Press Releases

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) will no longer process an application submitted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) to modify its Title V air quality permit after UNC withdrew its application.

The North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) has been alerted to an animal waste spill impacting Carltons Mill Run creek in Duplin County.
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) Division of Coastal Management (DCM) invites communities and contractors to apply to participate in Phases 1 through 4 of the N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP), which aims to equip communities with additional capability to understand and enhance coastal resilience at the local level. DCM estimates that approximately $2 million will be available for Phases 1 and 2 in FY 2025-2026 and approximately $6 million will be available for Phase 3 and Phase 4 projects in FY 2025-2026. The application deadline for both community and contractor applications is April 25, 2025, by 5 p.m.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources (DWR) is accepting proposals until May 30 through the Clean Water Act-Section 319 (h) Nonpoint Source Grant Funding Program for projects seeking to restore impaired waterways impacted by nonpoint source pollution. The state expects to be able to award $1.5 million in finding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in fiscal year 2025 for competitive funding of watershed restoration projects under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.

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.

The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission will meet March 12-13 in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building in Raleigh. Members of the public may attend in-person or join the meeting by computer or phone. 
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’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.
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.

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.