Title 15
SECTION 930.54
930.54 Unlisted federal license or permit activities.
§ 930.54 Unlisted federal license or permit activities.(a)(1) With the assistance of Federal agencies, State agencies should monitor unlisted federal license or permit activities (e.g., by use of intergovernmental review process established pursuant to E.O. 12372, review of NEPA documents, Federal Register notices). State agencies shall notify Federal agencies, applicants, and the Director of unlisted activities affecting any coastal use or resource which require State agency review within 30 days from notice of the license or permit application, that has been submitted to the approving Federal agency, otherwise the State agency waives its right to review the unlisted activity. The waiver does not apply in cases where the State agency does not receive notice of the federal license or permit application.
(2) Federal agencies or applicants should provide written notice of the submission of applications for federal licenses or permits for unlisted activities to the State agency. Notice to the State agency may be constructive if notice is published in an official federal public notification document or through an official State clearinghouse (i.e., the Federal Register, draft or final NEPA EISs that are submitted to the State agency, or a State's intergovernmental review process). The notice, whether actual or constructive, shall contain sufficient information for the State agency to learn of the activity, determine the activity's geographic location, and determine whether coastal effects are reasonably foreseeable.
(b) The State agency's notification shall also request the Director's approval to review the unlisted activity and shall contain an analysis that supports the State agency's assertion that coastal effects are reasonably foreseeable. Following State agency notification to the Federal agency, applicant and the Director, the Federal agency shall not issue the license or permit until the requirements of this subpart have been satisfied, unless the Director disapproves the State agency's request to review the activity.
(c) The Federal agency and the applicant have 15 days from receipt of the State agency notice to provide comments to the Director regarding the State agency's request to review the activity. The sole basis for the Director's approval or disapproval of the State agency's request will relate to whether the proposed activity's coastal effects are reasonably foreseeable. The Director shall issue a decision, with supporting comments, to the State agency, Federal agency and applicant within 30 days from receipt of the State agency notice. The Director may extend the decision deadline beyond 30 days due to the complexity of the issues or to address the needs of the State agency, the Federal agency, or the applicant. The Director shall consult with the State agency, the Federal agency and the applicant prior to extending the decision deadline, and shall limit the extension to the minimum time necessary to make its decision. The Director shall notify the relevant parties of the expected length of an extension.
(d) If the Director disapproves the State agency's request, the Federal agency may approve the license or permit application and the applicant need not comply with the requirements of this subpart. If the Director approves the State agency's request, the Federal agency and applicant must comply with the consistency certification procedures of this subpart.
(e) Following an approval by the Director, the applicant shall amend the federal application by including a consistency certification and shall provide the State agency with a copy of the certification along with necessary data and information (see §§ 930.58, 930.62 and 930.63). For the purposes of this section, concurrence by the State agency shall be conclusively presumed in the absence of a State agency objection within six months from the original Federal agency notice to the State agency (see paragraph (a) of this section) or within three months from receipt of the applicant's consistency certification and necessary data and information, whichever period terminates last.
(f) The unlisted activity procedures in this section are provided to ensure that State agencies are afforded an opportunity to review federal license or permit activities with reasonably foreseeable coastal effects. Prior to bringing the issue before the Director, the concerned parties should discuss coastal effects and consistency. The applicant can avoid delay by simply seeking the State agency's expeditious concurrence rather than waiting for the Director's decision. If an applicant, of its own accord or after negotiations with the State agency, provides a consistency certification and necessary data and information to the State agency, the review shall be deemed to have received the Director's approval, and all of the provisions of this subpart shall apply and the State agency need not request the Director's approval. If an applicant for an unlisted activity has not subjected itself to the consistency process within the 30 day notification period contained in paragraph (a) of this section, the State agency must adhere to the unlisted activity review requirements of this section to preserve its right to review the activity.