Jersey, I know you are probably tired of hearing things like this, but have you tried to file some kind of exemption letter with the Corps? I worked on a Clean Air permit with my company here in Oklahoma and I just had to prove that we were not emitting enough pollutants to require a permit. I received a certificate from the Department of Environmental Quality that said I was not required to have a permit. It wouldn't surprise me that the Corps won't issue you a permit because you aren't required one. But since you may not have asked the right question, you haven't gotten the right answer. It is not uncommon for a governmental entitiy to not offer additional information beyond what was asked for.
