Volume 25, Number 4 ● February 15, 2017
In This Issue:
Draft §401 Water Quality Certification for Nationwide Permits Released
State Program General Permit Update
Save the Date: April 20, 2017
Nationwide Permit (NWP) and State Program General Permit (SPGP) Seminar
Draft §401 Water Quality Certification for Nationwide Permits Released
On February 15, 2017, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) released the draft §401 Water Quality Certification for the activities authorized by the 2017 Nationwide Permits for public comment. Comments are due by March 17, 2017, which means the final certification will likely not be issued until the week of March 20th. The 2017 Nationwide Permits were published in the Federal Register on January 6, 2017 and will take effect on March 19, 2017.
State Program General Permit Update
The COE 12-SPGP-01 will expire on May 31, 2017. If your project is currently under construction, or is under contract to commence prior to May 31, 2017, you can obtain a 1-year extension to complete the project under the existing authorization. If that is not the case and the proposed project will meet the conditions of the new permit, you will need to request authorization under the new permit program once it is finalized. The COE expects to issue the draft public notice outlining the new permit program in the upcoming weeks. WSSI will keep you informed once the draft SPGP program is released and provide assistance in renewing your authorization.
Save the Date: April 20, 2017
Nationwide Permit (NWP) and State Program General Permit (SPGP) Seminar
In an effort to update the regulated community on the upcoming NWP and SPGP changes, WSSI will host an educational seminar on April 20, 2017 in our Gainesville office. Speakers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality will discuss the new permit programs and associated changes. We encourage you to mark your calendars now; our 2012 seminar on this topic was a great success and space is limited.