# What the Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act Does

This bill makes it easier for companies to get permits for construction projects that involve dredging or filling in waterways. Right now, when someone wants to build something that affects water—like a pipeline, power line, road, or water system—they need federal permission through a permit process. This bill streamlines that process by making certain permits last longer and reducing the environmental reviews required.

The main changes are straightforward: permits that currently last five years would now last ten years, giving companies a longer window before they need to reapply. More significantly, the bill creates a fast-track permit for "linear infrastructure projects"—things like pipelines, electrical transmission lines, water systems, and transportation corridors—as long as they don't disturb more than half an acre of waterways. This means companies working on these types of projects could get nationwide permits without going through as many environmental checks and consultations with wildlife agencies.

The bill also limits what federal officials can consider when reviewing these permits. Instead of looking at the overall environmental impact of a project, they would only examine the direct effects of the dredging or filling itself. This could mean less scrutiny of broader consequences like habitat loss or water quality impacts. Additionally, when the government renews these nationwide permits, it would no longer need to consult with states or federal wildlife agencies about endangered species concerns, and it could use a simpler environmental assessment instead of a more thorough environmental review.

For construction companies and infrastructure developers, this means faster approvals and more predictable timelines for projects. For environmental advocates and communities concerned about waterway protection, it represents a significant reduction in oversight and consultation requirements that previously helped identify and prevent environmental damage.

Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act

Rouzer, David

Nationwide Permitting Improvement Act This bill revises the permit process for discharging dredged or fill material into waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act. Under the existing act, two types of discharge permits may be issued: general permits or individual permits. General permits may be issued on a state, regional, or nationwide basis for categories of activities involving discharges of dredged or fill material that are similar in nature even though the discharges may be from multiple dischargers. General permits may include activities that cause only minimal adverse environmental effects. Individual permits may be issued for more significant activities. This bill directs the U.S. Corps of Engineers&#8212;when determining whether the environmental effects of a category of activities are minimal and whether to issue or revoke general permits&#8212;to consider only the effects of the discharges of dredged or fill material from such activities. Next, the bill extends the maximum term for a general permit from a period of 5 years to 10 years. The bill also directs the Corps of Engineers to maintain a nationwide general permit for certain linear infrastructure projects (e.g., oil or gas pipelines) that do not result in the loss of greater than half an acre of waters of the United States for each single and complete project. Additionally, the bill exempts the Corps of Engineers from certain consultation and environmental review requirements when reissuing nationwide general permits. Finally, the bill prohibits the Corps of Engineers from finalizing or implementing certain modifications to such permits.