WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it has prepared its proposal to renew and revise 52 nationwide permits for work in wetlands and other waters that are regulated by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and/or Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. The proposal includes five new nationwide permits that pertain to authorizing seaweed mariculture activities, finfish mariculture activities, electric utility line and telecommunications activities, utility line activities for water and other substances, and water reclamation and reuse facilities.
A pre-publication copy of the proposal has been posted on the USACE web site at: https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Regulatory-Program-and-Permits/National-Notices-and-Program-Initiatives/.
The proposal is expect to be published in the Federal Register within a few weeks. The public comment period will not begin until the proposal is published in the Federal Register. A separate news release will be issued to announce the publication of the proposal in the Federal Register and how public comments should be submitted.
The nationwide permits authorize activities that are similar in nature and cause only minimal adverse environmental impacts to aquatic resources separately or on a cumulative basis. Activities range from work associated with aids to navigation and utility lines to residential developments and maintenance activities.
Following the public comment period, USACE will review the comments received and prepare final nationwide permits that will replace the existing set of nationwide permits, which were authorized in 2017.
Additional information about the USACE Regulatory Program can be found at http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/RegulatoryProgramandPermits.aspx.
Release no. 20-120