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Section 401 of the Clean Water Act requires that any applicant for a Federal license or permit to conduct an activity which may result in a discharge to navigable waters obtain, from the State in which the discharge would originate, certification that the discharge will comply with the State's applicable water quality requirements, including effluent limitations, water quality standards and toxic and pretreatment effluent standards. The current regulations were promulgated in May 1971, five months after the creation of the EPA. They pre-date the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 and were based on section 401’s predecessor, section 21(b) of the Water Quality Improvement Acts of 1970. The regulations describe the process of certification and the process for notifying neighboring jurisdictions. In 2010, the EPA provided stakeholders with an interim handbook called "Clean Water Act section 401 Water Quality Certification: A Water Quality Protection Tool for States and Tribes." In accordance with Executive Order 13868, "Promoting Energy Infrastructure and Economic Growth,” the EPA will update guidance and initiate rulemaking to clarify section 401 to allow for efficient energy infrastructure permitting processes and increased regulatory certainty.