40 C.F.R. § 135.3

Contents of notice

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(a) Violation of standard, limitation or order. Notice regarding an alleged violation of an effluent standard or limitation or of an order with respect thereto, shall include sufficient information to permit the recipient to identify the specific standard, limitation, or order alleged to have been violated, the activity alleged to constitute a violation, the person or persons responsible for the alleged violation, the location of the alleged violation, the date or dates of such violation, and the full name, address, and telephone number of the person giving notice.

(b) Failure to act. Notice regarding an alleged failure of the Administrator to perform any act or duty under the Act which is not discretionary with the Administrator shall identify the provision of the Act which requires such act or creates such duty, shall describe with reasonable specificity the action taken or not taken by the Administrator which is alleged to constitute a failure to perform such act or duty, and shall state the full name, address and telephone number of the person giving the notice.

(c) Identification of counsel. The notice shall state the name, address, and telephone number of the legal counsel, if any, representing the person giving the notice.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 167 cases (45 in the last 5 years), 1977–2025 · leading case: Chesapeake Bay Found., Inc. v. Severstal Sparrows Point, LLC, 794 F. Supp. 2d 602 (D. Maryland 2011).
Chesapeake Bay Found., Inc. v. Severstal Sparrows Point, LLC, 794 F. Supp. 2d 602 (D. Maryland 2011). · cites it 7× “The Fourth Circuit further concluded that compliance with the regulation implementing the CWA’s notice requirement, 40 C.F.R. § 135.3 (a), is a mandatory condition precedent to filing suit under the CWA.”
Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Gaston Copper Recycling Corp., 629 F.3d 387 (4th Cir. 2011). · cites it 7× “The corresponding regulation states that the notice must include sufficient information to allow the recipient to identify the specific standard, limitation, or order alleged to have been violated, the activity alleged to constitute a violation, the persons or persons…”
Karr v. Hefner, 475 F.3d 1192 (10th Cir. 2007). · cites it 6× “” 40 C.F.R. § 135.3 (a). The guiding principle is that “the purpose of notice to the alleged violator is to give it an opportunity to bring itself into complete compliance with the Act and thus likewise render unnecessary a citizen suit.”
Shark River Cleanup Coalition v. Twp. of Wall, 47 F.4th 126 (3rd Cir. 2022). · cites it 13× “40 C.F.R. § 135.3 (a) (emphasis added). In Hercules, we read the plain text of the regulation 2 as requiring notices to provide “enough information to enable the recipient”—here, Defendants Township of Wall and the Estate of Fred McDowell, Jr.”
Brod v. Omya, Inc., 653 F.3d 156 (2d Cir. 2011). · cites it 2× “” 40 C.F.R. § 135.3 (a) (2011). The CWA, 33 U.”
Ctr. for Biological Diversity v. Marina Point Dev. Co., 566 F.3d 794 (9th Cir. 2009). · cites it 4× “40 C.F.R. § 135.3 (a). It is from that specific and clear statement that our later cases have proceeded.”
Nat. Resources Def. Council San Diego Baykeeper, Kenneth J. Moser v. Sw. Marine, Inc.,defendant-Appellant, 236 F.3d 985 (9th Cir. 2000). · cites it 4× “The applicable regulation provides that the notice shall include sufficient information to permit the recipient to identify the specific standard, limitation, or order alleged to have been violated, the activity alleged to constitute a violation, the person or persons…”
Ecological Rights Found. v. Pac. Gas & Elec. Co., 713 F.3d 502 (9th Cir. 2013). · cites it 2× “40 C.F.R. § 135.3 (a). RCRA imposes almost identical requirements.”
Atwell v. KW Plastics Recycling Div., 173 F. Supp. 2d 1213 (M.D. Ala. 2001). · cites it 16× “Furthermore, Atwell argues, the second letter was sufficiently specific.”
Sierra Club Ohio Chapter v. City of Columbus, 282 F. Supp. 2d 756 (S.D. Ohio 2003). · cites it 9× “In particular, 40 C.F.R. § 135.3 prescribes the contents of the notice to be provided.”
San Francisco Baykeeper, Inc. v. Tosco Corp., Diablo Servs., Inc., 309 F.3d 1153 (9th Cir. 2002). · cites it 3× “Regulations promulgated under that authorization instruct that the notice shall include sufficient information to permit the recipient to identify the specific standard, limitation, or order alleged to have been violated, the activity alleged to constitute a violation, the…”
All. v. Cruise Terminals of Am., LLC, 216 F. Supp. 3d 1198 (W.D. Wash. 2015). · cites it 6× “40 C.F.R. § 135.3 (a) explains what proper notice must include: Notice regarding an alleged violation of an effluent standard or limitation or of an order with respect thereto, shall include sufficient information to permit the recipient to identify the specific standard,…”
— 40 C.F.R. § 135.3(a) — 12 cases
Washington Trout v. McCain Foods, Inc., 45 F.3d 1351 (9th Cir. 1995).
Nat. Resources Def. Council San Diego Baykeeper, Kenneth J. Moser v. Sw. Marine, Inc.,defendant-Appellant, 236 F.3d 985 (9th Cir. 2000). “The applicable regulation provides that the notice shall include sufficient information to permit the recipient to identify the specific standard, limitation, or order alleged to have been violated, the activity alleged to constitute a violation, the person or persons…”
Rock Creek All. v. United States Forest Serv., 703 F. Supp. 2d 1152 (D. Mont. 2010).
N. California River Watch v. Honeywell Aerospace, 830 F. Supp. 2d 760 (N.D. Cal. 2011).
— 40 C.F.R. § 135.3(b) — 1 case
Pitroff v USA, 2017 DNH 158 (D.N.H. 2017).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.