EPA Permitting Authority Map

The EPA Permitting Authority Map assists with identifying which regulatory agency has the authority to review and approve permits corresponding to EPA’s Permitting Programs and their supporting environmental statutes. Although EPA directly issues some permits, many jurisdictions – such as states, territories, Tribal nations and local agencies – are often approved to directly implement federal environmental permit programs on EPA’s behalf (entirely or in part), with EPA retaining federal oversight and/or enforcement authority, when necessary.  

For more information on which environmental statutes and permit programs are depicted on the map, see  USER GUIDE: EPA Permitting Authority Map (pdf) (242.99 KB)

NOTE: The EPA Permitting Authority map is a live data source that will continuously be evaluated, updated and enhanced. The initial map release includes a limited list of environmental statues that EPA permit programs have authority to implement or have approved other agencies with the authority to directly implement on EPA’s behalf (entirely or in part).  EPA expects to expand the map to include additional statutes and/or permits that may not be currently listed on the map. Additionally, EPA is planning future build-out for the map to include additional data layers and new project planning capabilities. (See other Data Use and Disclaimers).

Navigation: For easy navigation outside the initial map load area - Open the ‘Bookmarks’ in the side panel to find bookmarked locations (i.e. Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. Territories) or use the "Search Bar" in the top right of the map to navigate to your location. Use the plus and minus buttons to zoom in and out. 

DATA USE AND DISCLAIMERS: 

General:

1. The EPA Permitting Authority Map is provided for informational and planning purposes only. The information displayed and provided by the map is not an official agency determination and does not create any legal rights, obligations, responsibilities, or defense to any person. EPA recommends contacting the appropriate EPA Regional offices or state/tribal/local permitting authority, as appropriate, for site-specific guidance.
2. The EPA Permitting Authority map is a live data source that will continuously be evaluated, updated and enhanced. The initial map release includes a limited list of environmental statues that EPA permit programs have authority to implement or have approved other agencies with the authority to implement in lieu of EPA (entirely or in part).  EPA expects to expand the map to include additional statutes and/or permits that may not be currently listed on the map. Additionally, EPA is planning future build-out for the map to include additional data layers and new project planning capabilities.
3. If EPA does not implement the permit program corresponding to a statute, that permit program is not included on this map (e.g. Clean Water Act Section 404 Program is generally implemented by US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in the absence of an approved non-federal program).

 Lands of Exclusive Federal Jurisdiction:

1. This map does not identify lands of exclusive federal jurisdiction. Lands of exclusive federal jurisdiction are lands in the U.S. where the federal government retains exclusive jurisdiction in relevant respects. Not all federal lands are lands of exclusive federal jurisdiction. Rather, exclusive federal jurisdiction is established only under limited circumstances pursuant to the Enclave Clause of the U.S. Constitution, article 1, section 8, clause 17. 

 Federal Lands, Facilities and Waters:

1. This map mentions permitting authority for federal lands, federal facilitates and federal waters, however it does not identify the specific location of federal lands, federal facilities and federal waters. The user should contact the appropriate EPA Regional offices for site-specific guidance for the location and jurisdiction related to these areas

 Tribal: 

1. The tribal map layer dataset shown on the EPA Permitting Authority Map identified as “Tribal Boundaries and Areas” include the following: 
   • Alaska Native Allotments (EPA Metadata Record)
   • American Indian Reservations (EPA Metadata Record)
   • American Indian Off-reservation Trust Lands (EPA Metadata Record)
2. The tribal geographic datasets are for informational purposes only. EPA makes no claims regarding either the spatial accuracy or precision of these data and associated boundaries as coordinate locations were delineated by the U.S. federal agencies annotated in the metadata record. Data users are encouraged to carefully reference the metadata provided by the relevant federal agencies before using this tool. These data are not better than the sources from which they were derived, and both scale and accuracy may vary across the dataset.
3. The inclusion of Indian country information in the EPA Permitting Authority Map does not represent any assessment or initial or final EPA determination or action addressing Indian country locations or boundaries, jurisdictional authority, or rights of ownership or entitlement, or other legal rights. This information cannot be relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable by any party in litigation with the United States or third parties. EPA reserves the right to change this dataset at any time without public notice.
4. The tribal map layer shown on the EPA Permitting Authority Map is not intended to be a comprehensive visualization of all federally recognized tribes or Indian Country and may not depict the entirety of Indian County.  For tribes and Indian Country areas not depicted on the map, please contact the EPA Regional office for guidance on permitting authority. For more information on tribal boundaries and areas, see EPA Guidance for Using Tribal Boundaries, Areas and Names Resources.