Environmentally Speaking

Modernizing the Hazardous Waste Billing Process

Working with the state’s Department of Information Technology, the Division of Waste Management’s Hazardous Waste Section successfully modernized its outdated and inefficient paper billing and collection process with an online solution.

Learn about landslide threats in your county with new DEQ tool

The publicly available website and viewer are designed for use by community planners, emergency management personnel, design consultants, educators and real estate professionals. NCGS’ currently published landslide inventory contains information on more than 4,500 landslides.

N.C. Marine Patrol officers learn the ropes of swift water rescues

It requires a lot of training, but when they are finished, the N.C. Marine Patrol will have a certified swift water rescue team, yet another way they can help save lives during emergencies.

One Remarkable Fish: Tag return shows North Carolina striped bass was one of the oldest recorded on East Coast

Clark Purvis could not have known just how remarkable that striped bass he recently caught would turn out to be.

Earth Day 2020

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we reflect on what we do everyday as an agency, and specifically air quality, to promote the values of this year’s Earth Day theme: climate act

History of Earth Day

Did you know that Earth Day was started right in the United States by a US Senator from Wisconsin named Gaylord Nelson?  Having witnessed oil spills and environmental degradation, he used the anti-war movement started b

Fresh Air, Earth Day and Robin Hood - Earth Day Today

Many know the story of Robin Hood, or the pop culture significance of Robin Hood the hero, a commoner who stole from the rich to give to the poor, in the myriad of stories about his life one thi

Division of Marine Fisheries Artificial Reef Program sinks tugboat off Dare County

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Program, in partnership with the Oregon Inlet Artificial Reef Committee, sank the first of three tugboats off the coast of Pea Island on Monday.

Ed Mussler Exemplifies the Heart of a Public Servant

Solid Waste Section Chief Ed Mussler has been recognized with the Governor’s Award of Excellence for his work in public service.

Raleigh’s Peace Street Gets a Facelift

The Division of Waste Management’s extensive work to protect the environment and public health can be seen across North Carolina.

Johnston County Farmers Test New Equipment to Collect, Recycle Field Plastic

What happens to the black plastic film or mulch that sits on mounds of newly planted produce on North Carolina’s nearly 50,000 farms?

Wegmans: The History Behind the Experience

The much anticipated opening of North Carolina’s first Wegman’s grocery store is an achievement for two of DEQ’s important programs.  

Trash to Treasure: Urban and Community Parks Made Possible Through Cleanup Work

Some North Carolina communities have found ways to turn trash into treasure – with the help of the department’s Brownfields and Pre-Regulatory (PRLF) Landfill programs.

Energy to Art in the Unlikeliest of Places

The term “energy” is normally associated with big power plants and turbines pumping electricity to our homes. But that’s not the case everywhere. At the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro, North Carolina, energy is turned into art.

A Well-Rounded Approach to Sustainability

At this year’s Environmental Stewardship Initiative (ESI) Conference, DEQ Secretary Michael Regan had one message: we’re all environmentalists. From business leaders to students to ESI stewards, environmentalists see that environmental stewardship and economic development go hand-in-hand.