The USEPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have announced an extension of the proposed rule (Waters of the United States) to clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands.
A copy of the announcement can be viewed here.
EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have always maintained that having the latest peer-reviewed science is an essential part of determining jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) will soon complete its peer review of the report on the connectivity of streams and wetlands. To provide the public with the opportunity to comment on the SAB review and in response to requests for additional time to comment on our proposal to protect our nation’s water resources, the agencies are extending the public comment period to Friday, November 14, 2014.
The agencies are continuing to meet with stakeholders during the comment period to explain the proposal, answer questions, and hold discussions (Read more about outreach). The proposal will clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands that form the foundation of the nation’s water resources. EPA will not finalize the rule until it has fully reviewed the SAB peer review comments and finalized the scientific connectivity report.
Submitting comments on the proposed rule, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2011-0880, can be done by one of the following methods:
The agencies are continuing to meet with stakeholders during the comment period to explain the proposal, answer questions, and hold discussions (Read more about outreach). The proposal will clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands that form the foundation of the nation’s water resources. EPA will not finalize the rule until it has fully reviewed the SAB peer review comments and finalized the scientific connectivity report.
Submitting comments on the proposed rule, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2011-0880, can be done by one of the following methods:
- Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
- Email: ow-docket@epa.gov. Include EPA-HQ-OW-2011-0880 in the subject line of the message.
- Mail: Send the original and three copies of comments to: Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460, Attention: Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2011-0880.
- Hand Delivery/Courier: Deliver comments to EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2011-0880. Such deliveries are accepted only during the Docket’s normal hours of operation, which are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. The telephone number for the Water Docket is 202-566-2426.
Information about the proposed rule can be found at www.epa.gov/uswaters.
