GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1995 SESSION

CHAPTER 572
HOUSE BILL 1339

AN ACT TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY BY ESTABLISHING A GOAL TO REDUCE THE AVERAGE LOAD OF NITROGEN DELIVERED TO THE NEUSE RIVER ESTUARY FROM POINT AND NONPOINT SOURCES BY A MINIMUM OF THIRTY PERCENT OF THE AVERAGE ANNUAL LOAD FOR THE PERIOD 1991 THROUGH 1995 BY THE YEAR 2001 AND TO REQUIRE THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COMMISSION.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  The General Assembly hereby determines that it should be the goal of this State to reduce the average annual load of nitrogen delivered to the Neuse River Estuary from point and nonpoint sources by a minimum of thirty percent (30%) of the average annual load for the period 1991 through 1995 by the year 2001 and any further reductions that may be achieved to protect water quality, with incremental progress demonstrated each year.  The Environmental Management Commission shall develop and adopt a plan to achieve this goal.  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.
Sec. 2.  The Commission shall publish a proposed plan to achieve the goal established by this act in the North Carolina Register by 1 November 1996.  The Commission shall adopt the plan as provided in Article 2A of Chapter 150B of the General Statutes.
Sec. 3.  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 goal established by this act.  The Environmental Management Commission shall make its initial report to the Environmental Review Commission on or before l November 1996.
Sec. 4.  The Commission may adopt temporary rules to implement the provisions of this act.
Sec. 5.  This act is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 19th day of June, 1996.

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Dennis A. Wicker
President of the Senate

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Harold J. Brubaker
Speaker of the House of Representatives