Press Releases

RALEIGH – 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.

State officials today lifted the precautionary advisory against swimming issued due to Tropical Storm Debby for all but two ocean-side sites. All sound-side areas remain under advisory.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet in person Aug. 21-23 at the Hilton Raleigh North Hills, in Raleigh. The meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) invites residents to hear updates on fine particulate matter air pollution in North Carolina.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials are advising the public to avoid swimming in North Carolina coastal waters from Wright Memorial Bridge in Kitty Hawk south to the South Carolina State line affected by Tropical Storm Debby.
On Monday, August 5, a days-old wild horse, and resident of the Rachel Carson Reserve, was seen exhibiting signs of extreme distress. Paula Gillikin, NCDEQ Division of Coastal Management’s Coastal Reserve site manager for the Rachel Carson Reserve, observed and examined the female foal at the Reserve. After consulting with the Reserve’s local equine veterinarian, the Division subsequently moved the horse from the Reserve for further examination and treatment.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper joined United States Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to announce new funding through the Department of Energy to enhance North Carolina’s electrical grid and increase capacity for renewable energy storage. They were joined by N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Elizabeth Biser and other officials as they announced the second round of funding through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program at the Duke Energy facility in Garner.
The North Carolina Mining Commission will meet at 1 p.m. on August 13, 2024, in Raleigh. The public is invited to attend in person or online.
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Standard Commercial Fishing License Eligibility Board will meet by teleconference at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 22. The board will consider license applications that are deemed complete and submitted by Oct. 1.
The N.C. DEQ Division of Marine Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Program sank a tugboat, Thomas Dann, on Aug 1 at AR-305, off Cape Lookout.