Environment Steering Committee Meeting:
Wednesday, March 26 — 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. [virtual]
2025-2026 Environment Legislative Goals
- Seek legislation to provide additional resources for preventative storm damage maintenance and disaster mitigation in all 100 counties.
- Support legislation for clean water funds and hold companies that have manufactured emerging and other contaminants such as coal ash, PFOA, PFOS and other PFAS chemicals financially liable for cleanup and mitigation efforts.
- Seek additional resources and legislation to repair, govern, and maintain distressed water and sewer systems and to expand access to water and sewer for unserved residents.
- Support state funding to research and combat invasive species.
NCACC Environment Committee Guiding Principles
- People have an inherent impact on the environment. Public policy must recognize the need to balance these human activities with protecting the environment.
- Environmental laws should be justified by sound science and information, and also be based on a clear rationale and purpose for regulatory change.
- The state and federal governments should fully communicate and engage with local governments when developing administrative rules and policies affecting the environment. Thorough analyses of health, environmental, and fiscal risks should also be completed by the issuing entity.
- County governments should have an appropriate and reasonable amount of time to review and issue comments regarding state and federal environmental policies and proposals.
- The state should provide as much flexibility and discretion to counties as possible for implementing and enforcing environmental policy; this includes enforcing and setting associated taxes or fees.
Steering Committee Membership List
The following committee appointments were confirmed the week of August 29. Appointments for the 2024-2025 committees will end July 31, 2025. Committee membership is limited to county commissioners, but county staff and affiliates are welcome to join meetings as non-member attendees. Check the NCACC Calendar for meeting details.
- 2024-2025 Environment Steering Committee
Environment
Commissioners Mike LaBrose (Caldwell; Steering Committee Chair), Michelle Burton (Durham), Shevel Hunt (Craven), Elaine Powell (Mecklenburg), Derrick Sims (Person), Terri Wells (Buncombe), Rob Zapple (New Hanover)
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