The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (EMC) and the Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) have scheduled a public hearing on November 5 to gather feedback on a proposed rule change that would permit domestic wastewater discharges into zero-flow streams.
The hearing will take place at 3:30 p.m. in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building at 512 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, with sign-in and speaker registration starting at 3 p.m.
In response to the passage of SL 2025-94 s. 23.(a), which amended Session Law 2024-44 (s. 5.1), the EMC extended the comment period for these proposed amendments. The new law requires the EMC, which is responsible for rule-making for several divisions within DEQ—including Air Quality, Land Resources, Waste Management, and Water Resources—to develop rules allowing domestic wastewater discharges to low-flow streams.
Written and emailed comments on the draft rule will be accepted until December 15. Comments can be mailed to Karen Higgins, DEQ-DWR Planning Section, 1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1611 or sent by email to publiccomments@deq.nc.gov.
Details about the proposed rule amendment and its regulatory impact analysis are available online.
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