GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

S	1 

SENATE BILL 287

Short Title:  Monitor Coastal Water Quality.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Senator Perdue.

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Referred to:  Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources.

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March 3, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR REGULAR MONITORING OF THE WATER QUALITY OF COASTAL WATERS TO PROTECT SWIMMERS AND OTHERS USING THOSE WATERS FOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Article 8 of Chapter 130A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Part to read:
"Part 3A.  Monitor Water Quality of Coastal Fishing Waters.
"§ 130A-233.  Definitions.
The following definitions apply to this Part:
(1)	Coastal fishing waters, as defined in G.S. 113-129(4).
(2)	Inland fishing waters, as defined in G.S. 113-129(9).
"§ 130A-233.1.  Monitoring program for State coastal fishing waters; development and implementation of program.
For the protection of the public health of swimmers and others who use the State's coastal fishing waters for recreational activities, the Department shall develop and implement a program to monitor the State's coastal fishing waters for contaminants.  The monitoring program shall cover all coastal fishing waters up to the point where those waters are classified as inland fishing waters."
Section 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources the sum of three hundred ninety-seven thousand sixty-six dollars ($397,066) for the 1997-98 fiscal year and the sum of three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sixty-six dollars ($337,566) for the 1998-99 fiscal year for the Shellfish Sanitation Branch to develop and implement the monitoring program required by this act.
Section 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1997.