N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-55: Authority of the Secretary.

The sedimentation control program developed by the Commission shall be administered by the Secretary under the direction of the Commission. To this end the Secretary shall employ the necessary clerical, technical, and administrative personnel, and assign tasks to the various divisions of the Department for the purpose of implementing this Article. The Secretary may bring enforcement actions pursuant to G.S. 113A-64 and G.S. 113A-65. The Secretary shall make final agency decisions in contested cases that arise from civil penalty assessments pursuant to G.S. 113A-64. (1973, c. 392, s. 6, c. 1417, s. 3; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 776, s. 6.)