Carolina's
compass for public strategies
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Scorecard
Imperative
5
A Sustainable
Environment
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Goal
1: In 2020, North Carolina’s air and water will
be of the highest quality.
In
some respects, North Carolina has made significant progress
in protecting its air and water over the past 20 years.
Four of the six primary air pollutants -- including lead
and sulfur dioxide -- have declined since the 1970s. In
addition, municipal and industrial sewage treatment plants
are dumping less noxious waste into rivers. All is far
from well, however. Ground-level ozone, which triggers
asthma and other respiratory illnesses, has been on the
increase since 1995, placing North Carolina among the
least healthy states in terms of air quality. Non-point
source pollution -- such as runoff from roads and agricultural
lands -- presents a critical challenge in maintaining
the quality of streams, rivers, and estuaries. Meanwhile,
both pollution and dwindling acquifers pose problems for
ground water supplies.
Targets
Air
Quality
Surface Water Quality
Drinking Water
Contaminants
Ground Water Quantity
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