Opinion ID: 202032
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Clean Water Act and Puerto Rico Water Quality Requirements

Text: 10 The CWA makes it unlawful to discharge pollutants into navigable waters outside of the CWA's permit requirements. See 33 U.S.C. § 1311(a) (2000). In order to receive a CWA permit, an applicant must provide a certification from the State in which the discharge originates or will originate. Id. § 1341(a)(1); see 33 C.F.R. § 336.1(a)(1), (8) (the CWA requires the Corps to seek state water quality certification for discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States). 5 Additional provisions of the CWA make it clear that Congress waived the federal government's sovereign immunity with respect to state regulation of dredging and water pollution. Friends of the Earth v. United States Navy, 841 F.2d 927, 934 (9th Cir.1988). Section 1344(t) provides: 11 Nothing in this section shall preclude. . . the right of any State . . . agency to control the discharge of dredged or fill material in . . . the navigable waters within the jurisdiction of such State, including any activity of any Federal agency, and each such agency shall comply with such State or interstate requirements both substantive and procedural to control the discharge of dredged or fill material to the same extent that any person is subject to such requirements. 12 33 U.S.C. § 1344(t). Section 1323 provides: 13 Each [federal agency] . . . shall . . . comply with, all Federal, State, interstate, and local requirements, administrative authority, and process and sanctions respecting the control and abatement of water pollution in the same manner, and to the same extent as any nongovernmental agency . . . [This] shall apply (A) to any requirement whether substantive or procedural (including . . . any requirement respecting permits and any other requirement, whatsoever). 14 Id. § 1323(a). 15 The WQSR states that it was promulgated by the EQB in accordance with the Environmental Policy Act, in order to preserve, maintain and enhance the quality of the waters of Puerto Rico in such manner that they be compatible with the social and economic needs of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. WQSR Decl. of Goals & Purposes. To meet this goal, the WQSR requires a water quality certificate prior to the discharge of pollutants into Puerto Rico's waters, WQSR Art. 6.1.2, 6.11, unless the EQB grants an exemption under WQSR Art. 6.1.3. 16 In the instant case, we do not determine whether the Corps violated the CWA and WQSR by discharging dredged material from Arecibo Harbor on La Marginal Beach. We do not need to decide any issue of the scope of the CWA waiver of sovereign immunity, or whether that waiver extends to actions under the FTCA. Neither do we need to decide whether state law may provide a mandatory duty such as to defeat the discretionary function exception. Instead, we decide the case on the independent ground that there is an insufficient causal link between the alleged failure to comply with the Puerto Rico water quality regulations and the alleged harm.