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        Issue Resolution Procedures: Clean Water Act/Section 404(q) Under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act,      the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has the primary authority for determining      whether or not to issue a permit for the discharge of dredged or fill materials.      In making a permit decision, the Corps solicits and considers the views      of the public as well as State and Federal resource agencies. At times,      EPA may oppose the Corps' intent to issue a Section 404 permit for a      particular project. This fact sheet describes the process to resolve these      differences.      
The process and time frame for resolution are spelled out in the Section        404(q) Memorandum of Agreement signed by EPA and the Department of the        Army in August of 1992. Under this Agreement, EPA may request that a certain        permit application receive a higher level of review within the Department        of the Army, as shown at right.

In addition to this process, either the Corps or EPA can also formally        raise issues related to Section 404 general program policies and procedures.        Because this kind of review does not directly relate to a specific permit,        it does not delay the review of pending permit applications.
Process for Resolving Section 404(q) Permit Issues
**EPA objection**        EPA formally determines that issuance of the permit will result in unacceptable        adverse effects to Aquatic Resources of National Importance.

**Notice of intent to proceed**        The Corps District Engineer notifies the EPA Regional Administrator if        the Corps intends to issue the permit over EPA objections. The EPA Regional        Administrator has 15 days to respond to the request.

**Case elevation**        The EPA Regional Administrator recommends to EPA's Assistant Administrator        for Water that the permit application be reviewed at a higher level within        the Depart ment of the Army.

**Review of Corps decision**        Within 20 days of receiving the EPA Regional Administrator's request,        the EPA Assistant Administrator decides whether to seek higher level review        of the District permit decision by the Assistant Secretary of the Army        (Civil Works).

**Army review**        EPA Headquarters' case elevation is reviewed by the Assistant Secretary        of the Army (Civil Works). That review results in either a determination        that the decision will be made at a higher level than the District Engineer,        or the Assistant Secretary can issue policy guidance applicable to the        case under review.

Case Elevation Statistics: Since the 1992 Section 404(q) Memorandum of        Agreement was signed, EPA has asked for a higher review by the Department        of the Army on seven individual permit cases. Under the previous Section        404(q) Memorandum of Agreement of 1985, EPA elevated sixteen individual        permit cases to the Department of the Army.

 

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