EPA · National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

Clean Water Act discharge permits — license

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit register holds each permit to discharge to a river, lake or coastal water: its holder, place and receiving water, the watershed reached, the operation permitted, and the permit's standing. The register is licensed for a state, or for the nation under internal-use or redistribution terms, refreshed for the term, for use inside the licensee's work. The register is for research engagements quoted per piece of work.

• 398,004permits on the register

What you get

• The register's records for the licensed state or nation, as files and an interface
• Each record shows holder, place and receiving water, watershed, operation and standing
• Refreshes of the licensed records for the term of the license
• The right to use the licensed records inside the licensee's work
• For national licenses, internal use or redistribution rights as written in the license
• Research engagements quoted per piece of work, scoped to the question asked

Who buys it

The register is bought by environmental attorneys, watershed groups, research libraries, regulators, and corporate environmental staff for work that depends on permit records.

Questions

What does a license include?

The register's records for the licensed scope arrive as files and through an interface, with refreshes for the term. Each record shows the permit holder, place and receiving water, the watershed reached, the operation permitted, and the permit's standing. The license states the rights of use.

How often does the licensed register refresh?

The register refreshes on a schedule stated in the license, and each refresh covers the licensed scope. The license term sets how long those refreshes continue. The register's records show the permit's current standing at the time of each refresh, so the licensee can follow changes across the term.

What may a licensee do with the records?

The licensed records may be used inside the licensee's own work, as the license states. A state license and a national internal-use license permit use within the licensee's institution. A national redistribution license also permits the licensee to share the records with others under the terms written in that license.

How are research engagements handled?

The register's records are available for a research engagement quoted per piece of work, under terms set for that engagement. The quote reflects the scope of the work, the records needed, and the term of access. The register's data office provides the quote after the project is described.