In 2024, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) supported communities recovering from Hurricane Helene, took actions to address PFAS contamination and continued to protect the state’s natural resources for the health and prosperity of all North Carolinians. 

Responding to Hurricane Helene

Emergency Rescues: DEQ’s Division of Marine Fisheries Marine Patrol Swift Water Rescue Team deployed to western North Carolina to assist with Hurricane Helene safety efforts. The team, in cooperation with other emergency agencies, rescued 142 people and 22 animals from floodwaters and assisted with 200 evacuations as part of the state’s emergency response during and after the storm.

Supporting Restoration of Critical Infrastructure: DEQ staff, along with federal and state partners, provided critical technical support to dam owners, wastewater treatment plants and public water supply facilities devastated by Hurricane Helene. In response to the extensive need for infrastructure repairs, DEQ also initiated several emergency funding options:

• DEQ’s Division of Water Infrastructure offered emergency loans to local governments to support emergency repairs in advance of federal disaster assistance funding. DEQ expanded the program to include more local governments and the technical assistance funds provided by the state Disaster Recovery Acts. 
• DEQ’s Division of Waste Management established a similar emergency loan program to help owners and operators repair and test commercial underground storage tank systems in the counties impacted by Helene. 
• DEQ’s State Energy Office is working with weatherization agencies to maximize the impact of the $10 million in available readiness funding from the state Disaster Recovery Act II to assist low-income residents impacted by the storm. The Office is also utilizing federal energy planning funds to create resiliency hubs with microgrids and offer energy efficiency improvements to small businesses.  

Debris Management: DEQ is working with state and federal partners to coordinate and provide oversight of debris removal, connecting local governments with resources and support as they identify and address specific debris challenges. DEQ’s Division of Waste Management has approved and maintains oversight of more than 100 temporary debris management sites to help process the large amount of debris caused by the storm.  

DEQ’s Division of Air Quality worked with state and federal partners to provide regulatory relief for storm debris management to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene and deploy non-regulatory monitors and sensors in key areas to collect data about potential air quality impacts from open burning of storm debris in Western North Carolina’s valley communities. 

Addressing Contamination from Emerging Compounds 

DEQ continues to lead on addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in North Carolina, guided by the Action Strategy for PFAS. DEQ continues to work on limiting PFAS discharges to the environment, protecting public health and addressing remediation efforts to clean up existing PFAS contamination.

Proposed State PFAS Standards: In 2024, DEQ took key steps to develop state surface water and groundwater standards for PFAS compounds. DEQ presented proposed rule packages with certified fiscal notes to the Environmental Management Commission Committees for both surface water and ground water standards. These standards, if adopted, would support federal drinking water standards by preventing contamination upstream and ensuring residents do not bear the entire cost burden of removing PFAS from Drinking water. The Environmental Management Commission is accepting public comments through Dec. 31 on the proposed standards for three per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater. For surface water discharges, the Commission is considering source minimization techniques to reduce releases from industrial operations. 

Interim Groundwater Limits for PFAS: DEQ’s Division of Water Resources established interim maximum allowable concentrations, or IMACs, for eight per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater in October. The IMACs can be used to set groundwater cleanup targets by DEQ’s Division of Waste Management.

Assessing Drinking Water: In April 2024, the EPA finalized new National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, establishing maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for six PFAS compounds in drinking water. For nearly two years, DEQ has been working with public water systems to prepare for the MCLs. DEQ’s Public Water Supply Section collected samples at approximately 800 water systems at no charge to the systems. The results of those samples are publicly available and were provided to the drinking water systems along with information on available funding opportunities for treatment to reduce PFAS concentrations. 

Funding to Address PFAS: DEQ’s Division of Water Infrastructure is utilizing federal funding to assist public water systems in addressing PFAS. In FY2024, more than a dozen construction projects to install PFAS treatment have been funded along with more than 20 PFAS studies grants. An additional $61.7 million will be available for Small and Disadvantaged systems. Emerging Contaminant funding is available to local government units, non-profit water corporations and investor-owned drinking water companies for planning or construction projects addressing PFAS in water or wastewater systems.

Assistance for Private Well Owners: DEQ expanded the Bernard Allen Emergency Drinking Water Fund statewide to support North Carolina residents that have PFAS contamination in their private drinking water wells. Funding for public water connections or treatment systems will be provided to eligible residents with PFAS contamination that equals or exceeds health advisory levels, on a scale based on household income. The program is meant to address PFAS contamination when there is no designated responsible party that provides alternate drinking water. 

Assessing PFAS in Landfills: As part of DEQ’s Action Strategy for PFAS, the Division of Waste Management Solid Waste Section required all solid waste sanitary landfills to incorporate PFAS analysis in their routine monitoring. The data collected from this sampling is publicly available and based on the data, the Division is requiring facilities to take additional steps in addressing PFAS, including sampling, assessments, operational changes and remediation where appropriate. 

Addressing Air Emissions: North Carolina, joined by two other states, submitted a petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to add four specific PFAS chemicals to the list of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) under the Clean Air Act. PFAS air emissions affect surface water, groundwater and soil, and result in the contamination of public and private drinking water sources.

Investing in Communities and Building Resiliency 

Water Infrastructure Funding: In 2024, DEQ’s Division of Water Infrastructure awarded a total of $566 million for 264 drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and lead service line replacement projects. Nearly 100 of those are construction projects. DEQ is working with eligible local governments and water systems to inform them about funding opportunities and encouraging them to apply for funds to address lead service lines, emerging contaminants and other needs.

Flood Resiliency Blueprint: DEQ’s Division of Mitigation Services’ North Carolina Flood Resiliency Blueprint developed and released the Draft North Carolina Flood Resiliency Blueprint in early 2024, which forms the backbone of a state flood planning process to increase community resilience to flooding throughout North Carolina’s river basins. The Blueprint is a first-of-its-kind program in North Carolina and represents the largest statewide flood mitigation investment in state history.  

Grant Awards:

• DEQ’s Division of Coastal Management awarded 20 grants to 19 communities for Phases 3 and 4 of the Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP).The primary objective of Phase 3 of the RCCP is to provide funding to assist communities with the engineering and design of prioritized projects identified in their RCCP Resilience Strategy or other existing plans that meet the RCCP’s Phases 1 and 2 planning criteria. The Division also received nearly $2 million from the National Fish and Wildlife’s National Coastal Resilience Fund for additional resiliency planning through the Resilient Coastal Communities Program. 
• DEQ’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint partnered with the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to fund and implement 47 flood reduction projects. The Blueprint provided a total of $13.8 million in funding to reduce flood risks in communities across North Carolina. Project types include culvert upgrades, pond capacity upgrades, stream restoration, land acquisition and stream debris removal. Another $3.9 million will fund three flood resilience projects through NC Emergency Management. 
• In May, DEQ’s Division of Air Quality awarded $1.1 million to fund the replacement of 18 older diesel vehicles with cleaner alternatives, with most of the funding going toward new all-electric vehicles, through its annual Mobile Sources Emissions Reductions grants.
• DEQ’s Division of Water Resources announced in June the award of $1.14 million in grants to seven local governments and organizations to support stream restoration, water-based recreation and water management projects. In December, $3.6 million in grants were awarded to 13 local governments for projects under the same program.
• DEQ’s Division of Water Resources announced in June grants of more than $10.5 million for seven projects in coastal North Carolina for beach and dune renourishment, as well as other projects related to hurricane and storm damage. 
• DEQ’s State Energy Office provided funding to support the EPA’s EV School Buses and bus charging station opportunities at Balden, Columbus and Halifax County school systems. SEO also provided additional funding to cover the cost of charging station installation. Bladen County received funding for five electric school bus chargers and the installation of those chargers have occurred. Columbus County received funding for nine electric school bus chargers. Halifax County received funding for four electric school bus chargers.
• DEQ’s Division of Marine Fisheries issued funds to 204 commercial fishermen and marine aquaculture operations and seafood dealers and processors deemed eligible for relief from the federal North Carolina Consolidated Appropriations Act Fisheries Relief Program (CARES Act II). The $1.2 million issued this year was in addition to the more than $4.3 million that was distributed by the Division in 2022. 
• DEQ’s Weatherization Assistance Program helps low-income North Carolinians save energy, reduce their utility bills and stay safe in their homes by providing repairs and upgrades at no cost to eligible residents. In State Fiscal Year 2023-24, the program weatherized 1,139 homes and replaced 859 heating systems.  

Implementing Science-Based Environmental Stewardship  

Executive Order 305:  As a result of Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 305, DEQ took several actions to address knowledge gaps about natural and working lands.  DEQ and its partner agencies published the geographic boundaries of Coastal Wetlands and Sea Marsh Corridors, Pocosins and Carolina Bays and Mountain Bogs at the Executive Order 305 Hub. Additionally, DEQ issued five research project awards to study the social, economic and environmental value of conserving natural and working lands and the impacts from the degradation of wetlands that lost federal protections between 2022 and 2023.

Preliminary Climate Action Plan: DEQ’s State Energy Office, in collaboration with several state agencies, developed and released a Preliminary Climate Action Plan. The Plan identifies North Carolina’s highest priority greenhouse gas reduction measures and the path to ensure equitable implementation for the benefit all North Carolinians. DEQ’s State Energy Office is currently working with partners on the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, due in December 2025.

Greenhouse Gas Inventory: In January, DEQ’s Division of Air Quality released an updated Greenhouse Gas Inventory for North Carolina, detailing estimates of greenhouse gas emissions in key source categories from 1990 to 2020. For the first time, the Division projected future greenhouse gas emissions through 2050. 

Threatened Oceanfront Structures Report: DEQ’s Division of Coastal Management and the National Park Service’s Cape Hatteras National Seashore released the report “Managing Threatened Oceanfront Structures: Ideas from an Interagency Work Group” in August. This report is the result of a year-long collaboration between local governments and state and federal agencies via virtual meetings and public workshops. DEQ will use the report to guide next steps, as the state works to address the impacts of sea level rise on coastal homes.

Environmental Literacy Plan: On Earth Day, April 22, state and local leaders gathered at Lincoln Heights Environmental Connections Magnet Elementary School to celebrate Earth Day and release the state’s new K-12 Environmental Literacy Plan. The Plan provides schools and non-formal educators guidance for increasing environmental literacy and preparing students for environmental and STEM careers. 

2024 Sea Level Rise Science Update: The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) released the 2024 Sea Level Rise Science Update in October. This report was written by the members of the CRC’s Science Panel as a public service in response to a charge from the CRC in 2022 to conduct an annual review of any new and significant scientific literature and studies that address the range of implications of sea level rise at the state, sub-regional and local scale.  

Mandatory Harvest Reporting: The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission adopted temporary rules to implement mandatory harvest reporting required by a new state law beginning December 1, 2025. Division of Marine Fisheries staff continued preparations for the requirements, developing an online reporting tool to unveil to the public in January 2025.

Striped Mullet Management: In May, the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission adopted Amendment 2 to the Striped Mullet Fishery Management Plan. The amendment included management measures intended to reduce striped mullet harvest to end overfishing and rebuild the stock to a level that provides a sustainable harvest.  

Habitat Enhancements: DEQ’s Division of Marine Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Program sank the tugboat, Thomas Dann, on Aug 1 at AR-305, off Cape Lookout. The Division’s Artificial Reef Program also sank a 55-foot trawler at AR-305, off Cape Lookout, in November. The Division’s Oyster Sanctuary program, in partnership with the North Carolina Coastal Federation, constructed roughly 60 acres of protected (closed harvest) oyster broodstock habitat at two new sites in Pamlico Sound. This was part of a three-year project for large scale sanctuary construction that will complete the state’s current goal of 500 total acres. 

Modernizing Department Processes 

DEQ launched four additional online applications as part of the continuing effort to update and improve the permitting process. Residents and businesses interested in Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) General Permits, Brownfields Property Applications, Yard Waste Notifications or Air Curtain Incinerator requests can now apply online. Applications for CAMA Major Permits and Erosion & Sediment Control plans are already available online through AccessDEQ. With the addition of these four applications, DEQ will be able to process more than 6,000 permits a year through the AccessDEQ portal. Applicants can track and make payments online. DEQ’s Division of Marine Fisheries’ license offices also began accepting credit cards for payment, making the process more convenient for license holders and more efficient for DEQ. Additional online permitting applications and process improvements are planned for 2025.