State and federal agencies involved in 404/401 Water Quality Certification and Removal-Fill Permits have set up a schedule of regular meetings to assist applicants with large-scale project permits. They supplement existing pre-application coordination led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of State Lands. The process is intended for non-routine permit evaluations that may be complex or controversial in nature. The intent of the meetings is to provide meaningful comment and feedback to prospective applicants early in the permitting process, to inform their preparation of a permit application.
2013 meetings
Participating state and federal agencies will meet the third Wednesday of each month from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. to discuss planned and in-progress 404/401 water quality-related permits and removal-fill permit applications in Oregon. The agenda reserves approximately one hour at each monthly meeting for one prospective applicant to solicit feedback and present information to the assembled agencies. The meetings are designed to assess basic information provided by the project proponents, who will be asked to respond to a series of questions at least two weeks before the meeting.
Below are the scheduled dates for 2013
· January 16 – Portland, 333 SW 1st Ave., 8th Floor
· February 20 – Portland, 805 SW Broadway, Suite 500
· March 20 – Portland, 2020 SW 4th Ave., Suite 400
· April 17 – Portland, 333 SW 1st Ave., 8th Floor
· May 15 – 805 SW Broadway, Suite 500
· June 19 – Portland, 2020 SW 4th Ave., Suite 400
· July 17 – Portland, 333 SW 1st Ave., 8th Floor
· August 21 – Portland, 805 SW Broadway, Suite 500
· September 18 – Portland, 2020 SW 4th Ave., Suite 400
· October 16 – Portland, 333 SW 1st Ave., 8th Floor
· November 20 – Portland, 805 SW Broadway, Suite 500
· December 18 – Portland, 2020 SW 4th Ave., Suite 400
Screening tools and pre-meeting information
Interested applicants should work with their points of contact at the Corps and DSL before requesting to attend a monthly pre-application meeting.
The agencies have developed screening tools – the matrix and accompanying matrix users’ guide – to help prospective applicants assess if a pre-application meeting will be beneficial to their project development. Even if the applicant opts to not have a formal pre-application meeting, the information contained in the matrix and users’ guide may be helpful for any project potentially needing a 404/401 Water Quality Certification and a Removal-Fill Permit. A less formal pre-application meeting may still be appropriate.
The link below is to an information packet which contains:
· Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding the pre-application process,
· Directions on how to prepare for and schedule a pre-application meeting,
· The Pre-Application Meeting Screening Matrix and User’s Guide, and
· Questions for applicants to answer about their project in preparation for a pre-application meeting.
Participating agencies
· U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Portland District
· Oregon Department of State Lands
· Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
· U.S. EPA – Region 10 Oregon Operations Office (Portland)
· NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
· U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
· Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
· Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
More information
Bill Ryan
Department of State Lands
Wetlands and Waterways Conservation Division
Michael Turaski
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Portland District
Teena Monical
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Portland District
404/401/Removal-Fill Pre-Application Meeting
Packet
Public Notice