Rules Review

N.C. Gen. Stat. §150B-21.3A, adopted in 2013, requires state agencies to review existing rules every 10 years. The Department of Environmental Quality's rules are located by subchapters in Title 15A of the NC Administrative Code. The Department's rules will be reviewed on a schedule established by the Rules Review Commission. As rules become available for public comment, links will be available below.

The Department is required to evaluate each of the existing rules and make an initial determination from one of these two classifications:

  • Necessary – Means any rule other than an unnecessary rule.
  • Unnecessary – Means a rule that the agency determines to be obsolete, redundant, or otherwise not needed.
 
Tab/Accordion Items

The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission is requesting to reschedule the 15A NCAC 02A report for earlier review as part of the periodic review and expiration of existing rules. The request for earlier review was submitted to the Rules Review Commission on March 19, 2025, and the RRC will consider the request at its April 24, 2025, meeting.

To view the letter requesting the 15A NCAC 02A report be rescheduled for earlier review, please click here.

To view the current rules in 15A NCAC 02A, please click here.

The public may contact to the Rules Review Commission to object to the rescheduling.

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, the Sedimentation Control Commission is seeking public comment on the initial determinations and its existing rules.  Public comment means written comments objecting to the rule, in whole or in part, or objecting to the initial determination of the rule as necessary or unnecessary.

The comment period begins February 28, 2025, and ends on April 29, 2025.

Please specify which rule citation (ex: 15A NCAC 04B .0105) your comment corresponds to.

To view the Sedimentation Control Commission's initial determinations for each rule, click here. 
To view the Sedimentation Control Commissions existing rules, click here.

To submit electronic comments, email: julie.coco@deq.nc.gov

Or mail written comments to:
Depart. of Environmental Quality
DEMLR-LQS-Sediment Program
1612 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1612

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, the Environmental Management Commission is seeking public comment on the initial determinations and its existing rules. Public comment means written comments objecting to the rule, in whole or in part, or objecting to the initial determination of the rule as necessary or unnecessary.

The comment period begins January 24, 2025, and ends on April 1, 2025.

Please specify which rule citation (ex: 15A NCAC 02L .0101) your comment corresponds to.

The following links can be used to view the Environmental Management Commission's initial determinations for each Subchapter:

To view the Environmental Management Commission's existing Subchapter of Rules, click below:

To submit electronic comments, email here: publiccomments@deq.nc.gov

Or mail written comments to:

Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Waste Management
Underground Storage Tank Section
1646 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1646

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, the Environmental Management Commission is seeking public comment on the initial determinations and its existing rules. Public comment means written comments objecting to the rule, in whole or in part, or objecting to the initial determination of the rule as necessary or unnecessary.

The comment period begins January 24, 2025, and ends on April 1, 2025.

Please specify which rule citation (ex: 15A NCAC 02I .0101) your comment corresponds to.

To view the Environmental Management Commission's initial determinations for each rule, click here. To view the Environmental Management Commission's existing rules, click here.

To submit electronic comments, email jennifer.everett@deq.nc.gov.

Or mail written comments to:

Depart. of Environmental Quality
Office of General Counsel
Attn:  Jennifer Everett
1601 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1601

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, the Environmental Management Commission is seeking public comment on the initial determinations and its existing rules. Public comment means written comPursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, the Environmental Management Commission is seeking public comment on the initial determinations and its existing rules. Public comment means written comments objecting to the rule, in whole or in part, or objecting to the initial determination of the rule as necessary or unnecessary.

The comment period begins January 24, 2025, and ends on April 1, 2025.

Please specify which rule citation (ex: 15A NCAC 02G .0501) your comment corresponds to.

To view the Environmental Management Commission's initial determinations for each rule, click here. To view the Environmental Management Commission's existing rules, click here.

To submit electronic comments, email publiccomments@deq.nc.gov.

Or mail written comments to:

Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Water Resources
Water Planning Section
1611 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1611

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, the Environmental Management Commission is seeking public comment on the initial determinations and its existing rules.  Public comment means written comments objecting to the rule, in whole or in part, or objecting to the initial determination of the rule as necessary or unnecessary.

The comment period begins September 27, 2024, and ends on November 26, 2024.

Please specify which rule citation (ex: 15A NCAC 02R .0102) your comment corresponds to.

To view the Environmental Management Commission's initial determinations for each rule, click here. To view the Environmental Management Commission's existing rules, click here.

To submit electronic comments, email here:  publiccomments@deq.nc.gov subject line: "DMS public comment"

Or mail written comments to:

Depart. of Environmental Quality
Division of Mitigation Services
1652 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1652

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, the Environmental Management Commission is seeking public comment on the initial determinations and its existing rules.  Public comment means written comments objecting to the rule, in whole or in part, or objecting to the initial determination of the rule as necessary or unnecessary.

The comment period begins July 12, 2024, and ends on Sept. 20, 2024.

Please specify which rule citation (ex: 15A NCAC 02K .0101) your comment corresponds to.

To view the Environmental Management Commission's initial determinations for each rule, click here. To view the Environmental Management Commission's existing rules, click here.

To submit electronic comments, email here:  dwm.publiccomments@deq.nc.gov

Or mail written comments to:

Depart. of Environmental Quality
Division of Waste Management
Dry Cleaning Solvent Cleanup Act Program
1646 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1646

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, the Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board is seeking public comment on the initial determinations and its existing rules.  Public comment means written comments objecting to the rule, in whole or in part, or objecting to the initial determination of the rule as necessary or unnecessary.

Please specify which rule citation (ex: 15A NCAC 18D .0103) your comment corresponds to.

The comment period begins July 29 and ends October 4, 2024.

To view the Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board’s initial determinations for each rule, click here.  To view the Board’s existing rules, click here.

To submit electronic comments, email here:   jay.frick@deq.nc.gov

Or mail written comments to:

Jay Frick
Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Water Resources
Public Water Supply Section
1634 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1634

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission is seeking public comment on the initial determinations and its existing rules.  Public comment means written comments objecting to the rule, in whole or in part, or objecting to the initial determination of the rule as necessary or unnecessary.

Please specify which rule citation (ex: 15A NCAC 08F .0101) your comment corresponds to.

The comment period begins August 16 and ends October 22, 2024.

To view the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission’s initial determinations for each rule, click here.  To view the Commission’s existing rules, click here.

To submit electronic comments, email here:   jay.frick@deq.nc.gov

Or mail written comments to:

Jay Frick
Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Water Resources
Public Water Supply Section
1634 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1634

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, the Coastal Resources Commission is seeking public comment on the initial determinations and its existing rules.  Public comment means written comments objecting to the rule, in whole or in part, or objecting to the initial determination of the rule as necessary or unnecessary.

The comment period begins September 10, 2024, and ends on November 9, 2024.

Please specify which rule citation (ex: 15A NCAC 07B .0100) your comment corresponds to.

To view the Coastal Resources Commission's initial determinations for each rule, click here. To view the Coastal Resources Commission's existing rules, click here.

To submit electronic comments, email here: Tancred.Miller@deq.nc.gov

Or mail written comments to:

Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Coastal Management
400 Commerce Avenue
Morehead City, NC 28557

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, the NC Commission for Public Health is seeking public comment on the initial determinations and its existing rules.  Public comment means written comments objecting to the rule, in whole or in part, or objecting to the initial determination of the rule as necessary or unnecessary.

Please specify which rule citation (ex: 15A NCAC 18C .0102) your comment corresponds to.

The comment period begins November 8, 2024, and ends January 17, 2025.

To view the Commission’s initial determinations for each rule, click here.  To view the Commission’s existing rules, click here.

To submit electronic comments, email to:   jay.frick@deq.nc.gov

Or mail written comments to:

Jay Frick
Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Water Resources
Public Water Supply Section
1634 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1634

Tab/Accordion Items

If you would like to receive notification of DEQ's Periodic Review and Expiration of Existing Rules, you may subscribe to our DEQ Rules mailing list:  




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