4 Mar 2021

2021 NWP for Illinois

Expiration date: 3/14/2026

On January 13, 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) published a final rule in the Federal Register (86 FR 2744) announcing the reissuance of 12 existing nationwide permits (NWPs) and four new NWPs, as well as the reissuance of NWP general conditions and definitions with some modifications.  These 16 NWPs will go into effect on March 15, 2021, and will expire on March 14, 2026. With the publication of these NWPs in the Federal Register, the Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) has finalized the regional conditions for these 16 NWPs in Illinois. The Regional Conditions can be found below or accessed at the St. Louis District Regulatory web page. The Section 401 Water Quality Certifications (WQC) have been issued for Section 404 NWP activities by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The WQC can be found below or accessed at the St. Louis District Regulatory web page. There are 40 existing NWPs that were not reissued or modified by the January 13, 2021 final rule. Those 40 NWPs were published in the January 6, 2017, issue of the Federal Register (82 FR 1860) and those NWPs remain in effect until the Corps issues a final rule reissuing those NWPs or March 18, 2022, whichever comes first

13 Jan 2021

2021 Nationwide Permits

Expiration date: 3/14/2026

On January 13, 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the reissuance of 12 existing nationwide permits (NWPs) and four new NWPs, as well as the reissuance of NWP general conditions and definitions with some modifications. These 16 NWPs will go into effect on March 15, 2021 and will expire on March 14, 2026. The 12 existing NWP published in the January 13, 2021 final rule replace the 2017 versions of these NWPs. The 2017 versions of NWPs 12, 21, 29, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 51, and 52 expire on March 14, 2021. With the publication of this Federal Register notice, Corps divisions will begin finalizing their regional conditions for the new and reissued NWPs. Regional conditions will provide additional protection for the aquatic environment and will help ensure that the NWPs authorize only those activities with no more than minimal adverse environmental effects. Regional conditions will help ensure protection of high value waters within the St. Louis District. Corps divisions and districts will also begin determining which conditions for water quality certifications issued by states, tribes, and EPA for the issuance of these 16 NWPs become conditions of these NWPs. Corps divisions and districts will also begin determining which conditions for Coastal Zone Management Act consistency concurrences issued by states for the issuance of these 16 NWPs become conditions of these NWPs. Those regional conditions will be announced in a future public notice issued by the St. Louis District. There are 40 existing NWPs that were not reissued or modified by the January/February 2021 final rule. Those 40 NWPs were published in the January 6, 2017, issue of the Federal Register (82 FR 1860) and those NWPs remain in effect until the Corps issues a final rule reissuing those NWPs or March 18, 2022, whichever comes first.

12 Jan 2021

GP 4 Missouri Boat Dock proposed renewal

Expiration date: 2/10/2021

Public Notice GP-4 (MVS-2021-11): Proposed Reissuance of Regional General Permit No. 4 (GP-4) for Missouri Private Boat Docks, Associated Dock Structures and Minor Discharges in the Missouri River, Mississippi River and Navigable/Historically Navigable Portions of the Salt, Femme Osage and Meramec Rivers. The Comment Period Expires on February 10, 2021.

21 Dec 2020

P-3146

Expiration date: 1/20/2021

The Bank Sponsor seeks approval from the Mitigation Bank Review Team (MBRT) which is composed of representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish the WFI Holdings-B LLC Umbrella Mitigation Banking Program within the Upper Kaskaskia (07140201), Middle Kaskaskia (07140202), Lower Kaskaskia (07140204), Shoal (07140203), Big Muddy (07140106), Upper Mississippi-Cape Girardeau (07140105), Cache (071401408), Cahokia-Joachim (07140101), The Sny (07110004), Peruque-Piasa (07110009), Lower Illinois (07130011) and Macoupin (07120012) watersheds/HUCs, in the State of Illinois. The twelve watersheds/service areas encompass all or portions of the 40 counties within the St. Louis District, in South and Southwestern Illinois. WFI-Holdings-B LLC (program sponsor) proposes to create, maintain, and protect diverse wetland, stream and aquatic systems that provide habitat for wildlife, and perform many of the functions of naturally occurring aquatic systems found in this region. Some of the primary functions and qualities that mitigation banks within the WFI-B UMBP are intended to provide are improved water quality, flood control, aesthetics, species habitat, and a source of groundwater recharge and discharge, among other benefits. In addition, the bank sites will potentially serve as recreational and educational areas for the communities in which they are developed. In addition to the many natural function’s mitigation banks within the WFI-B UMBP will provide, they can be used to provide a reliable source of compensatory mitigation for anticipated adverse impacts to jurisdictional waters and wetlands located within the WFI-B UMBP’s geographic service areas. The Public Notice comment period opens December 22, 2020 and closes January 20, 2021.

21 Dec 2020

P-3145

Expiration date: 1/20/2021

The Bank Sponsor seeks approval from the Mitigation Bank Review Team (MBRT) which is composed of representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish the Swanwick Creek Stream and Wetland Mitigation Bank within the Big Muddy Watershed/Service Area. The primary objective of the proposed mitigation bank is to establish, restore, enhance and permanently protect 8.7 acres of forested and emergent wetlands, as well as enhance and protect 16,273 linear feet of the existing 22,871 linear feet of perennial, intermittent and ephemeral streams and drainage features identified on site. The mitigation bank would is proposed within a 157-acre property with varying topography. The work includes the preservation of Swanwick Creek and the restoration, enhancement, and preservation of unnamed tributaries of Swanwick Creek that have been disturbed by agricultural and silvicultural activities, primarily corn/soybean productions. The conceptual design provides 16,273 linear feet of stream morphology improvements, stabilization, habitat improvement and preservation activities, including riparian buffer enhancement. In addition to stream mitigation activities, the bank proposes to provide an additional 3.79 acres of wetland establishment/restoration and 4.91 acres of wetland preservation. If approved, the establishment, restoration and enhancement activities will be performed generating credits from the environmental improvements and will be available for sale on an incremental basis if the mitigation bank meets its anticipated goals set forth in an approved mitigation banking instrument. Credits from the project are not available for sale until documentation is provided by the bank sponsor that environmental restoration will proceed, and written approval is granted by the Corps in consultation with the MBRT. The mitigation bank sponsor is developing the mitigation bank with the intent to sell the mitigation credits to recipients of Section 404 Permits who are required to compensate for unavoidable and adverse environmental impacts to waters of the United States. Specifically, the waters of the United States that will be compensated at the proposed bank include streams and wetlands with emergent, scrub shrub and forested classifications. Upon request, a copy of the Mitigation Banking Prospectus is available for review in our office. The Public Notice comment period opens December 22, 2020 and closes January 20, 2021.