…Airport after the governor and speaker got a firsthand look at Ocracoke. Photo: Kirk Ross After returning from a visit to the island to survey damage, Gov. Roy Cooper said many residents were still in a state of shock over how quickly the surge waters rose and swamped the island….
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Drilling Opponents Look West For Support
…Mayor Bobby Owens leads a discussion in May among coastal mayors and state officials on how to continue the fight against proposed drilling and seismic exploration for oil and natural gas off the North Carolina coast. Photo: Kirk Ross Owens was chair of the Dare County Board of Commissioners during…
Senate Mulls Fisheries, Shellfish Overhauls
Sen. Norm Sanderson, at podium, and Sen. Andy Wells speak Wednesday during a session of the Senate’s Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources Committee. Clerk Emily Barnes is seated at left. Photo: Kirk Ross RALEIGH – Bills to establish a new shellfish leasing program and extensive changes to the state’s…
Legislative Action On GenX, PFAS Still On Hold
Rep. Jimmy Dixon, R-Duplin, questions Cape Fear Public Utility Authority Director James Flechtner during the House Committee on North Carolina River Quality meeting in April 2018. Photo: Kirk Ross RALEIGH – After two years of hearings, heated debates and special legislation, work at the North Carolina General Assembly on GenX…
New Rule Latest Effort to Save The Riggings
…and must be removed after two or five years, depending on the structure’s size. Sandbags at The Riggings have been allowed to stay in place beyond their intended lifespan thanks to variances granted through the Coastal Resources Commission. Photo: Kirk Ross Like many hot spots along the coast, the sandbags…
Utility, UNCW Stand By Contaminant Reports
Professor Ralph Mead of UNCW’s chemistry and biochemistry department holds a molecular model while he describes rainwater findings as House River Quality Committee chair Rep. Ted. Davis, R-New Hanover, stands at the podium Thursday during the committee’s meeting in Raleigh. Photo: Kirk Ross RALEIGH – Last year, the North Carolina…
DEQ Develops Case to Halt GenX Emissions
Rep. Bob Muller, R-Pender, left, and State Environmental Secretary Michael Regan speak last month during a tour of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Central Laboratory on Reedy Creek Road in Raleigh. Photo: Kirk Ross This report has been updated to include a statement from Chemours. RALEIGH – After a late-March…
State’s Changes, Challenges to Continue
Michael Regan, Gov. Roy Cooper’s pick to lead the Department of Environmental Quality, speaks earlier this year, flanked by Cooper, left, and newly named Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon. Photo: Kirk Ross Changes in the executive branch for the state and federal government reverberated throughout 2017 and will likely shape much…
GenX Battle Expected As Legislature Returns
Department of Environmental Quality Assistant Secretary Shelia Holman, bottom left, answers questions during the House River Quality Committee meeting last week. Rep. Ted Davis, at podium, Rep. Frank Iler and Rep. Holly Grange are shown at right with legislative staff behind them. Photo: Kirk Ross RALEIGH – Another short legislative…
Legislative Commission Enters GenX Fray
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority Water Operations Supervisor Ben Kearns, second from left, shows legislators water filtration testing equipment Wednesday during a tour of the authority’s Sweeney Water Treatment Plant in Wilmington. Photo: Kirk Ross Co-published with North Carolina Health News WILMINGTON — A House and Senate environmental oversight committee…
Butler Raises GenX Issue During Budget Talks
…across the aisle to keep debate to the budget bill. Rep. Deb Butler, D-New Hanover, raises the issue of GenX in the Cape Fear River Wednesday during the House floor budget debate. Photo: Kirk Ross She obliged, using the water contamination to underline that now is not the time for…
Sunset Beach De-annexation Bill Advances
Developer Sammy Varnam of Brunswick County speaks during the committee meeting, accompanied by Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, right. Photo: Kirk Ross RALEIGH — A local battle between developers and the town of Sunset Beach reached the halls of the legislature Tuesday as a Senate committee heard from both sides before…