- 29 Jun 2015 - Federal Register Notice Announcing the Clean Water Rule: Definition of Waters of the United States. The effective date for the Clean Water Rule will be 28 Aug 2015.
- Public Notice: Comment Period Extended for Clean Water Act Proposed Rule for Definition of Waters of the U.S.
This notice is to announce that the comment period has been extended through November 14, 2014. The comment period has been extended in response to stakeholder requests and to allow comments on new supporting materials. The agencies expect to receive additional relevant materials from the Science Advisory Board prior to October 20, 2014, which will be placed on the docket as soon as they are available. We encourage interested parties to periodically check the docket for updates on these materials. The comment period which was originally scheduled to end on July 21, 2014, had been previously extended to October 20, 2014. Comments now must be received on or before November 14, 2014. Please click here for the public notice.
- Public Notice: Clean Water Act Proposed Rule for Definition of Waters of the U.S.
On 21 April 2014, the USEPA and the Corps of Engineers (Corps) are publishing for public comment a proposed rule defining the scope of waters protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA), in light of the U.S. Supreme Court cases in U.S. v. Riverside Bayview, Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC), and Rapanos v. United States (Rapanos). The proposed rule was developed to enhance protection for the nation’s public health and aquatic resources, and increase CWA program predictability and consistency by increasing clarity as to the scope of “waters of the United States” protected under the Act.
- Public Notice: Clean Water Act Interpretive Rule for 404(f)(1)(A)
On 21 April 2014, the USEPA and the Corps of Engineers (Corps) are publishing a Notice of Availability and Public Comment to announce the availability of an interpretive rule regarding the applicability of the exemption from permitting provided under section 404(f)(1)(A) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) for discharges of dredged and/or fill material associated with certain agricultural conservation practices based on the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation practice standards that are designed and implemented to protect and enhance water quality. The interpretive rule was effective on April 03, 2014.
The overall mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Regulatory Program (Regulatory) is to protect the nation's aquatic resources while allowing reasonable development through fair, flexible and balanced permit decisions. Regulatory oversees the permitting of water supply reservoirs pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and if necessary, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act (RHA). Accordingly, before a reservoir may be built, a Department of the Army (DA) permit must be obtained if the construction involves the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands. Regulatory is responsible for managing and evaluating permit applications to ensure that the project complies with all Federal laws and policies and is not contrary to the public’s interest. Regulatory also must ensure that environmental impacts are avoided and minimized to the maximum practicable extent and that compensatory mitigation is provided to offset unavoidable impacts to the aquatic environment. Click here to view the Savannah District's current pending water supply reservoir permits within the state of Georgia.