Press Releases

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality State Energy Office’s upcoming public engagement session in Fayetteville will now be held at the Cumberland County East Regional Public Library. This session is part of a series of public engagement opportunities to provide information and gather feedback on the Department’s initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of the CPRG Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP).    

License sales at the Division of Marine Fisheries Manteo Office will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday this week (March 4-5), reopening on Thursday, March 6.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources (DWR) will hold a public hearing on April 22 to hear public comment on proposed changes to North Carolina’s surface water quality standards, including the addition of standard for E. coli as an indicator of pathogens, or disease-causing organisms, in recreational waters.

March 1 marks the beginning of the 2025 ozone season as state and local environmental agencies renew their daily air quality forecasts for ozone across North Carolina.Through Oct. 31, the daily air quality forecasts from the North Carolina Division of Air Quality (DAQ) will include ozone in addition to fine particle matter (PM2.5) pollution, which is forecast year-round. The daily air quality forecast is available on the Air Quality Portal.

During the Feb. 2025 regular business meeting of the NC Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) in New Bern, NC, former Division of Coastal Management (DCM) Deputy Director, Michael “Mike” Lopazanski was recognized with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award. Granted by the Office of the Governor to honor those who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments, the award is the highest civilian honor in the state of North Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure is accepting comments until March 14, 2025 on updates to several Intended Use Plans (IUPs) and Project Priority Lists, and until March 31, 2025, for new draft Intended Use Plans and proposed Priority Rating Systems for the State Revolving Fund and Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure (CDBG-I) programs.

The NCDEQ’s Division of Marine Fisheries is seeking public input as it develops Amendment 5 to the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan (FMP). A public scoping period will be held from March 1 through March 31, providing stakeholders an opportunity to share feedback on potential management strategies and priorities for the amendment. The scoping period will include four scoping meetings.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) State Energy Office is holding additional engagement sessions as part of a series of public engagement opportunities in February and March to provide information and gather feedback on the Department’s initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant’s (CPRG) Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP). 

The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission Water Quality Committee meeting, originally scheduled for today, Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building in Raleigh, has been canceled.

After receiving feedback at a public hearing and during the comment period, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources has approved the renewal of the permit regulating wastewater discharge from Martin Marietta Materials Inc.’s Vanceboro Quarry.