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The Northwest Hydroelectric Association (NWHA) has appointed Troutman Sanders partner Angela Levin to serve as general counsel for a three-year term beginning February 2019. Established in 1981, the NWHA serves the hydropower industry, promoting the region’s waterpower as a clean, efficient energy while protecting the fisheries and environment. As general counsel, Levin will serve as the chief legal officer of the organization, responsible for all NWHA legal affairs, including acting as policy and regulatory counsel on federal, regional, and state issues affecting hydropower interests in the Western U.S.

“I am honored to serve the Northwest Hydroelectric Association in the capacity of general counsel,” Levin said. “The organization provides a vital voice for the hydropower community, promoting regulation and advocating for protection and advancement of existing hydropower resources, as well as responsible development of untapped hydro in the United States.” Continue Reading Northwest Hydroelectric Association Appoints Troutman Sanders Partner Angela Levin to General Counsel

The U.S. Department of the Army’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Works has issued a policy directive memorandum requiring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to adhere to a “default time period” of 60 days for states to act on a request for water quality certification under Clean Water Act Section 401 with regard to USACE’s issuance of dredge and fill permits under CWA Section 404.  The policy memorandum also requires USACE to “immediately draft guidance” to establish criteria for USACE District Engineers to identify circumstances that may warrant additional time for states to decide on an application for water quality certification.

Continue Reading U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Tighten Clean Water Act 401 Certification Timeframes

On January 25, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, in a unanimous decision, granted a petition for review in Hoopa Valley Tribe v. FERC, No. 14-1271 (D.C. Cir., Jan. 25, 2019). The key holding in the case, which concerns the ongoing Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s relicensing of the Klamath Hydroelectric Project, is that the States of California and Oregon waived their authorities under section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), 33 U.S.C. § 1341, by failing to rule on the applicant’s submitted application for water quality certification within one year from when it was initially filed in 2006. The applicant for many years had followed, at the request of the States, the common industry practice of “withdraw-and-resubmit” of its water quality certification application in an attempt to annually reset the one-year time period for the States to act, as established under CWA section 401. The D.C. Circuit in Hoopa Valley Tribe invalidated this practice as a means of resetting the statutory clock, instead holding that the clear text of CWA establishes that “a full year is the absolute maximum” time for a state to decide on a water quality certification application. Continue Reading D.C. Circuit Strikes Down “Withdraw-and-Resubmit” Practice for State Water Quality Certifications

Troutman Sanders partner Chuck Sensiba and Associate Morgan Gerard authored the main feature article in the January 2019 issue of The Water Report, a monthly publication focused on federal and state water issues. In the article, Sensiba and Gerard discuss how a rule proposed by the Trump Administration would significantly narrow the number of waterways and wetlands that fall within the jurisdictional reach of the Clean Water Act (CWA).

“The practical implications of the Proposed Rule for project proponents are that ephemeral streams and many ponds and ditches used in agricultural, industrial, and construction activities would no longer be within the jurisdictional reach of the CWA, alleviating the requirement for and uncertainty surrounding permitting requirements and related mitigation measures. The next step in the Proposed Rule’s process is the public comment period, and the Agencies will accept comments until February 26, 2019.”

To read the entire article, click here.

On July 20, 2018, President Trump signed into law two pieces of legislation alleviating complex federal land use issues for two FERC-licensed hydropower projects in Alaska.  Strongly supported by the entire Alaska congressional delegation, Public Law No: 115-200 and Public Law No: 115-201 respectively allow the Swan Lake Hydroelectric Project (“Swan Lake”) and Terror Lake Hydroelectric Project (“Terror Lake”) to pursue needed and scheduled updates to their operations to maintain sufficient electric capacity for their customers in the Last Frontier.

Continue Reading Congress Passes Legislation Allowing for the Expansion of Two Hydroelectric Projects in Alaska

On June 18, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) clarified their guidelines for when offsets are required for wetlands impaired by development on the Last Frontier.  The new policy recognizes the uniqueness of Alaska for wetlands permitting, by allowing alternatives and flexibility related to compensatory mitigation as Alaska is home to 174 million acres of wetlands covering 43 percent of the land area.

Continue Reading EPA and USACE Clarify Guidelines for Wetland Mitigation in Alaska

On June 29, 2018, Department of the Interior (“Interior”) issued a public notice withdrawing an opinion issued January 13, 2017 by Interior’s then-Solicitor, Hilary Tompkins, which concluded that Interior retains the authority to acquire land into trust for Alaska natives.

Continue Reading Interior Deputy Solicitor Reverses Obama-Era Opinion on Alaska Native Lands