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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
INGAA Contact: Amy Conway, 713-306-6323 |
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June 1, 2020 |
INGAA Supports CWA Section 401 Modernization
Alex Oehler, interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA), issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalizing the rule for implementation of Clean Water Act Section 401:
“INGAA supports EPA’s final rule for the implementation of Clean Water Act Section 401. When an infrastructure project requires federal authorization, Section 401 of the Clean Water Act provides states and tribes the opportunity to certify or deny that any discharges from the project to regulated waters will comply with applicable federal water quality standards. While the statute recognizes the distinctive roles of the federal and state governments in the environmental review process, the balance between those roles has been disrupted by some states that have viewed Section 401 as a means to stop certain interstate pipeline and energy infrastructure projects. This final rule clarifies the roles of federal, state and tribal authorities during the Section 401 certification process, realigning those roles with the statute.
“We welcome today’s final rule and we appreciate the administration’s efforts to modernize water quality certification regulations and provide regulatory certainty to the overall process."
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INGAA represents the U.S. natural gas pipeline industry. INGAA’s members deliver clean, abundant, affordable natural gas throughout North America and operate approximately 200,000 miles of pipelines that serve as an indispensable link between natural gas producers and consumers.
