Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

• No statutes or acts will be found at this website.

The Pennsylvania Bulletin website includes the following: Rulemakings by State agencies; Proposed Rulemakings by State agencies; State agency notices; the Governor’s Proclamations and Executive Orders; Actions by the General Assembly; and Statewide and local court rules.

PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 17-822

NOTICES

Conditional State Water Quality Certification under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act for the United States Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permits

[47 Pa.B. 2830]
[Saturday, May 13, 2017]

 The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) issues, on behalf of the Commonwealth, State Water Quality Certification for the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) reissuance of 50 existing Nationwide permits (NWP) and issuance of 2 new NWPs under section 404 of the Clean Water Act (act) (33 U.S.C.A. § 1344) and section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C.A. § 403) at 82 FR 1860 (January 6, 2017). The final NWPs are listed as follows and are effective for 5 years beginning on March 19, 2017, and expiring on March 18, 2022. On January 18, 2017, the Corps Baltimore District requested State Water Quality Certification (SWQC) on behalf of the Baltimore, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Districts under section 401 of the act (33 U.S.C.A § 1341) from the Department for discharges of dredged and fill material into waters of the Commonwealth authorized by the final NWPs.

 The Department published a notice at 47 Pa.B. 1233 (February 25, 2017) to accept comments on the proposed SWQC for the Corps NWPs during a 30-day public comment period that concluded on March 27, 2017. No comments were received.

 Consistent with section 401 of the act, the Department certifies that activities authorized by the Corps under the final NWPs will comply with the applicable provisions of sections 301—303, 306 and 307 of the act (33 U.S.C.A. §§ 1311—1313, 1316 and 1317), provided the project applicant complies with the following SWQC conditions and constructs, operates and maintains the project in compliance with the terms and conditions of State law permits obtained to meet these SWQC conditions:

 1. Prior to beginning any activity authorized by the Corps under a NWP, the applicant shall obtain from the Department all necessary environmental permits or approvals, and submit to the Department environmental assessments and other information necessary to obtain the permits and approvals, as required under State law, including The Clean Streams Law (35 P.S. §§ 691.1—691.1001), the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act (32 P.S. §§ 693.1—693.27), the Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act (52 P.S. §§ 1396.1—1396.19b), the Noncoal Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act (52 P.S. §§ 3301—3326), The Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act (52 P.S. §§ 1406.1—1406.21), the Coal Refuse Disposal Control Act (52 P.S. §§ 30.51—30.66), the Solid Waste Management Act (35 P.S. §§ 6018.101—6018.1003), the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (35 P.S. §§ 6020.101—6020.1305), the Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act (35 P.S. §§ 6026.101—6026.908), 58 Pa.C.S. §§ 3201—3274 (related to development) and the regulations promulgated thereunder, including 25 Pa. Code Chapters 77, 78, 78a, 86—91, 92a, 93, 95, 96, 102, 105 and 260a—299.

 2. Fill material may not contain any wastes as defined in the Solid Waste Management Act.

 3. Applicants and projects eligible for these NWPs must obtain all State permits or approvals, or both, necessary to ensure that the project meets the state's applicable water quality standards, including a project specific SWQC.

 The Department has determined that these SWQC conditions are necessary to achieve the Commonwealth's water quality standards, which have been approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as compliant with the act. The SWQC conditions achieve these standards through compliance with existing environmental programs administered by the Department under State laws and regulations.

 This SWQC is subject to the Department's determination that the final NWPs are consistent with the Coastal Zone Management Act (16 U.S.C.A. §§ 1451—1466).

 This SWQC is only available for projects that do not require any Federal authorization other than authorization from the Corps under section 404 of the act or section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. Applicants seeking authorization for activities not eligible for coverage under the NWPs, or for activities that require another Federal authorization (such as an interstate natural gas pipeline, a gas storage field or a nuclear or hydroelectric project requiring authorization by another Federal agency), must submit a request to the Department for a project-specific SWQC.

 Notice of the Corps NWPs published at 82 FR 1860 can be viewed at http://www.usace.army.mil/Portals/2/docs/civilworks/nwp/2017/nwp2017_final_rule_FR_06jan2017.pdf?ver=2017-01-06-092409-457 or copies may be obtained by contacting Amy Elliott, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, State College Field Office, 1631 South Atherton Street, State College, PA 16801 or (814) 235-0570.

 The NWPs reissued are:

 1. Aids to Navigation

 2. Structures in Artificial Canals

 3. Maintenance

 4. Fish and Wildlife Harvesting, Enhancement, and Attraction Devices and Activities

 5. Scientific Measurement Devices

 6. Survey Activities

 7. Outfall Structures and Associated Intake Structures

 8. Oil and Gas Structures on the Outer Continental Shelf

 9. Structures in Fleeting and Anchorage Areas

 10. Mooring Buoys

 11. Temporary Recreational Structures

 12. Utility Line Activities

 13. Bank Stabilization

 14. Linear Transportation Projects

 15. U.S. Coast Guard Approved Bridges

 16. Return Water from Upland Contained Disposal Areas

 17. Hydropower Projects

 18. Minor Discharges

 19. Minor Dredging

 20. Response Operations for Oil or Hazardous Substances

 21. Surface Coal Mining Activities

 22. Removal of Vessels

 23. Approved Categorical Exclusions

 24. Indian Tribe or State Administered Section 404 Programs

 25. Structural Discharges

 26. [Reserved]

 27. Aquatic Habitat Restoration, Establishment, and Enhancement Activities

 28. Modifications of Existing Marinas

 29. Residential Developments

 30. Moist Soil Management for Wildlife

 31. Maintenance of Existing Flood Control Facilities

 32. Completed Enforcement Actions

 33. Temporary Construction, Access, and Dewatering

 34. Cranberry Production Activities

 35. Maintenance Dredging of Existing Basins

 36. Boat Ramps

 37. Emergency Watershed Protection and Rehabilitation

 38. Cleanup of Hazardous and Toxic Waste

 39. Commercial and Institutional Developments

 40. Agricultural Activities

 41. Reshaping Existing Drainage Ditches

 42. Recreational Facilities

 43. Stormwater Management Facilities

 44. Mining Activities

 45. Repair of Uplands Damaged by Discrete Events

 46. Discharge in Ditches

 47. [Reserved]

 48. Commercial Shellfish Aquaculture Activities

 49. Coal Remining Activities

 50. Underground Coal Mining Activities

 51. Land-Based Renewable Energy Generation Facilities

 52. Water-Based Renewable Energy Generation Pilot Projects

 The new NWPs issued are:

 A. Removal of Low-Head Dams

 B. Living Shorelines

PATRICK McDONNELL, 
Acting Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 17-822. Filed for public inspection May 12, 2017, 9:00 a.m.]



No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.

This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.