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Clean Water Act Section 404: An O&G Perspective. Andrew D. Smith SWCA Environmental Consultants. Projects in Waters of the US Regulations/Permits. Clean Water Act Section 404 – Army Corps Permit Section 401 – State Certification River and Harbors Act Section 10 – Army Corps. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Projects in Waters of the US Regulations/Permits
• Clean Water Act– Section 404 – Army Corps Permit– Section 401 – State Certification
• River and Harbors Act– Section 10 – Army Corps
Jurisdictional Waters of the U.S.
• Surface waters such as– Rivers, streams, and
their tributaries– Wetlands adjacent to
these waters– Ponds, lakes, and
reservoirs– Arroyos
Typical Activities Requiring Permits
• Construction of access roads• Construction of well pads• Pipeline crossings• Placement of riprap or channel
protection• Construction of ponds, dams,
dikes, or weirs
Wetland Delineations
• Project scheduling and timing– May be seasonal restrictions (winter,
growing season
• Locating and siting wetlands– Blue and white area on USGS maps
could be waters of the U.S.
• Delineate the wetland– Jurisdictional determination– Map and document
Section 404 Permitting
• Avoid or minimize project impacts to wetlands
• Quantify unavoidable impacts< 0.5 acre – Nationwide Permit> 0.5 acre – Individual Permit
• Mitigate impacts > 0.1 acre
Nationwide Permits
• For common activities with minimal wetland/waters of the U.S. impacts
• Typical NWPs applicable to O&G activity– NWP 12: Utility Line Activities– NWP 14: Linear Transportation Projects– NWP 27: Stream and Wetland
Restoration Activities
Individual Permits
• For projects > 0.5 acre impacts to wetlands or other waters of the U.S. or > 300 linear feet of streambed fill
• Public review of permit application– 15 to 30 day public comment period
• Mitigation plan and implementation required
• Generally take 4 to 6 months for approval
Nationwide Permits
• Submit Preconstruction Notification (PCN)– Permittee contact info– Project description, location, purpose– Quantify unavoidable wetland impacts– Other environmental impacts– Maps, photos
• Corps has 45 days to respond to PCN• “The prospective permittee shall not begin the
activity…Unless 45 days have passed from the District Engineer’s receipt of the complete notification.”
• NWPs may take 90 days to process if mitigation required
Mitigation
• “No net loss” of wetlands– Typically 1:1 mitigation ratio in Colorado– Varies depending on habitat value,
quality– “After-the-fact” typically higher ratio • Restoration• Creation• Enhancement• Mitigation bank guidance
Mitigation Aspects and Costs• Planning• Construction• Annual Monitoring• Maintenance
Army Corps must sign off on completed mitigation
(Typically 3 to 5 years for success)
Wetland Mitigation Site Adams County, Colorado
2003 - Baseline Photo 2005 – Same Location After Wetland Creation
We obtained Corps of Engineers sign-off of the mitigation at this site only 2 years after
implementation.
Questions?
For more information, contact:Andrew D. Smith
SWCA Environmental Consultants239.470.7868303.487.1183