EPA Reviewing Smallwood Dam Permit

The Smallwood Dam project constitutes a more extensive review process and is defined as a “Major Project." This means that the project requires concurrent federal review (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)) as defined in the state and federal Clean Water Act Section 404 Program Memorandum of Agreement. The reason it is a “Major Project” is because over five acres of wetland will be impacted during construction.  

The EPA is currently reviewing the application and providing its comments, along with any comments received from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). The EPA has 90 days to review and provide comments on the application. We anticipate that the construction will be permitted by the end of the year and construction can follow soon after.