New Permit Application Component in Norfolk District
On May 11, 2020 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Norfolk District Regulatory Office issued a Public Notice for the new Norfolk District Wetland Attribute Form. The Corps developed the form “to provide a detailed, rapid, and qualitative description of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of wetlands being evaluated under the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 permitting process.” The form will support the Corps in “making more informed permit decisions” and will give the Corps information consistent to what the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and other regulatory agencies typically require.
The new form should be submitted for projects with impacts to one (1) acre or more of wetlands. WSSI will handle this process for our clients, and if you have any questions about the form or its implications, please contact Ben Rosner or Christie Blevins in our Gainesville office.
The new form is in a testing phase as of the Public Notice date, and the Corps is accepting comments through November 8, 2020. At that point the Corps will evaluate comments and determine what changes to the form, if any, are needed.