<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<REGINFO_RIN_DATA xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" RUN_DATE="2026-05-24-04:00" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/xml/REGINFO_XML_Ver10262011.xsd">
    <RIN_INFO>
        <RIN>2040-AF25</RIN>
        <PUBLICATION>
            <PUBLICATION_ID>201110</PUBLICATION_ID>
            <PUBLICATION_TITLE>The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions</PUBLICATION_TITLE>
        </PUBLICATION>
        <AGENCY>
            <CODE>2040</CODE>
            <NAME>Water</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>WATER</ACRONYM>
        </AGENCY>
        <PARENT_AGENCY>
            <CODE>2000</CODE>
            <NAME>Environmental Protection Agency</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>EPA</ACRONYM>
        </PARENT_AGENCY>
        <RULE_TITLE>National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Application and Program Updates Rule</RULE_TITLE>
        <ABSTRACT><![CDATA[EPA plans to propose regulations that would update specific elements of the existing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) in order to better harmonize regulations and application forms, improve permit documentation and transparency and provide clarifications to the existing regulations. In this effort, EPA plans to address application, permitting, monitoring, and reporting requirements that have become obsolete or outdated due to programmatic, technical, or other changes that have occurred over the past 35 years. Specifically, EPA plans to focus on revising the NPDES permit application forms to specifically include all final Agency data standards, improving the consistency between the application forms, and updating the applications to better reflect current program practices, and specifically to incorporate new program areas into the forms (e.g., Clean Water Act section 316(b) requirements for cooling water intake structures). EPA also plans to address other program elements, including permit documentation, EPA State permit objection, and public participation procedures to improve the quality and transparency of permit development. As an example of a regulation which could be proposed to change to reduce burden, as well as improve transparency and public access to information, EPA is considering whether to revise the public notice requirements to allow a State to post notices of draft NPDES permits and other permit actions under the Clean Water Act on their State agency Web sites in lieu of traditional newspaper posting.]]></ABSTRACT>
        <PRIORITY_CATEGORY>Other Significant</PRIORITY_CATEGORY>
        <RIN_STATUS>Previously Published in The Unified Agenda</RIN_STATUS>
        <RULE_STAGE>Proposed Rule Stage</RULE_STAGE>
        <MAJOR>No</MAJOR>
        <UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
            <UNFUNDED_MANDATE>No</UNFUNDED_MANDATE>
        </UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
        <CFR_LIST>
            <CFR>Not Yet Determined</CFR>
        </CFR_LIST>
        <LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>33 USC 1251 et seq</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
        </LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_LIST/>
        <RPLAN_ENTRY>Yes</RPLAN_ENTRY>
        <RPLAN_INFO>
            <STMT_OF_NEED><![CDATA[Certain application, permitting, monitoring, and reporting requirements need to be updated to reflect programmatic and technical changes that have occurred over the past 35 years.]]></STMT_OF_NEED>
            <LEGAL_BASIS><![CDATA[33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.]]></LEGAL_BASIS>
            <ALTERNATIVES><![CDATA[Not yet determined.]]></ALTERNATIVES>
            <COSTS_AND_BENEFITS><![CDATA[Not yet determined.]]></COSTS_AND_BENEFITS>
            <RISKS><![CDATA[Not yet determined.]]></RISKS>
        </RPLAN_INFO>
        <TIMETABLE_LIST>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>03/00/2012</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Final Action</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>10/00/2012</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
        </TIMETABLE_LIST>
        <RFA_REQUIRED>No</RFA_REQUIRED>
        <SMALL_ENTITY_LIST>
            <SMALL_ENTITY>No</SMALL_ENTITY>
        </SMALL_ENTITY_LIST>
        <GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>Federal</GOVT_LEVEL>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>Local</GOVT_LEVEL>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>State</GOVT_LEVEL>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>Tribal</GOVT_LEVEL>
        </GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
        <FEDERALISM>No</FEDERALISM>
        <ENERGY_AFFECTED>No</ENERGY_AFFECTED>
        <PRINT_PAPER>No</PRINT_PAPER>
        <INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>No</INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>
        <AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Kathryn</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Kelley</LAST_NAME>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>2040</CODE>
                    <NAME>Office of Water</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>OW</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>202 564-7004</PHONE>
                <FAX>202 564-9544</FAX>
                <EMAIL>kelley.kathryn@epamail.epa.gov</EMAIL>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS>Mail Code 4203M, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,</STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <CITY>Washington</CITY>
                    <STATE>DC</STATE>
                    <ZIP>20460</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>David</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Hair</LAST_NAME>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>2040</CODE>
                    <NAME>Office of Water</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>OW</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>202 564-2287</PHONE>
                <FAX>202 564-9544</FAX>
                <EMAIL>hair.david@epamail.epa.gov</EMAIL>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS>Mail Code 4203M, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,</STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <CITY>Washington</CITY>
                    <STATE>DC</STATE>
                    <ZIP>20460</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
        </AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
    </RIN_INFO>
</REGINFO_RIN_DATA>
