Johanna Reese (919) 715-7357
December 10, 1999
Hunt Package Includes $27.7 Million for Urgent Environmental and Public Health Needs
RALEIGH -- Gov. Jim Hunt's flood-relief package before the General Assembly next week contains $27.7 million to continue testing of polluted drinking water wells, expand monitoring of water quality and clean up junkyards and disposal sites in extensively flooded areas of the eastern third of the state.
"The environment of eastern North Carolina suffered severe devastation as a result of flooding from Hurricane Floyd," said Bill Holman, secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. "The Governor's plan contains critical measures to us help protect public health and continue to assess environmental damage during the victims' long rebuilding process."
Many public and private drinking water wells were contaminated by the flooding. Hunt's plan, to be considered during an emergency session of the legislature next week, provides for $1 million for follow-up bacterial and chemical testing and assessment of these wells and for advisory assistance to the well owners by health professionals.
The plan also contains $2 million to monitor surface and groundwater quality, sediment, and fish and shellfish tissue in the affected areas to ensure the water is safe for swimming and fish are safe to eat.
Junkyards, hazardous disposal sites and landfills in the flooded counties need assessment, cleanup and possibly relocation. The relief package has $7 million to address problems at eight junkyards and five of the high-risk, inactive Superfund hazardous sites and old landfills. The Governor's package also allocates $5 million to clean up 44 high-risk underground storage tanks in the floodplain that have contaminated the environment.
To protect public safety, Hunt provided $2.5 million to establish a pilot program on dam safety. The proposal would fund planning for the repair or breaching of 26 high-hazard dams damaged during the hurricane.
Finally, to allow the free navigation of commercial and recreational fishing boats along the coast, Hunt's plan also calls for $10.2 million for the emergency dredging of portions of 12 navigation channels and disposal of the dredged material.
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