Senate Bill 1967 Improve Coastal Stormwater Management

 

(Adapted From NC Coastal Federation) In a victory for protections of our coast’s sensitive waters, the legislature has passed a bill that strengthens rules to stem the tide of polluted runoff in the 20 coastal counties. The bill has been signed by the Governor and take effect October 1, 2008.

The new rules are a vast improvement over current stormwater control requirements, which have failed to protect our coast's most-sensitive waters. The new program tightens density controls, especially close to shellfish waters; increases the amount of runoff that will have to be contained; and increases the buffer along the water.

The bad news is that the N.C. General Assembly added a provision tonew coastal stormwater rules that it had passed earlier in the legislative session that effectively prevents the state from passing new rules to control polluted coastal runoff for at least five years.

Known as a “technical corrections” bill, S845, which passed in the waning hours of the session, includes an unprecedented amendment to the coastal stormwater bill that prevents the state Environmental Management Commission (EMC) from even considering new or amended runoff rules until 2011. Any new or amended rules couldn’t take effect until 2013. The EMC is the state’s major environmental rule-making commission.