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 input on a proposed rule change. This change would permit domestic wastewater discharges into zero-flow streams.
The hearing is set for 3:30 p.m. at the Ground Floor Hearing Room in the Archdale Building, located at 512 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh. Registration for speakers will begin at 3 p.m.
According to Session Law 2024-44 (s. 5.1), the EMC, which oversees rules for various divisions within DEQ such as Air Quality, Land Resources, Waste Management, and Water Resources, is required to adopt rules that incorporate these amendments.
The regulatory impact analysis related to this rule states that the amendment could create more opportunities for growth in regions where it is too expensive to transport wastewater to higher flowing streams located farther away.
Public comments can also be submitted by mail or email until November 14. Written feedback should be sent to Karen Higgins at DEQ-DWR Planning Section, 1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1611, or emailed to publiccomments@deq.nc.gov.
Both the text of the proposed rule amendment and its regulatory impact analysis are available online.
