Environmentally Speaking

Approximately $1.2 million in grant funds from three divisions since 1993 has helped develop Pasquotank County’s solid waste and recycling program into a top-notch, comprehensive program. Pasquotank County provides solid waste and recycling services for nearly 50,000 residents who work in northeastern North Carolina and the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Its comprehensive program serves a rural area and provides collection of bulk waste, yard waste, scrap metal, refrigerant and municipal solid waste as well as recycling collection and processing for a wide-variety of materials.

Tony Pendola, who serves as the Department of Environmental Quality’s Small Business ombudsman, has worked for the department for more than 20 years, receiving accolades for his commitment to protecting North Carolina’s natural resources while assisting small businesses meet environmental regulations. In 2014, he was on a team that won the Governor’s Award for saving North Carolina Citizens tens of millions of dollars each year on unnecessary special summertime gasoline blends.

Each of the 260 craft breweries in North Carolina have their own unique flavor in both the brew and the ambiance. There are a select few that have a distinct story to tell because they sit on abandoned, unused, old manufacturing properties that have been repurposed through the North Carolina Brownfields Program.

With 260 breweries and brewpubs, it’s no wonder North Carolina boasts the largest number of craft breweries in the American South according to the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild.