Establishment of Public Docket and Listening Sessions on Implementation Challenges Associated With Clean Water Act Section 401

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will initiate a series of stakeholder listening sessions and invite written feedback on regulatory uncertainty or implementation challenges associated with the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 401 certification process as defined in the 2023 Water Quality Certification Improvement Rule. The Agency will use this input to determine whether guidance or rulemaking are necessary to address identified areas of regulatory uncertainty or implementation challenges regarding the scope of certification. The Agency also seeks stakeholder input related to CWA section 401(a)(2) implementation.