Press Releases

To: Interested Parties From: Sharon Martin, DEQ Public Affairs Date: January 24, 2020 RE: Secretary Regan’s comments on the Revised Waters of the United States (“WOTUS”) Rule

The N.C. Coastal Resource Commission is extending the public comment period until March 2 for proposed rulemaking intended to update Inland Hazard Area boundaries and associated development rules, including 15A NCAC 07H .0304, 7H .0306, 7H .0309, and 7H .0310. The original comment period began on Dec. 2 and was scheduled to end on Jan. 31.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is extending the public comment period until March 6, on a proposed groundwater corrective action plan to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater and surface water at the Chemours Fayetteville Works Site.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing on proposed shellfish leases in Carteret County on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Central District Office, 5285 U.S. 70 West, Morehead City. Matthew Graci has applied for a 0.699-acre shellfish bottom and water column lease in The Straits. Sandbar Oyster Company, LLC (David Cessna, agent) has applied for a 2.35-acre bottom lease below the bridge in North River. Matthew Gruenewald and James Kyle Frey have applied for a 3.83-acres water column lease in mid-Newport River.

RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hold hearings for public comment in February on the plans to excavate coal ash at six Duke Energy facilities. This follows the Dec. 31, 2019 settlement agreement in which Duke Energy agreed to excavate nearly 80 million tons of coal ash at the Allen, Belews Creek, Cliffside, Marshall, Mayo and Roxboro sites to be placed in lined, onsite landfills.

State and federal officials together with Multistate Trust representatives will hold a public meeting regarding the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp – Navassa Superfund site on Tuesday, January 14.

The N.C. Division of Water Resources (DWR) will host a public hearing in Asheville on Jan. 21 to accept comments on assigning a Unique Wetland classification to Sandy Bottom wetlands in Buncombe County.

The Currituck Banks Reserve Local Advisory Committee meeting, originally scheduled for December 5, has been rescheduled for January 15 at 11:00 a.m. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education located at Currituck Heritage Park, 1160 Village Lane in Corolla.

The N.C. Climate Change Interagency Council will meet on January 22 in the auditorium of the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. The agenda will include a presentation on the climate science report by the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies. 

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is seeking input from the public on potential management strategies for an upcoming amendment to the Shrimp Fishery Management Plan. The amendment will examine management strategies to further reduce bycatch of non-target species in the shrimp trawl fishery and potential changes to existing shrimp management strategies. Fishermen and other stakeholders are encouraged to provide input by either attending one of three scoping meetings or providing written comments.