- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) reviews Clean Water Act (CWA) 404 permit applications for compliance with the criteria issued by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to evaluate discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S.
- Guidelines were developed under Section 404(b)(1) of the CWA. The Guidelines provide regulations outlining measures to avoid, minimize and compensate for impacts.
- One guideline provides that permits cannot be issued if a practicable alternative exists that would have less adverse impact on the aquatic ecosystem. To satisfy this guideline, the Corps will conduct an analysis of practicable alternatives and may request information from applicants to complete this analysis.
- The Corps and EPA have issued guidance on preparation of a CWA alternatives analysis, which is available here (EPA) and here (Corps).
- An editable 404(b)(1) alternatives analysis template is provided here. Note that your Corps project manager may require additional information for your specific project.