Corps of Engineers Revises and Renews Nationwide Wetland Permits

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has revised and renewed the nationwide permits for regulating work in wetlands and other waters of the United States under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899.

The new nationwide permits took effect on March 19. The new nationwide permits include simplified language to provide clarity and certainty. Some highlights of the revised permits include:

• All of the existing permits were reissued and six new ones were added.

• A new general condition was added and one other was eliminated.

• The acreage limits were retained from the current nationwide permits.

• Protections were added for ephemeral streams, including a 300-linear foot limit.

• The new nationwide permits cover activities such as repairs of uplands, time-sensitive pipeline repairs, repairs to ditches and canals to control erosion, commercial aquaculture operations, reclamation of surface coal mining areas, and underground coal mining.

 http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/releases/nwpermits.htm