Signed by Governor Josh Stein

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that establishes a moratorium on insurance of certificates for certain surface water transfers in North Carolina.

Highlights:

• Specifies that the North Carolina Collaboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shall review all of the following (Sec. 2):

• The adequacy of the requirements for an environmental impact study in ensuring that all impacts on upstream and downstream users of water in the river basin are comprehensively and equitably compiled and considered;

• Whether the information on which the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) bases final certification decisions adequately takes into account (i) issues of economic equity for lower income and lower population communities in the source river basin that would experience potential impacts on future economic growth due to the proposed transfer, (ii) negative impacts of increases in water pollutant concentration caused by large surface water transfers on riverine ecosystems, and (iii) whether the denial of the surface transfer request would result in a substantial increase in utility rates or otherwise cause a financial hardship due to alternative infrastructure construction costs for the requesting party.

• Changes to the process needed to reflect the impact of recent climate trends that impact the range of water flows in the State's mainstem rivers during periods of extreme heat, drought, or flooding events.

• How to build into the certification process incentives for parties requesting surface water transfers to implement land use, infrastructure, and drought resiliency policies that will reduce the size of transfers needed to meet future water demands.

• Any other matters the Collaboratory deems relevant to its efforts to increase the fairness and effectiveness of the surface water transfer certification requirements.

• Specifies that this act is effective when it becomes law (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text