EPA Proposes Rule to Make Targeted Updates to NPDES Regulations

EPA proposed several regulatory revisions and updates to the Clean Water Act’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. After consulting with EPA regional and state permitting experts and stakeholders from regulated and environmental communities, EPA is proposing several key fixes, including: 

• Clarifying NPDES definitions and application requirements;
• Improving permit decision documentation in fact sheets;
• Allowing permitting authorities to issue public notice of certain permit actions online rather than in a newspaper; and
• Ensuring issuance of environmentally significant permits in a timelier manner.

This proposal would not reopen the regulations for other specific or comprehensive revisions.

The comment period for the proposed rule ended August 2, 2016.

• Federal Register notice on the proposed rule.
• Federal Register notice of extension to comment period on the proposed rule.