The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District is proposing to replace and revise the statewide Connecticut General Permits (GPs) with a series of multiple GPs covering activity-specific categories. The revised GPs will continue to authorize activities in waters of the United States within the State of Connecticut and lands located within the exterior boundaries of an Indian Reservation and in adjacent ocean waters to the seaward limit of the outer continental shelf with minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental impacts.

The existing GPs expire on August 19, 2021 and USACE proposes to reissue the GPs for an additional five years. Public and agency comments on the proposed Connecticut GPs should be submitted by Sept. 10, 2021.

The revised GPs will continue the expedited review process for activities in USACE jurisdiction under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, and Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act.

General Permits are used to streamline state and federal regulatory programs. The New England District has already had success with streamlining these programs with the use of statewide GPs throughout New England.

The revised GPs organizes eligible work into twenty-three activity-specific categories. This continues to satisfy the requirements of Section 404(e) of the Clean Water Act, which allows USACE to issue general permits for activities that are similar in nature and will result in no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects. Identifying specific activities allows USACE to adequately assess cumulative impacts of permitted activities, as well as fully assess impacts on threatened and endangered species.

USACE proposes/2-2-2-2-2-2

The public notice, with more specifics on the proposed Connecticut GPs, can be viewed on the District website at: https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Portals/74/docs/regulatory/PublicNotices/2021/July-27-2021-USACE-CT-GP-Initial-Public-Notice.pdf

USACE will consider all comments that are received to determine whether to issue, modify or further condition the Connecticut GPs. All comments will be considered a matter of public record. Public comments should be forwarded no later than Sept. 10, 2021 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Attn: Kevin Kotelly, Regulatory Division, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742 or by email to Kevin.R.Kotelly@usace.army.mil.