Key Actions By the Department of Environmental Quality in 2024 Protected North Carolina’s Environment and Public Health

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): In 2024, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) supported communities recovering from Hurricane Helene, took actions to address PFAS contamination and continued to protect the state’s natural resources for the health and prosperity of all North Carolinians.

Responding to Hurricane Helene

Emergency Rescues: DEQ’s Division of Marine Fisheries Marine Patrol Swift Water Rescue Team deployed to western North Carolina to assist with Hurricane Helene safety efforts. The team, in cooperation with other emergency agencies, rescued 142 people and 22 animals from floodwaters and assisted with 200 evacuations as part of the state’s emergency response during and after the storm.

Supporting Restoration of Critical Infrastructure: DEQ staff, along with federal and state partners, provided critical technical support to dam owners, wastewater treatment plants and public water supply facilities devastated by Hurricane Helene. In response to the extensive need for infrastructure repairs, DEQ also initiated several emergency funding options:

•          DEQ’s Division of Water Infrastructure offered emergency loans to local governments to support emergency repairs in advance of federal disaster assistance funding. DEQ expanded the program to include more local governments and the technical assistance funds provided by the state Disaster Recovery Acts.
•          DEQ’s Division of Waste Management established a similar emergency loan program to help owners and operators repair and test commercial underground storage tank systems in the counties impacted by Helene. 
•          DEQ’s State Energy Office is working with weatherization agencies to maximize the impact of the $10 million in available readiness funding from the state Disaster Recovery Act II to assist low-income residents impacted by the storm. The Office is also utilizing federal energy planning funds to create resiliency hubs with microgrids and offer energy efficiency improvements to small businesses.

Debris Management: DEQ is working with state and federal partners to coordinate and provide oversight of debris removal, connecting local governments with resources and support as they identify and address specific debris challenges. DEQ’s Division of Waste Management has approved and maintains oversight of more than 100 temporary debris management sites to help process the large amount of debris caused by the storm.

DEQ’s Division of Air Quality worked with state and federal partners to provide regulatory relief for storm debris management to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene and deploy non-regulatory monitors and sensors in key areas to collect data about potential air quality impacts from open burning of storm debris in Western North Carolina’s valley communities.

Addressing Contamination from Emerging Compounds

DEQ continues to lead on addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in North Carolina, guided by the Action Strategy for PFAS. DEQ continues to work on limiting PFAS discharges to the environment, protecting public health and addressing remediation efforts to clean up existing PFAS contamination.

Proposed State PFAS Standards: In 2024, DEQ took key steps to develop state surface water and groundwater standards for PFAS compounds. DEQ presented proposed rule packages with certified fiscal notes to the Environmental Management Commission Committees for both surface water and ground water standards. These standards, if adopted, would support federal drinking water standards by preventing contamination upstream and ensuring residents do not bear the entire cost burden of removing PFAS from Drinking water. The Environmental Management Commission is accepting public comments through Dec. 31 on the proposed standards for three per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater. For surface water discharges, the Commission is considering source minimization techniques to reduce releases from industrial operations.

Interim Groundwater Limits for PFAS: DEQ’s Division of Water Resources established interim maximum allowable concentrations, or IMACs, for eight per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater in October. The IMACs can be used to set groundwater cleanup targets by DEQ’s Division of Waste Management.

Assessing Drinking Water: In April 2024, the EPA finalized new National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, establishing maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for six PFAS compounds in drinking water. For nearly two years, DEQ has been working with public water systems to prepare for the MCLs. DEQ’s Public Water Supply Section collected samples at approximately 800 water systems at no charge to the systems. The results of those samples are publicly available and were provided to the drinking water systems along with information on available funding opportunities for treatment to reduce PFAS concentrations.

Funding to Address PFAS: DEQ’s Division of Water Infrastructure is utilizing federal funding to assist public water systems in addressing PFAS. In FY2024, more than a dozen construction projects to install PFAS treatment have been funded along with more than 20 PFAS studies grants. An additional $61.7 million will be available for Small and Disadvantaged systems. Emerging Contaminant funding is available to local government units, non-profit water corporations and investor-owned drinking water companies for planning or construction projects addressing PFAS in water or wastewater systems.

Assistance for Private Well Owners: DEQ expanded the Bernard Allen Emergency Drinking Water Fund statewide to support North Carolina residents that have PFAS contamination in their private drinking water wells. Funding for public water connections or treatment systems will be provided to eligible residents with PFAS contamination that equals or exceeds health advisory levels, on a scale based on household income. The program is meant to address PFAS contamination when there is no designated responsible party that provides alternate drinking water.

Assessing PFAS in Landfills: As part of DEQ’s Action Strategy for PFAS, the Division of Waste Management Solid Waste Section required all solid waste sanitary landfills to incorporate PFAS analysis in their routine monitoring. The data collected from this sampling is publicly available and based on the data, the Division is requiring facilities to take additional steps in addressing PFAS, including sampling, assessments, operational changes and remediation where appropriate.

Addressing Air Emissions: North Carolina, joined by two other states, submitted a petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to add four specific PFAS chemicals to the list of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) under the Clean Air Act. PFAS air emissions affect surface water, groundwater and soil, and result in the contamination of public and private drinking water sources.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com