On June 1, 2020, EPA finalized the Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Rule to implement the water quality certification process consistent with the text and structure of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The final rule establishes procedures that promote consistent implementation of CWA section 401 and regulatory certainty in the federal licensing and permitting process. The final rule also, for the first time, provides a holistic analysis of the statutory text, legislative history, and relevant case law informing implementation of CWA section 401. The final rule became effective on September 11, 2020.
In August and September 2020, EPA hosted training webinars for states, tribes, and federal agencies to learn about the final rule and implementation considerations. EPA is hosting a follow-up webinar on October 8, 2020, from 2:30-4:30pm EDT to answer questions that previously have been received during trainings. This webinar is open to states, tribes, and federal agency staff only.
Registration for the webinar is available at: https://horsleywittengroup.webex.com/horsleywittengroup/onstage/g.php?MTID=e2a27b0da534ae7154fe3457ff02cfe72.
If you have any questions about the webinar, please email cwa401@epa.gov.