§ 337.5 General authorizations.

Under the provisions of sections 404(e) of the CWA and 104(c) of the ODA certain categories of activities may be authorized on a regional, statewide, or nationwide basis. General authorizations can be a useful mechanism for implementation of the procedural provisions of the CWA, CZMA, and ODA while avoiding unnecessary duplication and paperwork. Through the general authorization process, compliance with all environmental laws and regulations including coastal zone consistency, if applicable, and water quality certification can be accomplished in a single process for a category of activities. Since the emphasis of particular environmental issues for most Corps projects is more regional than nationwide, district engineers are encouraged to develop general authorizations for routine Civil Works activities involving the discharge of dredged or fill material to address the specific requirements of a particular geographic region. When evaluating general categories of activities, the district engineer should follow the same procedure as outlined for individual Federal activities including the water quality certification and/or coastal zone consistency requirements of part 336 of this chapter. General authorizations should include related activities of local interests. Additionally, district engineers should use existing general permits authorized on a statewide or regional basis and the nationwide permits at 33 CFR part 330 for Federal projects involving the disposal of dredged material. The development of new statewide or regional general authorizations for Federal activities should be in accordance with the requirements of §§ 336.1 and 336.2 of this chapter. General permits for related activities of local interests should be developed using the procedures of 33 CFR parts 320 through 330.