GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

S	1 

SENATE BILL 742

Short Title:  Pamlico-Tar River Funds.	(Public)

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Senators Martin of Pitt; Albertson and Warren.

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Appropriations.

─────────────────────────────────────── 

April 7, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR POLLUTION CONTROL EFFORTS IN THE PAMLICO-TAR RIVER BASIN AND TO REQUIRE A REDUCTION OF NITROGEN LEVELS IN THE PAMLICO-TAR RIVER BASIN BY THE YEAR 2001.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation the sum of four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) for the 1997-98 fiscal year and the sum of four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) for the 1998-99 fiscal year to help support the citizen monitoring program at East Carolina University and to begin a monitoring program of groundwater in the Pamlico-Tar River basin to determine the impacts of nitrates, pesticides, and water withdrawals.
Section 2.  (a)	There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of two hundred eighty-six thousand dollars ($286,000) for the 1997-98 fiscal year for the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service at North Carolina State University to be used to contract with a research institution to research and perform computer modelling to identify the amount of atmospheric nitrogen reaching the Pamlico-Tar River, to enable the development of strategies to reduce the most significant sources of nitrogen, and to improve water quality.  If the expertise required for this research is available at a research institution in the State, the Board of Governors shall contract with a research institution in the State.  No later than January 1, 1998, the Board of Governors shall report to the Environmental Review Commission and the Fiscal Research Division on progress under the research, including any findings and recommendations at that time.
(b)	The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina and the research institution with which it enters a contract shall collaborate and work cooperatively with the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources in implementing subsection (a) of this section.
(c)	Funds not expended or encumbered under subsection (a) of this section shall revert at the end of the 1998-99 fiscal year.
Section 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) for the 1997-98 fiscal year for the Agriculture Cost Share Program for Nonpoint Source Pollution Control, to be used to assist existing animal operations in obtaining approved animal waste management plans and farm operations in installing best management practices for those agriculture operations located, in whole or in part, in a county in the Pamlico-Tar River Basin and shall be used in accordance with G.S. 143-215.74(b).  When implementing this section, the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources shall cooperate with the Cooperative Extension Service, the Natural Resource Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, and the local Soil and Water Conservation Districts.  Any of these funds remaining at the end of the 1997-98 fiscal year shall not revert, but shall remain available for use pursuant to this section.
Section 4.  (a)	The average annual load of nitrogen delivered to the Pamlico-Tar River Estuary from point and nonpoint sources shall be reduced by a minimum of thirty percent (30%) of the average annual load for the period 1991 through 1995 by the year 2001.  The Environmental Management Commission shall develop and adopt a plan to achieve this reduction.  In developing this plan, the Commission shall determine and allow appropriate credit toward achieving this goal for reductions of water pollution by point and nonpoint sources through voluntary measures.
(b)	The Commission shall publish a proposed plan to achieve the goal established by this act in the North Carolina Register by 1 November 1997.  The Commission shall adopt the plan as provided in Article 2A of Chapter 150B of the General Statutes.
(c)	The Environmental Management Commission shall annually report to the Environmental Review Commission as to its progress in developing and adopting the plan required by this act and as to progress in implementing the plan and achieving the reduction required by this act.  The Environmental Management Commission shall make its initial report to the Environmental Review Commission on or before l November 1998.
(d)	There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) to be allocated as grants to local government units in the Pamlico-Tar River Basin to assist those local government units in meeting nitrogen reduction levels mandated by this section.
Section 5.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) for the 1997-98 fiscal year to be used in the Pamlico-Tar River Basin to help implement the strategy for nonpoint sources portion of the Pamlico-Tar River Nutrient Sensitive Waters Management Strategy plan adopted by the Environmental Management Commission.
Section 6.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1997.