§ 233.1 Purpose and scope.

(a) This part specifies the procedures EPA will follow, and the criteria EPA will apply, in approving, reviewing, and withdrawing approval of State programs under section 404 of the Act.

(b) Except as provided in §232.3, a State program must regulate all discharges of dredged or fill material into waters regulated by the State under section 404(g)-(1). Partial State programs are not approvable under section 404. A State's decision not to assume existing Corps' general permits does not constitute a partial program. The discharges previously authorized by general permit will be regulated by State individual permits. However, in many cases, States other than Indian Tribes will lack authority to regulate activities on Indian lands. This lack of authority does not impair that State's ability to obtain full program approval in accordance with this part, i.e., inability of a State which is not an Indian Tribe to regulate activities on Indian lands does not constitute a partial program. The Secretary of the Army acting through the Corps of Engineers will continue to administer the program on Indian lands if a State which is not an Indian Tribe does not seek and have authority to regulate activities on Indian lands.

(c) Nothing in this part precludes a State from adopting or enforcing requirements which are more stringent or from operating a program with greater scope, than required under this part. Where an approved State program has a greater scope than required by Federal law, the additional coverage is not part of the Federally approved program and is not subject to Federal oversight or enforcement.

NOTE: State assumption of the section 404 program is limited to certain waters, as provided in section 404(g)(1). The Federal program operated by the Corps of Engineers continues to apply to the remaining waters in the State even after program approval. However, this does not restrict States from regulating discharges of dredged or fill material into those waters over which the Secretary retains section 404 jurisdiction.

(d) Any approved State Program shall, at all times, be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Act and of this part. While States may impose more stringent requirements, they may not impose any less stringent requirements for any purpose.

[53 FR 20776, June 1, 1988, as amended at 58 FR 8183, Feb. 11, 1993]

§233.2 Definitions.

The definitions in parts 230 and 232 as well as the following definitions apply to this part.

Act means the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).

Corps means the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Federal Indian reservation means all land within the limits of any Indian reservation under the jurisdiction of the United States Government, notwithstanding the issuance of any patent, and including rights-of-way running through the reservation.

FWS means the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Indian Tribe means any Indian Tribe, band, group, or community recognized by the Secretary of the Interior and exercising governmental authority over a Federal Indian reservation.

Interstate agency means an agency of two or more States established by or under an agreement or compact approved by the Congress, or any other agency of two or more States having substantial powers or duties pertaining to the control of pollution.

NMFS means the National Marine Fisheries Service.

State means any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or an Indian Tribe, as defined in this part, which meet the requirements of §233.60. For purposes of

this part, the word State also includes any interstate agency requesting program approval or administering an approved program.

State Director (Director) means the chief administrative officer of any State or interstate agency operating an approved program, or the delegated representative of the Director. If responsibility is divided among two or more State or interstate agencies, Director means the chief administrative officer of the State or interstate agency authorized to perform the particular procedure or function to which reference is made.

State 404 program or State program means a State program which has been approved by EPA under section 404 of the Act to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material into certain waters as defined in § 232.2(p).

[53 FR 20776, June 1, 1988, as amended at 58 FR 8183, Feb. 11, 1993]

§ 233.3 Confidentiality of information.

(a) Any information submitted to EPA pursuant to these regulations may be claimed as confidential by the submitter at the time of submittal and a final determination as to that claim will be made in accordance with the procedures of 40 CFR part 2 and paragraph (c) of this section.

(b) Any information submitted to the Director may be claimed as confidential in accordance with State law, subject to paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section.

(c) Claims of confidentiality for the following information will be denied: (1) The name and address of any permit applicant or permittee,

(2) Effluent data,

(3) Permit application, and (4) Issued permit.

§ 233.4 Conflict of interest.

Any public officer or employee who has a direct personal or pecuniary interest in any matter that is subject to decision by the agency shall make known such interest in the official records of the agency and shall refrain from participating in any manner in such decision.

Subpart B-Program Approval

§ 233.10 Elements of a program submission.

Any State that seeks to administer a 404 program under this part shall submit to the Regional Administrator at least three copies of the following:

(a) A letter from the Governor of the State requesting program approval.

(b) A complete program description, as set forth in § 233.11.

(c) An Attorney General's statement, as set forth in § 233.12.

(d) A Memorandum of Agreement with the Regional Administrator, as set forth in § 233.13.

(e) A Memorandum of Agreement with the Secretary, as set forth in § 233.14.

(f) Copies of all applicable State statutes and regulations, including those governing applicable State administrative procedures.

§ 233.11 Program description.

The program description as required under § 233.10 shall include:

(a) A description of the scope and structure of the State's program. The description should include extent of State's jurisdiction, scope of activities regulated, anticipated coordination, scope of permit exemptions if any, and permit review criteria;

(b) A description of the State's permitting, administrative, judicial review, and other applicable procedures;

(c) A description of the basic organization and structure of the State agency (agencies) which will have responsibility for administering the program. If more than one State agency is responsible for the administration of the program, the description shall address the responsibilities of each agency and how the agencies intend to coordinate administration and evaluation of the program;

(d) A description of the funding and manpower which will be available for program administration;

(e) An estimate of the anticipated workload, e.g., number of discharges. (f) Copies of permit application forms, permit forms, and reporting forms;

(g) A description of the State's compliance evaluation and enforcement

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programs, including a description of how the State will coordinate its enforcement strategy with that of the Corps and EPA;

(h) A description of the waters of the United States within a State over which the State assumes jurisdiction under the approved program; a description of the waters of the United States within a State over which the Secretary retains jurisdiction subsequent to program approval; and a comparison of the State and Federal definitions of wetlands.

NOTE: States should obtain from the Secretary an identification of those waters of the U.S. within the State over which the Corps retains authority under section 404(g) of the Act.

(i) A description of the specific best management practices proposed to be used to satisfy the exemption provisions of section 404(f)(1)(E) of the Act for construction or maintenance of farm roads, forest roads, or temporary roads for moving mining equipment.

§ 233.12 Attorney General's statement.

(a) Any State that seeks to administer a program under this part shall submit a statement from the State Attorney General (or the attorney for those State or interstate agencies which have independence legal counsel), that the laws and regulations of the State, or an interstate compact, provide adequate authority to carry out the program and meet the applicable requirements of this part. This statement shall cite specific statutes and administrative regulations which are lawfully adopted at the time the statement is signed and which shall be fully effective by the time the program is approved, and, where appropriate, judicial decisions which demonstrate adequate authority. The attorney signing the statement required by this section must have authority to represent the State agency in court on all matters pertaining to the State program.

(b) If a State seeks approval of a program covering activities on Indian lands, the statement shall contain an analysis of the State's authority over such activities.

(c) The State Attorney General's statement shall contain a legal analysis of the effect of State law regarding

the prohibition on taking private property without just compensation on the successful implementation of the

State's program.

(d) In those States where more than one agency has responsibility for administering the State program, the statement must include certification that each agency has full authority to administer the program within its category of jurisdiction and that the State, as a whole, has full authority to administer a complete State section 404 program.

§ 233.13 Memorandum of Agreement with Regional Administrator.

(a) Any State that seeks to administer a program under this part shall submit a Memorandum of Agreement executed by the Director and the Regional Administrator. The Memorandum of Agreement shall become effective upon approval of the State program. When more than one agency within a State has responsibility for administering the State program, Directors of each of the responsible State agencies shall be parties to the Memorandum of Agreement.

(b) The Memorandum of Agreement shall set out the State and Federal responsibilities for program administration and enforcement. These shall include, but not be limited to:

(1) Provisions specifying classes and categories of permit applications for which EPA will waive Federal review (as specified in § 233.51).

(2) Provisions specifying the frequency and content of reports, documents and other information which the State may be required to submit to EPA in addition to the annual report, as well as a provision establishing the submission date for the annual report. The State shall also allow EPA routinely to review State records, reports and files relevant to the administration and enforcement of the approved program.

(3) Provisions addressing EPA and State roles and coordination with respect to compliance monitoring and enforcement activities.

(4) Provisions addressing modification of the Memorandum of Agreement.

§ 233.14 Memorandum of Agreement with the Secretary.

(a) Before a State program is approved under this part, the Director shall enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Secretary. When more than one agency within a State has responsibility for administering the State program, Directors of each of the responsible agencies shall be parties of the Memorandum of Agreement. (b) The Memorandum of Agreement shall include:

(1) A description of waters of the United States within the State over which the Secretary retains jurisdiction, as identified by the Secretary.

(2) Procedures whereby the Secretary will, upon program approval, transfer to the State pending 404 permit applications for discharges in State regulated waters and other relevant information not already in the possession of the Director.

NOTE: Where a State permit program includes coverage of those traditionally navigable waters in which only the Secretary may issue section 404 permits, the State is encouraged to establish in this MOA procedures for joint processing of Federal and State permits, including joint public notices and public hearings.

(3) An identification of all general permits issued by the Secretary the terms and conditions of which the State intends to administer and enforce upon receiving approval of its program, and a plan for transferring responsibility for these general permits to the State, including procedures for the prompt transmission from the Secretary to the Director of relevant information not already in the possession of the Director, including support files for permit issuance, compliance reports and records of enforcement actions.

is incomplete, the statutory review period shall not begin until all the necessary information is received by EPA. (b) If EPA determines the State significantly changes its submission during the review period, the statutory review period shall begin again upon the receipt of a revised submission.

(c) The State and EPA may extend the statutory review period by agreement.

(d) Within 10 days of receipt of a complete State section 404 program submission, the Regional Administrator shall provide copies of the State's submission to the Corps, FWS, and NMFS (both Headquarters and appropriate Regional organizations.)

(e) After determining that a State program submission is complete, the Regional Administrator shall publish notice of the State's application in the FEDERAL REGISTER and in enough of the largest newspapers in the State to attract statewide attention. The Regional Administrator shall also mail notice to persons known to be interested in such matters. Existing State, EPA, Corps, FWS, and NMFS mailing lists shall be used as a basis for this mailing. However, failure to mail all such notices shall not be grounds for invalidating approval (or disapproval) of an otherwise acceptable (or unacceptable) program. This notice shall:

(1) Provide for a comment period of not less than 45 days during which interested members of the public may express their views on the State program.

(2) Provide for a public hearing within the State to be held not less than 30 days after notice of hearing is published in the FEDERAL REGISTER;

(3) Indicate where and when the State's submission may be reviewed by the public;

(4) Indicate whom an interested member of the public with questions should contact; and

(5) Briefly outline the fundamental aspects of the State's proposed program and the process for EPA review and decision.

(f) Within 90 days of EPA's receipt of a complete program submission, the Corps, FWS, and NMFS shall submit to EPA any comments on the State's program.

(g) Within 120 days of receipt of a complete program submission (unless an extension is agreed to by the State), the Regional Administrator shall approve or disapprove the program based on whether the State's program fulfills the requirements of this part and the Act, taking into consideration all comments received. The Regional Administrator shall prepare a responsiveness summary of significant comments received and his response to these comments. The Regional Administrator shall respond individually to comments received from the Corps, FWS, and NMFS.

(h) If the Regional Administrator approves the State's section 404 program, he shall notify the State and the Secretary of the decision and publish notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER. Transfer of the program to the State shall not be considered effective until such notice appears in the FEDERAL REGISTER. The Secretary shall suspend the issuance by the Corps of section 404 permits in State regulated waters on such effective date.

(i) If the Regional Administrator disapproves the State's program based on the State not meeting the requirements of the Act and this part, the Regional Administrator shall notify the State of the reasons for the disapproval and of any revisions or modifications to the State's program which are necessary to obtain approval. If the State resubmits a program submission remedying the identified problem areas, the approval procedure and statutory review period shall begin upon receipt of the revised submission.

§233.16 Procedures for revision of State programs.

(a) The State shall keep the Regional Administrator fully informed of any proposed or actual changes to the State's statutory or regulatory authority or any other modifications which are significant to administration of the program.

(b) Any approved program which requires revision because of a modification to this part or to any other applicable Federal statute or regulation shall be revised within one year of the date of promulgation of such regulation, except that if a State must amend