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Coastal Resources Commission Meets July 23-24/
Public Hearing Thursday on Replacing Sandbags

RALEIGH — The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) meets Thursday and Friday, July 23 and 24, at the Hilton Hotel, 207 Southwest Greenville Blvd., in Greenville. Here are some highlights from the Commission’s agenda:
  • Public Hearing on Sandbag Rules (4 p.m. Thursday, July 23) — The CRC will hold a hearing on a proposal to allow the incremental sandbag protection of threatened structures, regardless of the structures’ size.


    • The proposal would amend the CRC’s sandbag rules, which allow the temporary use of sandbags to protect certain threatened structures, including buildings, septic systems and roads. A structure is threatened when erosion reaches within 20 feet of its foundation. Under current rules, the CRC allows sandbag use one time per property — even if the property changes ownership. The proposed amendments would change the sandbag-use limit to one permit per structure -- not per property. The proposal also would allow property owners to add sandbags in increments as portions of a structure become threatened.

    Here’s an example:

    Let’s say you own a house that is served by a septic system, and one corner of the house becomes threatened by erosion. Under current rules, you can get a sandbag permit to protect just the threatened portion of your house. That permit is good for two years, to give you time to make preparations to move your house, if you so choose. If another corner of your house becomes threatened six months later, you cannot get a permit to protect it. Once the two years are up, you have to remove your sandbags. You cannot get another sandbag permit on your property. Under the proposed changes, you could add sandbags to protect the other corner of your house when it becomes threatened. All the sandbags would have to come out at the original two-year deadline, however. The proposed changes also would allow you to get a separate sandbag permit to protect your septic system, for up to two years, if that septic system becomes threatened.

  • New Director (8:30 a.m., Thursday July 23) — Donna D. Moffitt, the new director of the Division of Coastal Management, will address the CRC about her plans and goals.

  • Coastal Shoreline Protection (1 p.m. Thursday, July 23) — The CRC’s Implementation & Standards committee will continue its work on proposed rule changes to better protect coastal water quality and habitat. As part of this work, the I&S committee will discuss creating a new general permit to allow riprap placement for wetland protection in estuarine and public trust waters as an alternative to bulkhead use. A general permit is an expedited form of major permit, used for projects that cause minimal environmental damage.


    • For a copy of the agenda, see Coastal Management’s web site at http://dcm2.enr.state.nc.us. Click on the button marked “CRC & CRAC.”

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    Date Posted: July 20


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