GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

S	1 

SENATE BILL 1152*

Short Title:  Environmental Resource Funds.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Hunt of Moore, Walker, Ward, Tally, Speed, Sands, Odom, Marvin, Bryan, Smith, Martin of Guilford, Barker, Winner, Parnell; Allran, Ballance, Basnight, Block, Carpenter, Conder, Daniel, Ezzell, Guy, Hardin, Harris, Hunt of Durham, Johnson of Cabarrus, Johnson of Wake, Kincaid, Martin of Pitt, Plyler, Raynor, Shaw, Sherron, Simpson, Soles, and Staton.
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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May 3, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE PROJECT AT THE INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL.
Whereas, the General Assembly found it appropriate to allocate funds to the University of North Carolina to create the Institute for Environmental Studies in 1973, now administered by the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering in the UNC School of Public Health; and
Whereas, the Institute for Environmental Studies was created to foster and coordinate interdisciplinary research, teaching and service related to environmental studies among the various units of the University and to work with agencies outside the University on environmental issues; and
Whereas, the General Assembly has invested more than one million dollars ($1,000,000) in the Institute since its inception in 1973; and
Whereas, the Institute has expanded its research and service activities and in 1985 established a program called the Environmental Resource Project to help citizens and local governments in North Carolina address environmental problems in their communities; and
Whereas, the Environmental Resource Project has directly assisted 170 groups and has serviced approximately 150,000 individuals in more than 30 counties in the last four years and continues to provide a very much needed service to the citizenry of North Carolina; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The General Assembly finds that local public officials in North Carolina's cities, counties and town are increasingly confronted with environmental responsibilities involving scientific and technical questions they are ill-prepared to address on issues such as hazardous waste, groundwater contamination, facility siting proposals, underground storage tanks, solid waste, and information concerning hazardous chemicals.  Few local officials, nor their environmental advisory boards, have either the training or even access to the professional staff capability to respond to such issues.
Sec. 2.  The General Assembly finds that the lack of technical assistance and environmental education programs to local decision makers, to school teachers, and to the public at large has created a resource-poor and uninformed citizenry in North Carolina on environmental issues.  As a result, it has become increasingly difficult for waste management facilities to be sited and for environmentally responsible practices and programs to be incorporated into local government operations and into our society as a whole.
Sec. 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund $160,000 to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina for the 1989-90 fiscal year and $180,000 for the 1990-91 fiscal year to provide staff and program support for the Environmental Resource Project to continue its environmental education and technical assistance programs offered to local officials and citizen leaders throughout North Carolina.
Sec. 4.  This act shall become effective July 1, 1989.