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FACTSHEET <br />NATIONWIDE PERMIT 12 <br />UTILITY LINE ACTIVITIES. Activities required for the construction, maintenance, <br />repair, and removal of utility lines and associated facilities in waters of the United States, <br />provided the activity does not result in the loss of greater than 1/2 acre of waters of the <br />United States. <br />Utility lines: This NWP authorizes the construction, maintenance, or repair of <br />utility lines, including outfall and intake structures, and the associated excavation, <br />backfill, or bedding for the utility lines, in all waters of the United States, provided there <br />is no change in pre - construction contours. A "utility line" is defined as any pipe or <br />pipeline for the transportation of any gaseous, liquid, liquescent, or slurry substance, for <br />any purpose, and any cable, line, or wire for the transmission for any purpose of electrical <br />energy, telephone, and telegraph messages, and radio and television communication. The <br />term "utility line" does not include activities that drain a water of the United States, such <br />as drainage the or french drains, but it does apply to pipes conveying drainage from <br />another area. <br />Material resulting from trench excavation may be temporarily sidecast into waters <br />of the United States for no more than three months, provided the material is not placed in <br />such a manner that it is dispersed by currents or other forces. The district engineer may <br />extend the period of temporary side casting for no more than a total of 184 days, where <br />appropriate. In wetlands, the top 6 to 12 inches of the trench should normally be <br />backfilled with topsoil from the trench. The trench cannot be constructed or backfilled in <br />such a manner as to drain waters of the United States (e.g., backfilling with extensive <br />gravel layers, creating a french drain effect). Any exposed slopes and stream banks must <br />be stabilized immediately upon completion of the utility line crossing of each waterbody. <br />Utility line substations: This NWP authorizes the construction, maintenance, or <br />expansion of substation facilities associated with a power line or utility line in non -tidal <br />waters of the United States, provided the activity, in combination with all other activities <br />included in one single and complete project, does not result in the loss of greater than 1/2 <br />acre of waters of the United States. This NWP does not authorize discharges into non- <br />tidal wetlands adjacent to tidal waters of the United States to construct, maintain, or <br />expand substation facilities. <br />Foundations for overhead utility line towers, poles, and anchors: This NWP <br />authorizes the construction or maintenance of foundations for overhead utility line <br />towers, poles, and anchors in all waters of the United States, provided the foundations are <br />the minimum size necessary and separate footings for each tower leg (rather than a larger <br />single pad) are used where feasible. <br />Access roads: This NWP authorizes the construction of access roads for the <br />construction and maintenance of utility lines, including overhead power lines and utility <br />line substations, in non -tidal waters of the United States, provided the total discharge <br />from a single and complete project does not cause the loss of greater than 1/2-acre of <br />non -tidal waters of the United States. This NWP does not authorize discharges into non- <br />tidal wetlands adjacent to tidal waters for access roads. Access roads must be the <br />minimum width necessary (see Note 2, below). Access roads must be constructed so that <br />