On December 11, 1997, the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (EMC) adopted a set of permanent rules to support implementation of the Neuse River Nutrient Sensitive Waters Management Strategy. The rules were subsequently reviewed by the NC Rules Review Commission and the General Assembly in its 1998 'short' session. All of the rules, with the exception of the riparian area, or buffer, protection rule (15A NCAC 2B .0233), became effective as permanent rules on August 1, 1998. In addition, a portion of the wastewater discharge rule (.0234) became effective as a temporary rule on January 22, 1998. Those rules are as follows:
One of the permanent rules that the Commission adopted in December 1997 was a riparian buffer protection rule. The 1998 General Assembly disapproved that buffer protection rule and directed the Commission to make certain changes. The Commission had already adopted the buffer protection rule as a temporary rule effective July 22, 1997. That temporary rule remained in effect until June 22, 1999, when a revised temporary rule and a temporary buffer mitigation rule that addressed the General Assembly's concerns went into effect. The Commission adopted these two rules and a buffer delegation rule as permanent rules in December 1999. All three rules became effective as permanent rules, after review by the RRC, minor changes, and review by the 2000 General Assembly, on August 1, 2000: