{"abstract":"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing this final rule to update and clarify the substantive and procedural requirements for water quality certification under Clean Water Act (CWA or the Act) section 401. CWA section 401 is a direct grant of authority to States (and Tribes that have been approved for \"treatment as a State\" status) to review for compliance with appropriate federal, State, and Tribal water quality requirements any discharge into a water of the United States that may result from a proposed activity that requires a federal license or permit. This final rule is intended to increase the predictability and timeliness of CWA section 401 certification actions by clarifying timeframes for certification, the scope of certification review and conditions, and related certification requirements and procedures.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY","name":"Environmental Protection Agency","id":145,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/environmental-protection-agency","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/145","parent_id":null,"slug":"environmental-protection-agency"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2020/07/13/2020-12081.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"121","title":40}],"citation":"85 FR 42210","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This rule is effective on September 11, 2020.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405","FRL-10009-80-OW"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2020-12081","effective_on":"2020-09-11","end_page":42287,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2020/07/13/2020-12081.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/13/2020-12081/clean-water-act-section-401-certification-rule","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2020-12081?publication_date=2020-07-13","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2020-07-13/2020-12081/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":78,"page_views":{"count":14722,"last_updated":"2026-10-25 04:15:05 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-07-13/pdf/2020-12081.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-12081.pdf?1594385114","publication_date":"2020-07-13","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2020/07/13/2020-12081.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2040-AF86":{"issue":"202004","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2040-AF86/updating-regulations-on-water-quality-certification-to-clean-water-act-section-401-certification-rul","title":"Updating Regulations on Water Quality Certification to Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Rule","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202004&RIN=2040-AF86&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2040-AF86"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Webster's II, New Riverside University Dictionary (1994) (definition of \"applicant\")","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405-1296"},{"title":"CWA 401 Final Rule - Tribal Consultation Concurrence","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405-1293"},{"title":"Nat'l Cable & Telecomm Ass'n v. Brand X, 545 U.S. 967 (2005)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405-1273"},{"title":"March 2019 NTWC to David Ross","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405-1270"},{"title":"Lake Carriers Association v. EPA, 652 F.3d 1 (D.C. Cir. 2011)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405-1268"},{"title":"Hoopa Valley Tribe v. FERC, 913  F.3d 1099 (D.C. Cir. 2019)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405-1265"},{"title":"Encino Motorcars v. Navarro, 136 S. Ct. 2117 (2016)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405-1261"},{"title":"Constitution Pipeline v. N.Y. State Dep't of Envtl. Conservation, 868 F.3d 87 (2d Cir. 2017)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405-1259"},{"title":"City of Tacoma v. FERC, 460 F.3d 53 (D.C. Cir. 2006)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405-1258"},{"title":"Alabama River Alliance v. FERC, 325 F.3d 290 (D.C. Cir. 2003)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405-1254"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2040-AF86/updating-regulations-on-water-quality-certification-to-clean-water-act-section-401-certification-rul","title":"Updating Regulations on Water Quality Certification to Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Rule"},"comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405","supporting_documents_count":204,"docket_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0405","regulation_id_number":"2040-AF86","title":"Updating Regulations on Water Quality Certification","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2020-07-15T08:30:08Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":42210,"subtype":null,"title":"Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Rule","toc_doc":"Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Rule","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Environmental protection","Intergovernmental relations","Water pollution control"],"type":"Rule","volume":85}