GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

S	2 

SENATE BILL 1341*
Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources Committee Substitute Adopted 6/3/96

Short Title:  Fund Cooperative Fisheries/University Project.	(Public)

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May 24, 1996

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A FISHERIES RESEARCH CENTER WITHIN THE COOPERATIVE INSTITUTE FOR FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AND TO REQUIRE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND NATURAL RESOURCES CREATE AN EMERGENCY FISH KILL RESPONSE TEAM TO RESPOND TO SIGNIFICANT FISH KILLS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina for  the Cooperative Institute of Fisheries Oceanography the sum of one hundred thirty-two thousand five hundred dollars ($132,500) in recurring funds for the 1996-97 fiscal year for graduate stipends, undergraduate internships, and visiting faculty, to initiate a cooperative effort between the Division of Marine Fisheries of the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources and The University of North Carolina System on fisheries and water quality management.
Sec. 2.  The Division of Marine Fisheries shall establish priorities for fisheries and water quality projects on an annual basis in cooperation with university fisheries scientists.  Funding shall be consistent with those priorities.
Sec. 3.  The Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources shall coordinate an intradepartmental effort to develop scientific protocols to respond to significant fish kill events utilizing staff from the Division of Environmental Management, Division of Marine Fisheries, Division of Epidemiology, Wildlife Resources Commission, the scientific community, and other agencies, as necessary.  In developing these protocols, the Department shall address the unpredictable nature of fish kills caused by both natural and man-made factors.  The protocols shall contain written procedures to respond to significant fish kill events including:
(1)	Developing a plan of action to evaluate the impact of fish kills on public health and the environment.
(2)	Responding to fish kills within 24 hours.
(3)	Investigating and collecting data relating to fish kill events.
(4)	Summarizing and distributing fish kill information to participating agencies, scientists and other interested parties.
The Secretary of the Department shall take all necessary and appropriate steps to effectively carry out the purposes of this act including:
(1)	Providing adequate training for fish kill investigators.
(2)	Taking immediate action to protect public health and the environment.
(3)	Cooperating with agencies, scientists, and other interested parties, to help determine the cause of the fish kill.
The Department shall report annually to the Environmental Review Commission and the Senate Agriculture and Environment Committee no later than December 1 of each year.  This report shall include a summary of all fish kill activity within the last year, an overview of any trend analyses, a discussion of any new or modified methodologies or reporting protocols, and any other relevant information.
Sec. 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1996.