Commission Proceedings 



detailed consideration of the plan to the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and 

 Aquaculture. 



Environmental education 



Anne Taylor, Director of the Office of Environmental Education in DENR, told the 

 ERC that all environmental education grant moneys for this year are being used to rebuild 

 libraries damaged or destroyed by hurricane-related floods. 



Leaking Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Program 



Burrie V. Boshoff, Section Chief of the Underground Storage Tank Section in the 

 Division of Waste Management m DENR, reported on the Leaking Underground Storage 

 Tank Cleanup Program. The cleanup funds for both commercial and non-commercial 

 sites showed positive balances. ERC members asked whether this program would ever 

 completely finish its work, or if new leaks would make this impossible. 



Environmental Management Commission 



Dr. David H. Moreau, Chair of the Environmental Management Commission (EMC), 

 reported on the EMC's recent activities and gave an update on controversies surrounding 

 air quality measures. The issue of whether complainants could appeal a fmding of no- 

 violation of the EMC's rules on odor fi-om animal waste management systems was 

 addressed, with DENR representatives stating that in their opinion, complainants did not 

 have the right to appeal. Representative Hackney commented that statutory guidance 

 may be needed to provide a remedy to this. 



Revised best management practices (BMP s) for animal waste management systems 



David S. Vogel, Director of the Division of Soil and Water Conservation in DENR, 

 reported on revisions to the emergency BMPs for animal waste management systems 

 adopted by the Soil and Water Conservation Commission following the 1999 hurricanes. 

 He said the revisions had been made in response to complaints that the original 

 emergency BMPs were not sufficiently protective of water quality. The environmental 

 groups that had challenged the original emergency BMPs supported the revised BMPs. 



Allocations from the Parks and Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Funds 



Philip K. McKnelly, Director of the Division of Parks and Recreation in DENR, 

 reported on allocations from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and the Natural 

 Heritage Trust Fund. ERC members asked about the impact of budget cuts, and Mr. 

 McKnelly responded that the cuts had not impacted the funds, but had impacted resources 

 available to cover operating costs. In discussing natural resource inventories conducted 

 under the Natural Heritage Program, Mr. McKnelly noted that the inventories should be 

 updated periodically, but money is not always available for this. 



Cullasaja River 



Mr. Mcknelly also presented information on the feasibility of designatmg the portion 

 of the Cullasaja River that borders the Nantahala National Forest as part of the North 

 Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers System. There was interest in voting to recommend a 

 bill to make the designation, but the Chairs decided to delay such action until after 



