Press Releases

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N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission advisory committees meet to discuss blue crab adaptive management

Three advisory committees to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet this month to accept public comment, discuss, and vote on recommendations for adaptive management for the draft Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3 Revision.

DEQ Reminds Residents, Businesses that Burning Trash is Against State Law

The open burning of trash, metal, plastic and all other man-made materials not only harms the environment and poses a public health risk, it’s against state law.

NC DEQ Directs Chemours to Significantly Expand Well Testing

At NC DEQ's direction, Chemours is significantly expanding sampling eligibility for PFAS contamination in private drinking water wells around the Fayetteville Works plant, now including portions of Harnett and Hoke counties.

UNC Chapel Hill Withdraws DEQ Application for Air Quality Permit Modification

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) will no longer process an application submitted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) to modify its Title V air quality permit after UNC withdrew its application.

NCDEQ Division of Water Resources now accepting grant proposals to address flood resiliency, stream restoration and water-based recreation

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources is now accepting proposals for projects that address flood reduction or flood resiliency in key river basins in the state. In addition, DWR is also accepting proposals statewide to address stream restoration, water-based restoration and water management.

NCDEQ Division of Coastal Management to hold public hearing on Mid-Currituck Bridge CAMA application

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) Division of Coastal Management (DCM) will hold a public hearing on March 18 from 5-7 p.m. at the Town of Duck’s Town Hall, 1200 Duck Road, to hear public comment on North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and North Carolina Turnpike Authority’s (NCTA) Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) application for the proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge project.

Waste spill of 95,000 gallons impacts stream in Duplin County

The North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) has been alerted to an animal waste spill impacting Carltons Mill Run creek in Duplin County.

State invites communities and contractors to apply for Phases 1 through 4 of the N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) Division of Coastal Management (DCM) invites communities and contractors to apply to participate in Phases 1 through 4 of the N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP), which aims to equip communities with additional capability to understand and enhance coastal resilience at the local level. DCM estimates that approximately $2 million will be available for Phases 1 and 2 in FY 2025-2026 and approximately $6 million will be available for Phase 3 and Phase 4 projects in FY 2025-2026. The application deadline for both community and contractor applications is April 25, 2025, by 5 p.m.

NCDEQ Division of Water Resources now accepting proposals to restore waters impaired by nonpoint source pollution

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources (DWR) is accepting proposals until May 30 through the Clean Water Act-Section 319 (h) Nonpoint Source Grant Funding Program for projects seeking to restore impaired waterways impacted by nonpoint source pollution. The state expects to be able to award $1.5 million in finding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in fiscal year 2025 for competitive funding of watershed restoration projects under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.

UPDATE: Public Engagement Session in Fayetteville on the Development of the Federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant’s Comprehensive Climate Action Plan Relocated

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality State Energy Office’s upcoming public engagement session in Fayetteville will now be held at the Cumberland County East Regional Public Library.

N.C. Environmental Management Commission to meet March 12-13

The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission will meet March 12-13 in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building in Raleigh. Members of the public may attend in-person or join the meeting by computer or phone. 

License sales at Division of Marine Fisheries Manteo Office closed Tuesday and Wednesday

License sales at the Division of Marine Fisheries Manteo Office will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday this week (March 4-5), reopening on Thursday, March 6.

DEQ Accepting Public Comments on Draft Water and Wastewater Funding Intended Use Plans

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure is accepting comments until March 14, 2025 on updates to several Intended Use Plans (IUPs) and Project Priority Lists, and until March 31, 2025, for new draft Intended Use Plans and proposed Priority Rating Systems for the State Revolving Fund and Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure (CDBG-I) programs.

2025 Ozone Season Begins Tomorrow

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.

NCDEQ Division of Water Resources to hold public hearing on proposed changes to N.C. water quality standards

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources (DWR) will hold a public hearing on April 22 to hear public comment on proposed changes to North Carolina’s surface water quality standards, including the addition of standard for E. coli as an indicator of pathogens, or disease-causing organisms, in recreational waters.