Senators okay repeal of NC’s hardened structure ban, dismiss buyouts for threatened coastal homes

North Carolina lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 1009 to repeal a decades-old ban on hardened coastal structures like jetties and seawalls. The bill aims to address increased coastal erosion and property threats, with the Coastal Resources Commission tasked with regulating future structures. Critics raised concerns about erosion trade-offs and the effectiveness of alternatives like beach nourishment.