Press Releases

Today, the consent order between the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, community and environmental groups and Duke Energy regarding the excavation of more than 80 million tons of coal ash was approved in its entirety by Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway.

The N.C. Division of Water Resources is accepting proposals for grant funds used to restore waterways impaired by nonpoint source pollution. 

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hold a hearing for public comment about the plan to excavate coal ash at Duke Energy’s H.F. Lee Power Station on Monday, Feb. 11, beginning at 6 p.m.  

The State Water Infrastructure Authority will meet Wednesday, Feb. 12 at the N. C. Rural Economic Development Center, 4021 Carya Drive, in Raleigh.

*UPDATE 3/13/2020: The public hearings scheduled for revised log fumigation rules on Tuesday, March 17 in Raleigh and on Wednesday, March 18 in Wilmington, have been postponed based on the current guidance to avoid gatherings of over 100 people to help minimize the spread of COVID-19.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is looking for commercial and recreational fishermen and scientists to advise them on various fisheries issues.

The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission’s (CRC) Science Panel will meet by web conference on Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. to continue work on the 2020 Sea Level Rise Assessment Report. The public may listen to the meeting by phone or over the internet.

RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hold hearings for public comment in February on the plans to excavate coal ash at six Duke Energy facilities. This follows the Dec. 31, 2019 settlement agreement in which Duke Energy agreed to excavate nearly 80 million tons of coal ash at the Allen, Belews Creek, Cliffside, Marshall, Mayo and Roxboro sites to be placed in lined, onsite landfills.

The state Division of Coastal Management recently announced the availability of approximately $1 million in funding to help local governments in 20 coastal counties improve public access to coastal beaches and waters for the 2020-21 fiscal year. The Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access program provides matching funds to local governments to construct low-cost public access facilities.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), on behalf of the state of North Carolina, is proceeding with a letter of intent to obtain ownership of three locks and dams in the Cape Fear River between Wilmington and Fayetteville. The state plans to send the letter of intent by February 28, 2020.