Latest news with #NorthCarolinaDepartmentofEnvironmentalQuality
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Area of Carteret County under swim advisory due to presence of bacteria
CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) — A small island in Carteret County West of the Atlantic Beach Bridge in Bogue Inlet is under a swim advisory. Officials with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality said samples taken from the area tested positive for a bacteria group that is found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. Due to that, they recommend to avoid swimming in the area. 'When we find that detectable limit of bacteria, there's also things in the water that can make you sick, like salmonella or Environmental Program Supervisor with NCDEQ Erin Bryan-Millush said. 'The types of things that, from swimming in areas that are polluted with fecal indicator bacteria, would be a gastrointestenal illness or skin rash, those types of things.' The NCDEQ expects to have results for whether or not the advisory can be lifted by Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Environmental officials warn of high bacteria levels in Pantego Creek
BELHAVEN, N.C. (WNCT) — The beach access at Pantego Creek in Belhaven is under a warning from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, due to the high amounts of bacteria. Department officials have been taking water samples from this area for about two decades, and say the geography of the beach may cause some high and Enterococci bacteria levels. With holidays like Memorial Day and July 4th right around the corner, The level of caution in the water will need to match the amount of activities in the water. For more information, click on the video above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Officials Warn of 'Dangerous' Swimming Conditions at NC Beaches
If you're planning on spending time in the ocean for Memorial Day weekend, you may want to stay on high alert. Oak Island and Sunset Beach in North Carolina are dealing with dangerous swimming conditions this week because Portuguese Man o' War washed ashore. These organisms are known for packing an incredibly painful sting even after they've died. With that said, Cape Lookout officials have issued a warning to beachgoers. "These aren't jellyfish, but colonies of organisms with a powerful sting. Even when dead, their tentacles can still sting, so DO NOT TOUCH them," fire officials in Sunset Beach said. That's not the only issue plaguing North Carolina this month. Swimming advisories have been issued for parts of the Outer Banks due to a serious bacteria problem. According to the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program, test results from Whiskey Creek show that bacteria levels have blown past the state and federal action levels of 104 enterococci per 100 milliliters. This is a sign of fecal contamination in the water. From CBS 17: Testing at Jockey's Ridge Sound-side Access in Nags Head found water samples that show a running monthly average of 37 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. The levels in the Roanoke Sound exceed the state and federal standards of a running monthly average of 35 enterococci per 100 milliliters, based on five samples taken within a 30-day period, officials said. The beaches in these areas have not closed despite these swimming advisories. It's unclear how long these beach troubles will last for the Outer Banks.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Milltown Moonshot': Big ideas on the table for redevelopment of Canton paper mill site
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways May 7—A high-ranking member of Gov. Josh Stein's administration visited Canton last week as the former paper mill site continues its transition — a project that is massive in terms of both scope and ambition. Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Reid Wilson met with Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers, new mill site owner Eric Spirtas, Haywood County Commissioners Kevin Ensley and Brandon Rogers, and others during the visit. Their wide-ranging conversation served as a recommitment of the public/private partnership upon which Canton has pinned so much of its hopes for the future. "Obviously DEQ has this regulatory part to it, but these are people that are coming with solutions that want to see us succeed. And so, I see (Secretary Wilson) not only as a partner, but as a family," Mayor Smathers said. "What's exciting about this is, it is bold. It's not just, 'let's get back to where we were before,'" Secretary Wilson said. "It's thinking about, 'How do we make this town more resilient? How do we protect water quality in the Pigeon? How do we protect our environment? How do we redevelop in a way that brings jobs and people to this beautiful town?'" DEQ's job is to review permit applications and ensure that laws are followed, Wilson said, adding his department also is a ready and willing partner in the future of the mill site. "And I just wanted to come out today to learn more about everything that is planned so that we can make sure we're doing what we need to do to assist and help the bold dream become a reality," he said. The Green Mountain Plan Much of the meeting involved Spirtas giving Wilson a rundown of how the mill site was impacted by Helene and what the plans for the site will be moving forward. Spirtas stressed that it is early days (demolition only began last month), and much is still up in the air. But Spirtas didn't see uncertainty as a bad thing. He pointed toward his company's experience with such projects. "No one has to be embarrassed about not knowing what's in front and not knowing exactly what's going to happen. We've done it before, and we can do it again," he said. Spirtas called his vision for the mill site "The Green Mountain Plan." In this vision, which he stressed is just one possible outcome for the site, there will be a large reservoir dug next to the Pigeon River to help ameliorate future flooding — 10 to 15 acres of the site's 50-acre expanse. Along the reservoir would be a public event space, a greenway, and other "town friendly" infrastructure. "The mayor had a vision well before (I did), and I embrace that, and I say it will be walkable, it'll be enjoyable," Spirtas said. He also proposed residential zones in areas that are higher up off the river. "This will be a nine-figure development," Spirtas said of the potential project cost. Clean water Environmental issues were also a topic of conversation. "We're not looking past the fact that this had 115 years of stuff," Spirtas said, placing heavy emphasis on the word stuff. "And so, for anybody who will listen and everybody who wants to know, whatever material we're dealing with flows in one direction. And that's good. Because you can catch it." The environmental clean-up plan is "voluminous," and involves creating a system that will harvest and process any residual mill pollution before it reaches the Pigeon River. By working with the previous owners and the EPA, Spirtas said, his group is aware of below-ground contamination, and there is a plan to deal with it as development of the site progresses. "The collection of environmental materials will be symbiotic with redevelopment. It won't all be done when we're redeveloping, but it'll be in control, and it will not impact the river," he said. The wastewater treatment plant on the mill site was also discussed, with Spirtas pointing out that the plant had reached pre-storm levels of operation and that the partnership between his company and the Town of Canton was "looking for the next steps." "I lose sleep over a lot of things, but the future of that wastewater plant and being able to provide the wastewater needs to this town isn't one of them," Smathers said. "We're going to figure that out. The plumbing is working in the town of Canton right now, and we'll get to the other things. It's with partnerships with DEQ, finding the grants, the creative. You have a sincere cooperation because we believe what this site could be, and it is nothing without infrastructure and wastewater." Spirtas was also hopeful that the future of wastewater treatment in Canton was secure. "It can be done. It will be done," he said, calling out the experience of longtime wastewater treatment plant workers who went on Spirtas' payroll after the mill sale. "I look at the guys that are supporting us here. These guys are powerhouses. We have months of running (the wastewater treatment plant) in the current state with people I'm so proud of." The meeting wrapped with Mayor Smathers once again highlighting the ambitious nature of the site's future. "This is not the Milltown Miracle. This is the Milltown Moonshot. Why shouldn't we be bold?" Smathers said. "There was a time in this country we were drawn to those types of projects. We let politics and pettiness bring us down. But that's how this town was built. No one came in here and said, 'Let's go small.' So, honoring that tradition is by going bold again."
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Report: Charlotte air quality worsening
CHARLOTTE, N.C. () – The American Lung Association released its '2025 State of the Air' report Wednesday, showing air pollution is on the rise in the Charlotte metro area. The annual report found wildfires and extreme heat contributed to an increase in ozone smog and particle pollution. The association grades regions based on smog and soot concentrations, and Charlotte earned a D for smog, or ground-level ozone pollution, and a C for spikes in soot, or particle pollution. Data collectors consider these scores to be a failing grade. Ongoing construction keeping fans away from Panthers training camp The Queen City area is not unique in its backward slide. They say public health across the nation is at risk. Researchers found nearly half of the U.S. population (46%) lives in areas with unhealthy levels of pollution. The latest report covers data from 2021 to 2023 and does not measure the effects of the latest round of wildfires in the Carolinas or from Hurricane Helene. North Carolina director of advocacy for the American Lung Association, Danna Thompson, said air pollution from natural disasters is a major concern. 'Smoke from wildfires can harm anybody nearby, even miles away,' she said. 'Breathing that smoke does shorten lives. It causes heart attacks, asthma attacks and other dangerous health side effects. So even adults, healthy adults, can be at risk for coughing and wheezing.' The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality continues to monitor quality in impacted counties, and officials recommend anyone cleaning in disaster areas to wear personal protective equipment to guard against dust, mold and chemicals in debris. Thompson said national organizations can be limited due to a lack of resources, so the State of the Air report utilizes additional data from state, local and Tribal authorities. They found only 34 out of North Carolina's 100 counties measure air quality with enough data to assign a grade. 'I think that really underscores the fact that we need more monitors and we need access to quality data so that we can be informed and take measures to safeguard our health,' Thompson said. Officials with the American Lung Association said the Environmental Protection Agency faces the risk of cuts to staffing and programs, which they said could limit progress on anti-pollution measures. 'We're encouraging North Carolinians to join our efforts and take action for clean air,' said Elaine Loyack, advocacy chair of the Lung Association's North Carolina Leadership Board in a statement. 'Because, when you can't breathe, nothing else matters.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
