Please visit NOAA’s regulatory authorities and mission for information.
The Army Corps is authorized to regulate artificial islands, installations, and other devices covered under 43 U.S.C. § 1333(a) that are located in the seabed of the Outer Continental Shelf, pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Appropriations Act of 1899, 33 U.S.C. § 40, as amended by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, 43 U.S.C. § 1333(e). The Army Corps grants permits for submarine cables as structures located in the navigable waters pursuant to the Rivers and Harbors Act and the Clean Water Act, to the extent that submarine cables traverse coastal wetlands or involve certain discharges. The Army Corps typically conducts an environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act prior to issuing a permit and consults with other agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.
Please visit Army Corps’ regulatory authorities and mission for information.