A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to direct that the prescribed water use reduction rate for certain areas of the central coastal plain capacity use area shall be capped at twenty‑five percent unless the water levels drop below the water levels of January 1, 2012, and to direct the environmental management commission to do a detailed study and assessment of the current state of the entire Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Notwithstanding the rules regarding water use registration and allocation for the Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area that became effective August 1, 2002, as 15A NCAC 2E .0501 through 15A NCAC 2E .0507 or any other provision of law, the prescribed water use reduction for Greene County including the Town of Snow Hill and all other local governments in Greene County, the Town of La Grange, and the Town of Farmville, shall continue to be an annual reduction of twenty‑five percent (25%) from the approved base rate that was established in 2002 for each of those local governments. Further, Greene County, including the Town of Snow Hill and all other local governments in Greene County, the Town of LaGrange, and the Town of Farmville shall not be required to implement any additional annual water use reduction unless the water levels fall below the water levels of January 1, 2012.
SECTION 2.  The Environmental Management Commission (Commission) shall do a detailed assessment of the entire Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area, including any and all studies provided by purveyors, counties, and municipalities. This assessment shall include the reevaluation of all of the zones, including the potential redelineation of the zones to ensure they are proper. As part of its assessment, the Environmental Management Commission shall study the current state of water resources in the Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area to determine whether the evidence that originally indicated future water reductions by Greene County, the Town of Snow Hill, the Town of La Grange, and the Town of Farmville may be required is still valid or whether new data and evidence indicate that further reduction by those local governments are not necessary.
Greene County, the Town of Snow Hill, the Town of La Grange, and the Town of Farmville may provide new evidence and data to the Commission for its consideration of the issue. The Commission shall carefully consider and evaluate any information provided by the three local governments regarding the issue and shall provide reasonable opportunities for the local governments to be heard on the issue. When the Commission completes its assessment and makes its determinations, the Commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the Environmental Review Commission, including its evaluation of the evidence and data provided by Greene County, the Town of Snow Hill, the Town of La Grange, and the Town of Farmville.
SECTION 3.  Greene County, the Town of Snow Hill and all other local governments in Greene County, the Town of La Grange, and the Town of Farmville shall raise their pumps to the top of the aquifer.
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law.