Washington, D.C. – EPA is withdrawing a rule intended to provide financial incentives for states to use fees when administering a clean water permit program. The agency issued the rule in September 2008.

EPA will continue to encourage states to establish and expand their permit fees for their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) programs. Any funds that would have been used for incentive purposes will instead be allocated to states under an existing grant formula.

As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the NPDES permit program controls water pollution by regulating municipal, industrial and related sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States.