EPA Touts Florida 404 Permitting Agreement As 'Road Map' For Other States

摘要

EPA has approved Florida's request to assume control of the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 404 permitting program for many waters in the state, with agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler saying the decision to make Florida only the third state to receive such authority is a "road map for other states." Mary Walker, assistant administrator of EPA's Region 4 that covers Florida and eight other Southeast states, and Principal Deputy Assistant of the Army for Civil Works Ryan Fisher signed the approval Dec. 17. The decision will go into effect when it is published in the Federal Register. Wheeler at the signing event said "receiving permission is a high bar" for states to reach on section 404 CWA permitting authority, and noted that in the past the federal government had "thrown so many hurdles in front of other states" that it was nearly impossible for states to assume the 404 dredge-and-fill permitting program.