minutes per person. The public may attend the CRC meeting in-person or watch online. The Coastal Resources Advisory Council will meet in-person only Aug. 27, at 1 p.m. at the same location.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Coastal Management (DCM) and the National Park Service’s Cape Hatteras National Seashore (NPS CHNS) today released the report, Managing Threatened Oceanfront Structures: Ideas from an Interagency Work Group. This report is the result of a year-long collaboration between local governments and state and federal agencies via virtual meetings and public workshops. DEQ will use the report to guide next steps, as the state works to address threatened oceanfront structures.