Bill Summary for H 795 (2015-2016)

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Bill: SEPA REFORM.

Summary date: 

May 26 2015

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2015-2016 Session
House Bill 795 (Public) Filed Tuesday, April 14, 2015
AN ACT TO REFORM AND AMEND THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT.
Intro. by Torbett, Hager, Millis.

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Bill summary

Senate amendments make the following changes to the 4th edition.

Amendment #1 amends GS 113A-4 concerning certain required environmental statements, providing that for the purposes of GS 113A-4(2) (concerning information that must be included in statements for actions involving significant expenditures of public money or use of public land for projects and programs significantly affecting environmental quality), a direct environmental impact can include impacts that are secondary or cumulative with other previous actions if such impacts are reasonably predictable and not speculative, but cannot include impacts that occur outside of North Carolina (previously, did not include impacts that are speculative, secondary, or cumulative with other previous actions or that occur outside of North Carolina).

Amendment #2 amends GS 113A-9 by modifying the proposed definition for significant expenditure of public moneys to mean expenditures of public funds that are greater than $10 million for a single project or action, or a related group of projects or actions (was, expenditures of public funds that are greater than $20 million for a single project or action, or a related group of projects or actions). Also modifies the definition for use of public land to include land-disturbing activity of greater than 10 acres (was, greater than 20 acres).

Amendment #3 amends GS 113A-9 to modify the definition for major development project, providing that the term does not include any projects of less than ten contiguous acres in extent (previously, could not include projects less than two contiguous acres in extent).