Press Releases

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today posted a draft permit and announced a new public comment period for Duke Energy Progress, LLC’s requested modification to their H.F. Lee Energy Complex NPDES wastewater discharge permit #NC0003417. On Feb. 21, the Division of Water Resources issued a permit to with an effective date of April 1, 2019. The division did not complete all the public notice requirements and is re-noticing the permit for another 30-day public comment period.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) will host a public meeting and public hearing Tuesday, April 23, on the proposed coal ash beneficiation project at the Duke Energy Progress, LLC former Cape Fear Power Station. The hearing will be held in the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center in Pittsboro.

The state Secretaries’ Science Advisory Board will meet on Monday, April 1, in Raleigh to discuss methyl bromide Acceptable Ambient Level and hexavalent chromium.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality today approved two actions for the Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC’s Belews Creek Steam Station located at 3195 Pine Hall Road, Belews Creek, NC, in Stokes County. The first is a renewal of the NPDES Wastewater Permit and the second is a Special Order by Consent. Both actions included a comment period that concluded on January 25, 2019.

Bald Head Woods Reserve, located on Bald Head Island, is now partially open to visitors after closure due to Hurricane Florence.   The Loop, Middle, and East Trails, located in the southern portion of the Reserve, south of Federal Road are now open to visitors. Visitors should continue to exercise caution when visiting the site and be aware of the risk of natural hazards such as biting insects, poisonous plants, and regular vegetative debris associated with maritime forest ecosystems.    

Federal, state and local officials will meet on March 21 at 6:30 p.m. in Hillsborough to discuss the status of an ongoing project aimed to reduce hydrilla, an invasive weed, in the Eno River. The meeting is open to the public. WHO: Eno River Hydrilla Management Task Force WHAT:  Meeting on the status of hydrilla management in the Eno River watershed WHEN:  March 21, 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Richard E. Whitted Building Room 250, 300 West Tryon Street, Hillsborough

The N.C . Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) has issued a permit to Chemours for the installation and operation of a thermal oxidizer/scrubber system to reduce air emissions of PFAS and GenX at the Fayetteville Works Facility.  The permit incorporates the requirements of the consent order signed on February 25, 2019 to install the thermal oxidizer by December 31, 2019 and reduce all PFAS emissions by 99% beyond the 2017 baseline.  

NC Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael S. Regan issued the following statement on the emergency meeting called by the Marine Fisheries Commission this week.

RALEIGH - State and federal officials together with Multistate Trust representatives will hold a public meeting regarding the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp – Navassa Superfund site on Tuesday, Mar. 26. Topics will include results of environmental investigations completed in 2018, activities planned for 2019 and marketing of the Site for sale and reuse. What:               Public Meeting for the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp – Navassa Superfund site

The N.C . Environmental Management Commission will meet next week at the Archdale Building in downtown Raleigh. Commission committees will meet Wednesday, March 13, with the full commission meeting Thursday, March 14.