Press Releases

State environmental officials have notified well owners within half a mile of coal ash facilities that they will receive a permanent alternate drinking water supply.  The notification went out by letter this week to about 1,000 households. “North Carolina continues to lead the nation in addressing the decades-old problem of coal ash,” said Tom Reeder, assistant secretary of the state environmental department. “As we work toward closing every coal ash pond in the state, we are providing residents with the peace of mind that comes from receiving alternate water connections.”

State environmental officials are asking the public to provide input on proposed draft stormwater permits for two Duke Energy Progress facilities in Person County. The state environmental agency has drafted National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES, permits for stormwater discharges at the Mayo Steam Electric Generating Plant and the Roxboro Steam Electric Generating Station. Both facilities are located in the Roanoke River basin.

State officials are seeking public feedback on proposed draft water quality permits for two Duke Energy facilities located in Person County. The state environmental agency has drafted National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES, permits for wastewater discharges at the Mayo Steam Electric Generating Plant, which discharges to Mayo Reservoir and the Roxboro Steam Electric Generating Station, which discharges to Hyco Reservoir. Both facilities are located in the Roanoke River basin.

The state environmental agency will hold a public hearing on a proposed water quality permit for Duke Energy Progress’ Dan River Combined Cycle Station on Aug. 31. The hearing is being held to receive public comments on a draft industrial wastewater discharge permit for the electrical generating plant, which is located in Rockingham County. The facility discharges treated industrial wastewater to the Dan River in the Roanoke River basin. Stormwater discharges from the facility are covered under a separate water quality permit.

The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission has fast-tracked the review schedule for two state fishery management plans. The commission voted last week to proceed this fiscal year with a review of the state’s Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan, which had been slated for fiscal year 2018-2019, to give the commission more management flexibility. The commission also voted to accelerate the review of the state’s Estuarine Striped Bass Plan by one year to 2017-2018 due to possible problems with reproduction in the Tar/Pamlico, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers.

State officials are urging people to avoid contact with potentially harmful algal blooms that extend from the Pamlico River to more than a dozen of its tributaries.

State and federal environmental agencies are inviting public feedback on a plan to clean up remaining environmental contamination at a Superfund site in Columbus County. For four decades, companies including Holtrachem and Honeywell, Inc., used a mercury cell process at the site in Riegelwood to make sodium hydroxide, liquid chlorine, hydrogen gas and other chemicals which were then sold to other companies.

The North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission’s Science Panel will meet Aug. 25 in New Bern to discuss methodologies for calculating inlet shoreline change rates. The panel will meet at 10 a.m. in the Brock Administration Building, Room B-100 at Craven County Community College, 800 College Court, New Bern. The meeting is open to the public. The panel provides scientific advice to the state Coastal Resources Commission. It was created by the commission in 1997, and is composed of coastal engineers and geologists.

State officials will hold four meetings in September to gather public input on the North Carolina Beach and Inlet Management Plan.

A new state study shows encouraging trends for North Carolina’s efforts to divert wholesome, uneaten food from landfills so it can be used to feed the hungry. The “N.C. Organics Recycling Study” revealed that 15,000 tons of wholesome and perishable food was donated and fed to people in 2015. Most of that food was donated by grocery stores, restaurants, catering companies, farmers and other businesses to food rescue organizations that delivered the food to soup kitchens and shelters, said Jorge Montezuma, who works for the state environmental agency and conducted the study.