The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to revise a Trump administration final rule issued last year to streamline Clean Water Act Section 401 certification, a move the Biden administration characterized as an effort to strengthen “state and Tribal authority” over review decisions.

By giving the states authority to make water quality permitting decisions for federally approved infrastructure projects, Section 401 certification has provided a regulatory pathway for states to stall natural gas pipelines. The Trump-era final rule aimed to prevent indefinitely delaying infrastructure projects cleared by agencies such as FERC.

EPA plans to “reconsider and revise” the 2020 final rule to “restore the balance of state, Tribal and federal authorities.” Starting...