Environment (Waste Management)

This bill establishes a new fund called the Contaminated Parks Remedial Account to help clean up environmental hazards in public parks across North Carolina. It directs money from taxes on trash disposal and corporate income to pay for assessing and fixing pre-1983 landfills or other inactive hazardous sites that make parks unusable. Local governments that own the affected parks must contribute one dollar for every four dollars provided by the state to share the cost of cleanup. The program is scheduled to begin in 2026, with funding amounts gradually increasing over time as more tax revenue is generated.

SB 706 restores funding for counties to address scrap tire disposal by increasing the portion of tax revenue allocated to local governments from 50% to 75%. It directs the Department of Environmental Quality to use these funds to grant counties assistance for cleaning up scrap tire disposal sites and managing tire-related waste, prioritizing areas with severe disposal problems and financial need. The bill requires counties to demonstrate higher disposal costs than prior tax reimbursements to qualify for grants and mandates annual reporting on fund usage. This directly affects North Carolina counties struggling with scrap tire accumulation, particularly those with limited resources for waste management.

HB 867 creates a permitting program for large dry litter poultry operations in North Carolina (over 30,000 birds), requiring them to obtain permits before operating or expanding waste management systems. It directs the Environmental Review Commission to study the environmental and health impacts of these operations - including nutrient runoff, pathogens, and odor - and recommend regulations. The bill updates waste management plan requirements, mandating 180-day advance permit applications for new or expanded systems. This directly affects the state’s approximately 4,863 dry litter poultry facilities, which collectively handle over 544 million birds annually.

HB 77 requires North Carolina state agencies to evaluate the cumulative environmental impact of proposed permits on minority and low-income communities before approving them. It directly affects developers seeking permits for mining, solid waste facilities, hazardous waste sites, and other projects, as well as the communities near these sites. Key provisions mandate that agencies deny permits if proposed actions would disproportionately harm these communities when considering existing pollution sources in the area, and require detailed impact analyses in all relevant reports and plans. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, applying to pending permit applications on that date.

HB 8 requires all North Carolina state departments, community colleges, and local school systems to prioritize purchasing compostable or recyclable materials for food service and supplies, where economically feasible. It mandates annual reporting on purchases of these materials and recycling collections to the Department of Environmental Quality. The bill also directs UNC's Policy Collaboratory to study food service ware impacts and requires legislative and state park pilot programs to reduce single-use food service ware. These provisions directly affect state agencies and schools responsible for procurement and waste management, aiming to reduce single-use waste through policy changes rather than bans.