NC Senate approves another bill to limit ag nuisance suits
June 11, 2018
A law approved Monday by the state Senate and now heading to the House would severely limit the ability of landowners to seek redress in court when they feel they have suffered a loss of use or value of their property due to neighboring farming or...
Ag nuisance restrictions bubble up again at General Assembly
June 7, 2018
Lawmakers are moving fast to pass laws before the "short session" ends, rounding out the week with a Senate vote to override Governor Cooper's budget veto and tentative approval of a stinker of a Farm Act. Cassie Gavin gives an update.
NC General Assembly passes budget (and policy) bill
June 1, 2018
Budgets are about appropriating funds, but they have long been a favorite place for North Carolina politicians to insert policy provisions that might not garner sufficient votes on their own. That tradition held true this week as the General...
Senate Gives Initial Approval to Budget With Mixed News for NC’s Environment
May 30, 2018
The NC Senate today gave tentative approval to the state budget that has mixed news for the environment, particularly for water quality and clean transportation - topics "all North Carolinians can get behind - but apparently not all legislators," N....
GenX bills, budget at the fore as General Assembly powers up
May 25, 2018
There wasn’t much public action at the General Assembly this week as budget negotiations continued behind the scenes, Cassie Gavins writes. But things could begin heating up next week with the budget proposal expected to appear with a reduced...
NCGA tackles GenX - kind of - upon opening 'short session'
May 18, 2018
Lawmakers returned to Raleigh this week and promptly filed legislation to address the contamination of the Cape Fear River with the toxic chemical GenX. But the bills fall short of what's needed to adequately deal with the problem, according to...
Cooper's budget strong on clean water, conservation
May 10, 2018
"Governor Cooper’s budget would be a win for North Carolinians and the environment thanks to increased funding for clean water and land protection. It would also improve coastal resiliency from natural disasters and strengthen the state’s capacity...
Onshore wind energy: an important part of NC's energy future
May 9, 2018
As the NC General Assembly prepares for its short session, we look at how lawmakers might act to help - or hold back - wind energy development. A wind study is under way and a moratorium on new wind energy projects expires at the end of 2018. When...
Sierra Club reaches agreement to preserve Croatan habitat, species while allowing Havelock Bypass
April 16, 2018
The Sierra Club, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, and the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) today announced a settlement agreement that will allow NCDOT to proceed with the U.S. 70 Havelock Bypass in Craven County while...
NC Sierra Club: Cooper’s Budget Offers Critical, Timely Funding for GenX
April 10, 2018
Gov. Roy Cooper today said his short session budget proposal will include $14.5 million to better equip state agencies to address environmental health and safety threats posed by emerging contaminants such as GenX.The funding for the Department of...