40 C.F.R. § 121.7 : Protection of Environment — ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY — WATER PROGRAMS — STATE CERTIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES REQUIRING A FEDERAL LICENSE OR PERMIT — Certification Procedures — Action on a certification request

(a) Any action by the certifying authority to grant, grant with conditions, or deny a certification request must be within the scope of certification, must be completed within the reasonable period of time, and must otherwise be in accordance with section 401 of the Clean Water Act. Alternatively, a certifying authority may expressly waive certification.
(b) If the certifying authority determines that a discharge from a proposed project will comply with water quality requirements, it may issue or waive certification. If the certifying authority cannot certify that the discharge from a proposed project will comply with water quality requirements, it may deny or waive certification.
(c) Any grant of certification shall be in writing and shall include a statement that the discharge from the proposed project will comply with water quality requirements.
(d) Any grant of certification with conditions shall be in writing and shall for each condition include, at a minimum:
(1) For certification conditions on an individual license or permit,
(i) A statement explaining why the condition is necessary to assure that the discharge from the proposed project will comply with water quality requirements; and
(ii) A citation to federal, state, or tribal law that authorizes the condition.
(2) For certification conditions on issuance of a general license or permit,
(i) A statement explaining why the condition is necessary to assure that any discharge authorized under the general license or permit will comply with water quality requirements; and
(ii) A citation to federal, state, or tribal law that authorizes the condition.
(e) Any denial of certification shall be in writing and shall include:
(1) For denial of certification for an individual license or permit,
(i) The specific water quality requirements with which the discharge will not comply;
(ii) A statement explaining why the discharge will not comply with the identified water quality requirements; and
(iii) If the denial is due to insufficient information, the denial must describe the specific water quality data or information, if any, that would be needed to assure that the discharge from the proposed project will comply with water quality requirements.
(2) For denial of certification for issuance of a general license or permit,
(i) The specific water quality requirements with which discharges that could be authorized by the general license or permit will not comply;
(ii) A statement explaining why discharges that could be authorized by the general license or permit will not comply with the identified water quality requirements; and
(iii) If the denial is due to insufficient information, the denial must describe the types of water quality data or information, if any, that would be needed to assure that the range of discharges from potential projects will comply with water quality requirements.
(f) If the certifying authority determines that no water quality requirements are applicable to the waters receiving the discharge from the proposed project, the certifying authority shall grant certification.

40 C.F.R. §121.7

85 FR 42284, 9/11/2020