RALEIGH, N.C. – Regulatory reform legislation is a top agenda item for North Carolina House lawmakers as they return to work this week.

H.B. 765 began as a gravel transportation bill, but now encompasses a variety of statewide issues, including measures some say would threaten air quality.

Terry Lansdell, program coordinator with Clean Air Carolina, says pollution standards, regulations and monitoring are all on the chopping block.

"There's been a systematic reduction in air quality monitors across the state, which we need to stop," he says. "If we don't have monitors, we don't really know how clean or how dirty our air is. Removing these monitors has been kind of the task for a specific group within the general assembly over the past couple years."

Supporters say reform measures are needed to improve North Carolina's economy and help business. The bill was passed by the Senate, and House legislators could vote on it as soon as today.

The Department of Environmental and Natural Resources has already closed dozens of monitors and contends they are no longer needed because air quality has improved in the state over the last 10 years.

Lansdell argues the progress made limiting the environmental impact of industry should not be abandoned.

"Businesses find a way to succeed, and businesses are thriving in North Carolina under this regulatory environment and protecting the environment as they produce goods and services," he says. "We can't throw away these regulations, because our air in North Carolina is not healthy."

According to Clean Air Carolina, the state ranked eighth nationally in 2012 for high levels of toxic air pollution from coal-fired power plants.

Last week the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected North Carolina's challenge to federal standards that protect citizens from increases in fine particle pollution.


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The fight against the effects of climate change in Illinois has more help.

Under the Biden Administration's pollution reduction plan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will distribute $430 million to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Pollution Reduction Grant will also accelerate clean energy and promote workforce training.

Angela Xu, municipal engagement manager for the Illinois Environmental Council, said the grant is another step forward in Illinois' clean energy progress.

"We have really seen significant progress on our climate and equity goals due to the passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act -- or CEJA -- in 2021," Xu pointed out. "We're seeing a lot of possible federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. It helps us double down on the great progress that we're seeing and secure a more equitable, affordable, and healthy future for all Illinoisans."

Xu said the grant supports projects like building and industry, decarbonization, freight, electrification, climate-smart agriculture and renewable energy. A total of $4 billion in federal funds was distributed to 25 state, local, and tribal entities. A comprehensive climate action plan must be submitted by all grant recipients to the federal government in 2026.

According to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, roughly two-thirds of the northeastern Illinois region's emissions come from buildings, in the form of electricity or natural gas for heating and cooking. The funding supports the switch to electric appliances, heating and cooling, building equipment and more.

Xu noted other areas also stand to benefit from the grant.

"The funding enhances the workforce development programs already established by CEJA," Xu explained. "The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and the federal Inflation Reduction Act are working together to bring historic climate investments home to our communities, with particular attention to low-income and disadvantaged communities across the state who need clean air affordable, energy and clean energy jobs the most"

Roughly $172 million will be allocated to decarbonize Illinois' buildings, which currently comprise nearly 70% of Chicago's carbon footprint. Another $115 million is budgeted for electrifying Illinois' transportation sector to boost infrastructure and ramp up acquiring electric freight vehicles, and more than $3 million is designated for a freight hub data collection and analysis program.

Ohio is becoming a focal point in the fight against climate change, thanks in part to its industrial might and a growing interest in carbon capture technology.

As the state looks to balance its economic needs with environmental responsibility, carbon capture utilization and storage is emerging as a critical tool. Critics of carbon capture voice concerns it could prolong the use of fossil fuels.

Simone Stewart, senior industrial policy specialist for the Climate and Energy program at the National Wildlife Federation, said in industrial states like Ohio, the technology will be important to curb the effects of carbon emissions.

"There's a big industrial component to their economies but at the same time, we want to act on climate action and address the climate crisis," Stewart pointed out. "We can't continue to emit CO2, so this allows us an alternative pathway."

Ohio's heavy industries, especially in manufacturing and raw materials, are both a strength and a challenge. Stewart acknowledged the sectors are hard to decarbonize, due to the emissions generated in the production processes. However, carbon capture utilization and storage provides a way to reduce the environmental impact while maintaining industrial productivity.

Stewart noted carbon capture is more than an industrial solution, it is also about protecting wildlife and preserving natural habitats, a connection of which she stressed the National Wildlife Federation is keenly aware. She stressed the importance of considering the ecological impact of industrial activities.

"While preserving the economy, while thinking about how infrastructural buildout is going to affect conservation and affect ecology, it really became important to us -- as a federation, and specifically as a climate team -- to participate in these conversations," Stewart added.

The privately owned energy company Tenaska is building a Tri-State Carbon Capture and Storage Hub to serve industrial customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

New York and the nation have seen sweeping impacts since the Inflation Reduction Act's passage two years ago. New York received $34 billion from the IRA for large-scale clean energy generation and storage. Along with funds to expand the state's clean energy sources, it's also provided resources for homeowners to make their homes climate efficient.

Actress Yetide Badaki says the law's passage creates an equitable climate future.

"To achieve equality, we must solve and work for environmental justice for all. The Inflation Reduction Act's focus on environmental justice and justice for the areas is historic and it puts us on that path," Badaki said.

Environmental justice communities have been a priority across New York State as storm damage worsens. This year, the state has seen an estimated $23 billion in damage from 'billion-dollar disasters'. Though New York City is a concentrated hub of E.J. communities, they can be found across the state. IRA funds are being provided for homeowners across the state to prepare their homes for blustering storm impacts.

Many elected officials see the Inflation Reduction Act as a way to make the U.S. energy independent. Creating energy through wind, solar, and other renewable means reduced dependence on other countries for national energy needs.

Alex Cornell du Houx, president of Elected Officials to Protect America, said this benefits national and global security.

"The U.S. produces a decent amount of oil and gas, but it can never supply the world, and this infrastructure is extremely vulnerable, as we've seen in Ukraine. So, to make sure that we're energy secure we've got to be able to move away from oil and gas. It's as simple as that," he said.

He added the IRA's clean energy funds can reduce the influence of groups like the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries or OPEC. The Russia-Ukraine War has made energy independence a rising concern. The World Population Review finds the U.S. imported 405,000 barrels of oil from Russia in December 2021.