{"abstract":"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing this proposed rule to update and clarify several 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 waters of the United States that may result from a proposed activity that requires a Federal license or permit. This proposed rule is intended to clarify several aspects of the certification process consistent with the statutory framework.","action":"Proposed 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/2026/01/15/2026-00754.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":121,"title":40}],"citation":"91 FR 2008","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2026-02-17","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Comments must be received on or before February 17, 2026. Comments on the information collection provisions of the proposed rule under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) must be received by the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OMB-OIRA) on or before February 17, 2026. Please refer to the PRA section under \"Statutory and Executive Order Reviews\" in this preamble for specific instructions. Public meeting: EPA will hold a virtual public meeting following publication of this proposed action. Please refer to the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for additional information on the public meeting.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929","FRL-6976.2-01-OW"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"CWA 401 Public Meeting Transcripts Cover Page","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0296"},{"title":"Tribes Approved for Treatment as a State (TAS) USEPA","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0012"},{"title":"ICR Supporting Statement","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0011"},{"title":"Documentation of E.O. 12866 Review","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0010"},{"title":"Economic Analysis","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0009"},{"title":"Meeting Tracker and Outreach","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0008"},{"title":"Legislative History","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0007"},{"title":"Prior Federal Register Notices","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0006"},{"title":"Prior Regulations","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0005"},{"title":"Water Quality Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 91-224, § 21(b)(1), 84 Stat. 91 (1970)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0004"}],"agency_name":"EPA","documents":[{"comment_count":89092,"comment_start_date":"2026-01-15","updated_at":"2026-03-27T01:56:16.597-04:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0001","allow_late_comments":false,"id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0001","comment_end_date":"2026-02-18","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":12,"id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929","title":"Updating the Water Quality Certification Regulations"}],"document_number":"2026-00754","effective_on":null,"end_page":2042,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2026/01/15/2026-00754.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/15/2026-00754/updating-the-water-quality-certification-regulations","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2026-00754?publication_date=2026-01-15","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2026-01-15/2026-00754/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":35,"page_views":{"count":4579,"last_updated":"2026-04-04 18:15:03 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-01-15/pdf/2026-00754.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-00754.pdf?1768398323","publication_date":"2026-01-15","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/01/15/2026-00754.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2040-AG47":{"issue":"202504","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2040-AG47/clean-water-act-section-401-water-quality-certification-improvement-rule","title":"Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification Improvement Rule","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202504&RIN=2040-AG47&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Substantive, Nonsignificant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2040-AG47"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"CWA 401 Public Meeting Transcripts Cover Page","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0296"},{"title":"Tribes Approved for Treatment as a State (TAS) USEPA","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0012"},{"title":"ICR Supporting Statement","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0011"},{"title":"Documentation of E.O. 12866 Review","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0010"},{"title":"Economic Analysis","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0009"},{"title":"Meeting Tracker and Outreach","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0008"},{"title":"Legislative History","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0007"},{"title":"Prior Federal Register Notices","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0006"},{"title":"Prior Regulations","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0005"},{"title":"Water Quality Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 91-224, § 21(b)(1), 84 Stat. 91 (1970)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0004"}],"comments_count":89092,"agency_id":"EPA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929","supporting_documents_count":12,"docket_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-2929-0001","regulation_id_number":null,"title":"Updating the Water Quality Certification Regulations","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2026-03-28T08:55:06Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":false,"signing_date":null,"start_page":2008,"subtype":null,"title":"Updating the Water Quality Certification Regulations","toc_doc":"Updating the Water Quality Certification Regulations","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Environmental protection","Intergovernmental relations","Water pollution control"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":91}