Lobbyists for AI data centers, mining companies and other major industries are urging the Trump administration to expand the use of streamlined permits under the Clean Water Act.
The Army Corps of Engineers is soliciting feedback on ways to make the Nationwide Permit Program more efficient and to limit “unnecessary review.” Although the agency in December authorized the permits for the next five years, it is now considering additional changes.
Unlike standard permits that require a review of specific, local impacts to wetlands and streams, nationwide permits authorize categories of projects, including housing complexes, transmission lines and commercial facilities like data centers.
Projects that qualify get approved much more quickly on average compared to standard permits, and the public does not have an opportunity to comment on individual projects. But the Army Corps limits nationwide permits to projects with “no more than minimal” adverse impacts to federal waters, and it can still require companies to mitigate for water quality or wetland damages.
