Beach nourishment bingo?

NC lawmakers bypass DEQ, allot $5 million coastal research grant to politically connected Winston-Salem nonprofit


A North Carolina nonprofit with deep political connections received $5 million in the state budget for a beach nourishment study and design project, even though it has never done that type of work and is headquartered more than 250 miles from the coast.

Lawmakers appropriated the funding to the Resource Institute, based in Winston-Salem, through a one-time “grant-in-aid” – pass-through money – from the state Division of Water Resources. The amount is the largest grant-in-aid from the Department of Environmental Quality since at least 2005, according to state budget documents.

Yet, DEQ said it did not request the earmark; in fact, lawmakers appropriated just $1.8 million to DEQ to conduct its own work related to GenX and emerging contaminants.

The budget language vaguely describes the purpose of the appropriation. Armed with the windfall, the Resource Institute “shall work with coastal local governments and engineering firms to explore opportunities for the development and implementation of emerging techniques that can extend the useful life of beach nourishment projects.”

Read more: http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2018/07/26/pw-exclusive-beach-nourishment-bingo/