EPA - Wetlands and Aquatic Resources Technical Support - MRAS

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the General Services Administration (GSA), is conducting market research to support its mission under the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 404 regulatory program. This program plays a crucial role in regulating projects that impact the waters of the United States. Under section 404, permits are issued by either the US Army Corps of Engineers or states that have assumed control of the permit program, adhering to regulations set forth by the EPA. The primary objective of this initiative is to ensure compliance with environmental guidelines and to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of permit implementation processes.

The EPA seeks technical expertise for comprehensive reviews of proposed activities requiring authorization under CWA section 404. These activities often encompass a wide range of projects, including transportation infrastructure development, residential and commercial developments, as well as mineral and coal mining operations. The review process focuses on identifying jurisdictional waters on-site, assessing direct impacts on aquatic resources, evaluating effects on downstream water integrity, and understanding secondary and cumulative environmental impacts. Given the complexity involved in these assessments, advanced technical knowledge is essential for evaluating project-specific opportunities for avoiding or minimizing environmental impacts.

In addition to project-specific evaluations, the EPA aims to advance scientific understanding supporting the 404 program while improving its implementation strategies. This involves reviewing permitting practices to comprehend various project impact levels better and examining past mitigation projects' ecological conditions. Such insights may lead to developing technical manuals, peer-reviewed publications, training programs, or collaborating with regulatory bodies like the Corps for revising guidelines or crafting new regulations.

To facilitate these goals effectively, EPA requires specialized assessments in areas such as site hydrology analysis, construction methodologies, mine design and operation strategies, wastewater treatment practices evaluation, compensatory mitigation techniques assessment, watershed condition analysis, and projections of future conditions. Expertise in field investigation for aquatic resource mapping along with structural and functional characteristics evaluation is also sought after. Furthermore, economic evaluations related to project costs may be requested alongside training development focused on these critical topics.