Press Releases

Officials with the N.C. Division of Water Resources are seeking public feedback on a draft wastewater permit for the Cape Fear Steam Electric Power Plant in Moncure, N.C. The facility discharges treated industrial wastewater and stormwater to the Cape Fear River in Chatham County.

The State Water Infrastructure Authority and the N.C. Division of Water Infrastructure are seeking public comment on proposed changes to water infrastructure funding programs.

The state departments of Environmental Quality and Health and Human Services will host a fourth community information session Thursday, Feb. 1, to provide updates and answer questions about GenX released by the Chemours Fayetteville Works facility. Topics will include surface water and drinking water well sampling results and alternative water options, as well as preliminary air sampling. WHEN: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1

State officials are hosting a public hearing Jan. 18 on the Pender County Utilities’ request to transfer more water from a neighboring river basin to meet the system’s projected water demands.

North Carolinians with ideas about how to use $92 million from a court settlement to improve North Carolina’s air quality are encouraged to share their ideas as the State of North Carolina develops its plan. Governor Roy Cooper named the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as the lead agency to develop its Volkswagen mitigation plan. Close to 18,700 of the affected vehicles are registered in North Carolina, making the state eligible to receive more than $92 million dollars from the national settlement with Volkswagen AG and its Audi and Porsche affiliates.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality announced today it is moving to revoke Chemours’ permit to discharge process wastewater because the company failed to comply with its permit and failed to report an October spill.

The state Oil and Gas Commission meeting planned for Thursday in Sanford has been cancelled.

State officials received surface water test results from the recreational lake at Camp Dixie in Bladen County showing concentrations of GenX of 620 parts per trillion. Surface water results from Marshwood Lake in Cumberland County showed concentrations of GenX at 915 parts per trillion while the Hall Park baseball field well water showed concentrations of 53.6 parts per trillion.

At the Department of Environmental Quality’s urging, Chemours will capture additional industrial wastewater with fluorinated compounds instead of releasing it into the Cape Fear River. The compounds were identified in an EPA report as coming from manufacturing areas inside the company’s Fayetteville Works facility.

The state Division of Coastal Management has awarded more than $1.6 million to 14 local governments to improve public access to coastal beaches and waters for the 2017-18 fiscal year. “We want people to be able to enjoy North Carolina’s beautiful beaches and waterways,” said Michael S. Regan, secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality. “These funds will allow for much greater access to our beaches and waterways, which helps visitors and bolsters coastal economies.”