The Western Governors’ Association and five other leading associations of state officials urge leadership of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers to closely consider a list of potential process reforms under Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act that would reduce the instances of certification delays or denials, while preserving the balance of state and federal powers in the implementation of the processes. The Feb. 20, 2019 letter to EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler and Assistant Secretary for the Army for Civil Works R.D. James includes a list of recommendations that the coalition asserts “represent a good starting point for discussions to improve federal permitting processes while protecting state authority.” Signatories to the letter include leadership of the Western Governors’ Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, Association of Clean Water Administrators, Association of State Wetland Managers, Council of State Governments – West, and Western States Water Council.
