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.
Through Oct. 31, the daily air quality forecasts from the North Carolina Division of Air Quality (DAQ) will include ozone in addition to fine particle matter (PM2.5) pollution, which is forecast year-round. The daily air quality forecast is available on the Air Quality Portal.
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.
A water quality sampling effort launched in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene helped NCDEQ Division of Water Resources staff identify potential sources of contamination.
A preliminary assessment of insect communities in waterways of western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene demonstrated that in most waterbodies sampled, the variety of species as well as the number of each insect species was generally comparable to before the hurricane. It also identified a few waterways that had declines in the variety of insect species and abundances.
March 27, 2025, 6pm - 8pm
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) State Energy Office is holding additional engagement sessions as part of a series of public engagement opportunities in February and March to provide information and gather feedback on the Department’s initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant’s (CPRG) Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP).
March 20, 2025, 6pm - 8pm
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) State Energy Office is holding additional engagement sessions as part of a series of public engagement opportunities in February and March to provide information and gather feedback on the Department’s initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant’s (CPRG) Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP).
The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission Water Quality Committee meeting, originally scheduled for today, Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building in Raleigh, has been canceled.
The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) will meet Feb. 26 and 27 at the DoubleTree New Bern Riverfront, 100 Middle Street, New Bern. The public may attend the CRC meeting in-person or watch online.
The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve, a program of the Division of Coastal Management in the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, in conjunction with the Old-Growth Forest Network, hosted a dedication ceremony for Bald Head Woods Reserve recognizing the site’s addition to the network in late January 2025. Staff and representatives from the Old-Growth Forest Network were joined by local, state, and community partners to celebrate on site with brief speeches and a guided hike through the woods.
February 27, 2025, 6pm - 8:30pm
The NCDEQ Division of Water Resources will hold a public hearing on Feb. 27 at the Currituck County Center to hear public comment on North Carolina Department of Transportation and North Carolina Turnpike Authority’s 401 water quality certification application for the proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge project.
