Army Corps Proposal, GOP Senate Bill Eye Overhaul To Accelerate NWPs

The Army Corps of Engineers is proposing numerous changes to the dredge-and-fill nationwide permit (NWP) program aimed at speeding regulatory approval of various projects, while GOP senators are pushing legislation aimed at further shortening the approval process by waiving Endangered Species Act (ESA) programmatic review mandates. Among the most significant changes the Corps proposed Aug. 3 are the elimination of the 300 linear foot limit for losses of stream bed; the division of NWP 12, which covers utility lines, into...