Topics Related to Environmentally Speaking

Coastal communities in North Carolina are still recovering from the impacts of extreme weather and flooding over the past two years. These communities face difficult decisions about how to deal with the damages from hurricanes, as well as long-term stressors like population growth and sea level rise.

Last week, Division of Mitigation Services Director Tim Baumgartner participated in a panel at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. where he discussed North Carolina’s nationally renowned in-lieu fee program’s procurement system for stream and wetlands restoration. The conference was hosted by the Environmental Restoration Business Association, and in the hallways of the press club and at a reception on Capitol Hill, North Carolina was a hot topic of discussion.

DEQ Secretary Regan was at Fort Caswell on Wednesday to congratulate Tara Whicker for completing the department’s Environmental Education Certification Program and to learn more about Caswell’s educational programming.

Whicker is the coastal education assistant coordinator with the Environmental Stewardship Program at Fort Caswell. She helps facilitate field trips and teach K-12 students about coastal ecology and marine biology in a non-formal, outdoor setting.

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

― Dr.

DEQ Secretary Michael Regan joined NC State Parks Director Dwayne Patterson last week at William B. Umstead State Park to recognize Billy Drakeford for completing DEQ’s Environmental Education Certification.

Elizabeth Werner, a hydrogeologist in the Solid Waste Section, has been selected as the 2018 Division of Waste Management’s Employee of the Year for her unparalleled dedication to public service, exemplary scientific experience and knows-no-bounds enthusiasm for serving the state of North Carolina.

“She embodies everything that the Department of Environmental Quality stands for,” stated her nominator.

Melodi Deaver, administrative specialist in the Hazardous Waste Section’s Compliance Branch, is one of three finalists for the Division of Waste Management’s Employee of the Year Award, the recipients of which are nominated by fellow colleagues who have gone above-and-beyond in their service to the public and the regulated community, while striving to showcase the mission of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

Each year, the Division of Waste Management encourages its staff to nominate fellow colleagues who have gone above and beyond in their service to the public and the regulated community, while striving to showcase the mission of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

Update: View the panel discussion here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1hjL7oF2PY

As North Carolina deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and the impacts of storm-related flooding, several state and national organizations are considering the long-term outlook for the coastal region.

The Division of Waste Management has introduced a new site locator tool, a GIS-based application that consolidates all of the division's sites into one easy-to-use interactive map.