A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO AMEND OR REPEAL VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COMMISSION.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 113‑206(f) reads as rewritten:
"(f)	In evaluating claims registered pursuant to G.S. 113‑205, the Secretary shall favor public ownership of submerged lands and public trust rights. The Secretary's action does not alter or affect in any way the rights of a claimant or the State. 				"
SECTION 2.  Section 11 of S.L. 2002‑4 reads as rewritten:
"Section 11.  The Environmental Management Commission shall study the desirability of requiring and the feasibility of obtaining reductions in emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) beyond those required by G.S. 143‑215.107D, as enacted by Section 1 of this act.  The Environmental Management Commission shall consider the availability of emissions reduction technologies, increased cost to consumers of electric power, reliability of electric power supply, actions to reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) taken by states and other entities whose emissions negatively impact air quality in North Carolina or whose failure to achieve comparable reductions would place the economy of North Carolina at a competitive disadvantage, and the effects that these reductions would have on public health, the environment, and natural resources, including visibility.  In its conduct of this study, the Environmental Management Commission may consult with the Utilities Commission and the Public Staff. The Environmental Management Commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Environmental Review Commission annually beginning 1 September 2007."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 143‑215.107C(c) is repealed.
SECTION 4.  G.S. 143B‑279.12(e) reads as rewritten:
"(e)	No later than 1 March of each year, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall report to the Fiscal Research Division and the Environmental Review Commission the number of environmental permits subject to this section that took more than 90 days to issue or deny, the types of permits those were, the reasons for the extended processing time of those permits, and how the time within which the permit was actually issued or denied compared with the projected time frame provided to the applicant by the Department as required by this section. Based on the data gathered under this subsection, the Department shall include in its annual report recommendations regarding permit time frames for all major permits issued by the Department."SECTION 5.  G.S. 147‑12(b) reads as rewritten:
 "(b)	The Department of Transportation, the Department of Correction, the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, the State Highway Patrol, the Wildlife Resources Commission, the Division of Parks and Recreation in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Division of Marine Fisheries in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall deliver to the Governor by February 1 of each year detailed information on the agency's litter enforcement, litter prevention, and litter removal efforts. The Administrative Office of the Courts shall deliver to the Governor by February 1 of each year detailed information on the enforcement of the littering laws of the State, including the number of charges and convictions under the littering laws of the State. The Governor shall gather the information submitted by the respective agencies and deliver a consolidated annual report on or before March 1 of each year to the Environmental Review Commission, the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee, and the House of Representatives and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Natural and Economic Resources."
SECTION 6.  G.S. 130A‑295.02(m) reads as rewritten:
"(m)	The Department shall report annually on or before 1 October to the Environmental Review Commission on the implementation of the resident inspectors program."
SECTION 7.  This act becomes effective when it becomes law.