Press Releases

MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve will hold fall local advisory committee meetings between November 8 - Nov. 20 for the following reserve sites. All meetings are open to the public.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) today is releasing requests for proposals (RFPs) for two grant programs aimed at reducing air pollution from the transportation sector: One for electric vehicle chargers and another for clean vehicle replacements.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials today lifted two swimming advisories in Dare County.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources has established interim maximum allowable concentrations, or IMACs, for eight per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater.   The Division received a request to establish IMACs on July 22, 2024.  After reviewing the request, supporting materials and public comments, the Division Director has determined the IMACs will be protective of public health. Effective today, IMACs have been established for the following substances:

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing on proposed shellfish leases in Dare County at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13. The hearing will be held in-person at the Dare County Government Center, 926 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo and by Webex.

 The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) invites the public to provide comment on two draft air quality permit revisions for Duke Energy. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) has issued an air quality permit to Moriah Energy Center, adding stronger reporting requirements to the final permit in response to public comments.Public Service Company of North Carolina, Inc. (PSNC) plans to liquefy natural gas at Moriah Energy Center, in Person County, during periods of excess capacity and convert it back to natural gas during high demand periods. The facility is planned to be constructed in two phases.

The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has received a new Endangered Species Act Section 10 Incidental Take Permit (ITP) from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The ITP authorizes a limited number of incidental takes of sea turtles and sturgeon in internal Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters for estuarine gill net fisheries with the exceptions of runaround/strike/drop and drift gill nets.

Due to the impacts Hurricane Helene has had on several of the river basins in Western North Carolina, the public comment period for the 2024 Broad River Basin Plan has been extended to November 22, 2024.

The Habitat and Water Quality Advisory Committee of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet Oct.16 at 6 p.m. at the Division of Marine Fisheries Central District Office. Also, the meeting will be livestreamed to YouTube.