Press Releases

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has launched an online public records request form, making it easier for the public to access agency records. The new form is part of DEQ efforts to improve efficiency, tracking and fulfillment of requests by DEQ staff.

Sixty-nine Marine Fisheries Commission rules go into effect today, including rules pertaining to marking requirements for commercial pots and trotlines; license and permit suspensions and revocations; shellfish and crustacea management and processing; recordkeeping requirements and tournament licenses; and importation permits. The rules were amended and/or readopted under a state mandated periodic review schedule.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality State Energy Office will hold a public hearing March 27 and accept public comments on the Weatherization Assistance Program’s five-year plan under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Members of the public are invited attend in person or online.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation to establish legally enforceable levels for six PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known to occur in drinking water. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has been working with public water systems to prepare for the proposed regulation and assess PFAS levels in drinking water systems across the state. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (DEMLR) has issued a permit for the Timbermill Wind, LLC, proposal to construct, operate and decommission an onshore wind energy facility generating as many as 189 megawatts in Chowan County.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing on proposed shellfish leases in Dare County at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 12. The hearing will be held in-person at the Dare County Government Center, Commissioner Boardroom, 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo and by WebEx.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries announced today that the spring 2023 recreational striped bass season in the Albemarle Sound Management Area will close at 11:59 P.M., Sunday Mar. 12, 2023. Preliminary estimates of recreational striped bass harvest indicate the spring harvest allocation for these waters has been met.