What is Section 404 of the Clean Water Act?

Overview. Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes a program to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands.

What is Section 401 of the Clean Water Act?

Section 401 Certification The Clean Water Act (CWA) gives states and authorized tribes the authority to grant, deny, or waive certification of proposed federal licenses or permits that may discharge into waters of the United States.

What triggers a 404 permit?

A Section 404 permit is required if the proposed activity will involve a jurisdictional act (dredging or filling) in a jurisdictional area (a water of the United States). Examples of dredging activities include excavation, clearing of vegetation and the removal of trash.

What kinds of controls are in place to ensure the safety of our water?

To ensure that drinking water is safe, SDWA sets up multiple barriers against pollution. These barriers include: source water protection, treatment, distribution system integrity, and public information. Public water systems are responsible for ensuring that contaminants in tap water do not exceed the standards.

What do you need to know about nationwide permit 12?

NATIONWIDE PERMIT 12 UTILITY LINE ACTIVITIES:Activities required for the construction, maintenance, repair, and removal of utility lines and associated facilities in waters of the United States, provided the activity does not result in the loss of greater than 1⁄2-acre of waters of the United States for each single and complete project.

When do the remaining NWPS go into effect?

Those 40 remaining NWPs continue to be in effect under the January 6, 2017, final rule and the existing general conditions and definitions in the 2017 final rule continue to apply to those permits. These 16 NWPs, the 32 general conditions, and the associated definitions will go into effect on March 15, 2021.

What are national permits under the Clean Water Act?

Nationwide Permits (NWPs) authorize certain activities under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899.