Wetlands Permitting Forms

Permits and Water Quality Certifications ("WQC") for dredging, excavating, and hydroelectric projects that impact the waters of the Commonwealth.

MassDEP requires that submissions related to 401 WQC permit applications be submitted through ePLACE now.

Per the Clean Water Act Section 401 Rule (40 CFR 121.4), a 401 WQC Pre-Filing Meeting is required for a proponent to request a Pre-Filing Meeting with MassDEP at least 30 days prior to submitting a request for WQC; MassDEP is not required to hold such a meeting. While MassDEP's WQC Program administering 314 CMR 9.00 does not plan to waive or shorten this requirement as a general rule, applicants can request and MassDEP can agree to shorten or waive the timeframe on a case-by-case basis.

A complete application must contain the information listed at this link in accordance with the Final 2023 Clean Water Act Section 401  Water Quality Certification Improvement Rule. Applications that are not complete will be informed as to what is missing, and the timeframe for reviewing the application will not begin until the application is complete.  Therefore, in order for a 401 WQC to be considered complete, please provide the information included within this list, as applicable.

MassDEP Guidance on Expiration of the 2018 USACE GP and WQC

The 2018 US Army Corps of Engineers MA General Permit and the associated 2018 Water Quality Certification (and Individual WQCs certifying 2018 MA GP Projects) expire on April 5, 2023. This Guidance describes procedures to extend or reauthorize affected projects.

MassDEP will review WQC applications for hydroelectric projects to determine whether they include all the information and documentation required by the application form. If all required information and documentation is included in or with the application submitted, MassDEP will issue a Notice of Administrative Completeness to the applicant and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The Notice will confirm the date on which the complete application was submitted to MassDEP for the purpose of commencing the one-year time limit for MassDEP to act on the application, as required by FERC regulations at 18 CFR § 4.34(b)(5)(iii) and 18 CFR § 5.23(b)(2). If MassDEP determines the applicant did not submit all information and documentation required by the application, MassDEP will notify the applicant and FERC and specify what is missing. Upon submission of the missing information and documentation, MassDEP will issue a Notice of Administrative Completeness to the applicant and FERC specifying the date on which the application requirements were fulfilled for purposes of commencing the one-year time limit for MassDEP to act on the application.