Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 33 : Section 1322


   
U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 1322. Marine sanitation devices

    (a) Definitions
      For the purpose of this section, the term - 
        (1) "new vessel" includes every description of watercraft or
      other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a
      means of transportation on the navigable waters, the construction
      of which is initiated after promulgation of standards and
      regulations under this section;
        (2) "existing vessel" includes every description of watercraft
      or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used,
      as a means of transportation on the navigable waters, the
      construction of which is initiated before promulgation of
      standards and regulations under this section;
        (3) "public vessel" means a vessel owned or bareboat chartered
      and operated by the United States, by a State or political
      subdivision thereof, or by a foreign nation, except when such
      vessel is engaged in commerce;
        (4) "United States" includes the States, the District of
      Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands,
      Guam, American Samoa, the Canal Zone, and the Trust Territory of
      the Pacific Islands;
        (5) "marine sanitation device" includes any equipment for
      installation on board a vessel which is designed to receive,
      retain, treat, or discharge sewage, and any process to treat such
      sewage;
        (6) "sewage" means human body wastes and the wastes from
      toilets and other receptacles intended to receive or retain body
      wastes except that, with respect to commercial vessels on the
      Great Lakes, such term shall include graywater;
        (7) "manufacturer" means any person engaged in the
      manufacturing, assembling, or importation of marine sanitation
      devices or of vessels subject to standards and regulations
      promulgated under this section;
        (8) "person" means an individual, partnership, firm,
      corporation, association, or agency of the United States, but
      does not include an individual on board a public vessel;
        (9) "discharge" includes, but is not limited to, any spilling,
      leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying or dumping;
        (10) "commercial vessels" means those vessels used in the
      business of transporting property for compensation or hire, or in
      transporting property in the business of the owner, lessee, or
      operator of the vessel;
        (11) "graywater" means galley, bath, and shower water;
        (12) "discharge incidental to the normal operation of a vessel"
      - 
          (A) means a discharge, including - 
            (i) graywater, bilge water, cooling water, weather deck
          runoff, ballast water, oil water separator effluent, and any
          other pollutant discharge from the operation of a marine
          propulsion system, shipboard maneuvering system, crew
          habitability system, or installed major equipment, such as an
          aircraft carrier elevator or a catapult, or from a
          protective, preservative, or absorptive application to the
          hull of the vessel; and
            (ii) a discharge in connection with the testing,
          maintenance, and repair of a system described in clause (i)
          whenever the vessel is waterborne; and

          (B) does not include - 
            (i) a discharge of rubbish, trash, garbage, or other such
          material discharged overboard;
            (ii) an air emission resulting from the operation of a
          vessel propulsion system, motor driven equipment, or
          incinerator; or
            (iii) a discharge that is not covered by part 122.3 of
          title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on
          February 10, 1996);

        (13) "marine pollution control device" means any equipment or
      management practice, for installation or use on board a vessel of
      the Armed Forces, that is - 
          (A) designed to receive, retain, treat, control, or discharge
        a discharge incidental to the normal operation of a vessel; and
          (B) determined by the Administrator and the Secretary of
        Defense to be the most effective equipment or management
        practice to reduce the environmental impacts of the discharge
        consistent with the considerations set forth in subsection
        (n)(2)(B) of this section; and

        (14) "vessel of the Armed Forces" means - 
          (A) any vessel owned or operated by the Department of
        Defense, other than a time or voyage chartered vessel; and
          (B) any vessel owned or operated by the Department of
        Transportation that is designated by the Secretary of the
        department in which the Coast Guard is operating as a vessel
        equivalent to a vessel described in subparagraph (A).
    (b) Federal standards of performance
      (1) As soon as possible, after October 18, 1972, and subject to
    the provisions of section 1254(j) of this title, the Administrator,
    after consultation with the Secretary of the department in which
    the Coast Guard is operating, after giving appropriate
    consideration to the economic costs involved, and within the limits
    of available technology, shall promulgate Federal standards of
    performance for marine sanitation devices (hereafter in this
    section referred to as "standards") which shall be designed to
    prevent the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated sewage
    into or upon the navigable waters from new vessels and existing
    vessels, except vessels not equipped with installed toilet
    facilities. Such standards and standards established under
    subsection (c)(1)(B) of this section shall be consistent with
    maritime safety and the marine and navigation laws and regulations
    and shall be coordinated with the regulations issued under this
    subsection by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast
    Guard is operating. The Secretary of the department in which the
    Coast Guard is operating shall promulgate regulations, which are
    consistent with standards promulgated under this subsection and
    subsection (c) of this section and with maritime safety and the
    marine and navigation laws and regulations governing the design,
    construction, installation, and operation of any marine sanitation
    device on board such vessels.
      (2) Any existing vessel equipped with a marine sanitation device
    on the date of promulgation of initial standards and regulations
    under this section, which device is in compliance with such initial
    standards and regulations, shall be deemed in compliance with this
    section until such time as the device is replaced or is found not
    to be in compliance with such initial standards and regulations.
    (c) Initial standards; effective dates; revision; waiver
      (1)(A) Initial standards and regulations under this section shall
    become effective for new vessels two years after promulgation; and
    for existing vessels five years after promulgation. Revisions of
    standards and regulations shall be effective upon promulgation,
    unless another effective date is specified, except that no revision
    shall take effect before the effective date of the standard or
    regulation being revised.
      (B) The Administrator shall, with respect to commercial vessels
    on the Great Lakes, establish standards which require at a minimum
    the equivalent of secondary treatment as defined under section
    1314(d) of this title. Such standards and regulations shall take
    effect for existing vessels after such time as the Administrator
    determines to be reasonable for the upgrading of marine sanitation
    devices to attain such standard.
      (2) The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is
    operating with regard to his regulatory authority established by
    this section, after consultation with the Administrator, may
    distinguish among classes, type, and sizes of vessels as well as
    between new and existing vessels, and may waive applicability of
    standards and regulations as necessary or appropriate for such
    classes, types, and sizes of vessels (including existing vessels
    equipped with marine sanitation devices on the date of promulgation
    of the initial standards required by this section), and, upon
    application, for individual vessels.
    (d) Vessels owned and operated by the United States
      The provisions of this section and the standards and regulations
    promulgated hereunder apply to vessels owned and operated by the
    United States unless the Secretary of Defense finds that compliance
    would not be in the interest of national security. With respect to
    vessels owned and operated by the Department of Defense,
    regulations under the last sentence of subsection (b)(1) of this
    section and certifications under subsection (g)(2) of this section
    shall be promulgated and issued by the Secretary of Defense.
    (e) Pre-promulgation consultation
      Before the standards and regulations under this section are
    promulgated, the Administrator and the Secretary of the department
    in which the Coast Guard is operating shall consult with the
    Secretary of State; the Secretary of Health and Human Services; the
    Secretary of Defense; the Secretary of the Treasury; the Secretary
    of Commerce; other interested Federal agencies; and the States and
    industries interested; and otherwise comply with the requirements
    of section 553 of title 5.
    (f) Regulation by States or political subdivisions thereof;
      complete prohibition upon discharge of sewage
      (1)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), after the
    effective date of the initial standards and regulations promulgated
    under this section, no State or political subdivision thereof shall
    adopt or enforce any statute or regulation of such State or
    political subdivision with respect to the design, manufacture, or
    installation or use of any marine sanitation device on any vessel
    subject to the provisions of this section.
      (B) A State may adopt and enforce a statute or regulation with
    respect to the design, manufacture, or installation or use of any
    marine sanitation device on a houseboat, if such statute or
    regulation is more stringent than the standards and regulations
    promulgated under this section. For purposes of this paragraph, the
    term "houseboat" means a vessel which, for a period of time
    determined by the State in which the vessel is located, is used
    primarily as a residence and is not used primarily as a means of
    transportation.
      (2) If, after promulgation of the initial standards and
    regulations and prior to their effective date, a vessel is equipped
    with a marine sanitation device in compliance with such standards
    and regulations and the installation and operation of such device
    is in accordance with such standards and regulations, such
    standards and regulations shall, for the purposes of paragraph (1)
    of this subsection, become effective with respect to such vessel on
    the date of such compliance.
      (3) After the effective date of the initial standards and
    regulations promulgated under this section, if any State determines
    that the protection and enhancement of the quality of some or all
    of the waters within such State require greater environmental
    protection, such State may completely prohibit the discharge from
    all vessels of any sewage, whether treated or not, into such
    waters, except that no such prohibition shall apply until the
    Administrator determines that adequate facilities for the safe and
    sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are
    reasonably available for such water to which such prohibition would
    apply. Upon application of the State, the Administrator shall make
    such determination within 90 days of the date of such application.
      (4)(A) If the Administrator determines upon application by a
    State that the protection and enhancement of the quality of
    specified waters within such State requires such a prohibition, he
    shall by regulation completely prohibit the discharge from a vessel
    of any sewage (whether treated or not) into such waters.
      (B) Upon application by a State, the Administrator shall, by
    regulation, establish a drinking water intake zone in any waters
    within such State and prohibit the discharge of sewage from vessels
    within that zone.
    (g) Sales limited to certified devices; certification of test
      device; recordkeeping; reports
      (1) No manufacturer of a marine sanitation device shall sell,
    offer for sale, or introduce or deliver for introduction in
    interstate commerce, or import into the United States for sale or
    resale any marine sanitation device manufactured after the
    effective date of the standards and regulations promulgated under
    this section unless such device is in all material respects
    substantially the same as a test device certified under this
    subsection.
      (2) Upon application of the manufacturer, the Secretary of the
    department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall so certify a
    marine sanitation device if he determines, in accordance with the
    provisions of this paragraph, that it meets the appropriate
    standards and regulations promulgated under this section. The
    Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating
    shall test or require such testing of the device in accordance with
    procedures set forth by the Administrator as to standards of
    performance and for such other purposes as may be appropriate. If
    the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is
    operating determines that the device is satisfactory from the
    standpoint of safety and any other requirements of maritime law or
    regulation, and after consideration of the design, installation,
    operation, material, or other appropriate factors, he shall certify
    the device. Any device manufactured by such manufacturer which is
    in all material respects substantially the same as the certified
    test device shall be deemed to be in conformity with the
    appropriate standards and regulations established under this
    section.
      (3) Every manufacturer shall establish and maintain such records,
    make such reports, and provide such information as the
    Administrator or the Secretary of the department in which the Coast
    Guard is operating may reasonably require to enable him to
    determine whether such manufacturer has acted or is acting in
    compliance with this section and regulations issued thereunder and
    shall, upon request of an officer or employee duly designated by
    the Administrator or the Secretary of the department in which the
    Coast Guard is operating, permit such officer or employee at
    reasonable times to have access to and copy such records. All
    information reported to or otherwise obtained by the Administrator
    or the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is
    operating or their representatives pursuant to this subsection
    which contains or relates to a trade secret or other matter
    referred to in section 1905 of title 18 shall be considered
    confidential for the purpose of that section, except that such
    information may be disclosed to other officers or employees
    concerned with carrying out this section. This paragraph shall not
    apply in the case of the construction of a vessel by an individual
    for his own use.
    (h) Sale and resale of properly equipped vessels; operability of
      certified marine sanitation devices
      After the effective date of standards and regulations promulgated
    under this section, it shall be unlawful - 
        (1) for the manufacturer of any vessel subject to such
      standards and regulations to manufacture for sale, to sell or
      offer for sale, or to distribute for sale or resale any such
      vessel unless it is equipped with a marine sanitation device
      which is in all material respects substantially the same as the
      appropriate test device certified pursuant to this section;
        (2) for any person, prior to the sale or delivery of a vessel
      subject to such standards and regulations to the ultimate
      purchaser, wrongfully to remove or render inoperative any
      certified marine sanitation device or element of design of such
      device installed in such vessel;
        (3) for any person to fail or refuse to permit access to or
      copying of records or to fail to make reports or provide
      information required under this section; and
        (4) for a vessel subject to such standards and regulations to
      operate on the navigable waters of the United States, if such
      vessel is not equipped with an operable marine sanitation device
      certified pursuant to this section.
    (i) Jurisdiction to restrain violations; contempts
      The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdictions
    to restrain violations of subsection (g)(1) of this section and
    subsections (h)(1) through (3) of this section. Actions to restrain
    such violations shall be brought by, and in, the name of the United
    States. In case of contumacy or refusal to obey a subpena served
    upon any person under this subsection, the district court of the
    United States for any district in which such person is found or
    resides or transacts business, upon application by the United
    States and after notice to such person, shall have jurisdiction to
    issue an order requiring such person to appear and give testimony
    or to appear and produce documents, and any failure to obey such
    order of the court may be punished by such court as a contempt
    thereof.
    (j) Penalties
      Any person who violates subsection (g)(1) of this section, clause
    (1) or (2) of subsection (h) of this section, or subsection (n)(8)
    of this section shall be liable to a civil penalty of not more than
    $5,000 for each violation. Any person who violates clause (4) of
    subsection (h) of this section or any regulation issued pursuant to
    this section shall be liable to a civil penalty of not more than
    $2,000 for each violation. Each violation shall be a separate
    offense. The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard
    is operating may assess and compromise any such penalty. No penalty
    shall be assessed until the person charged shall have been given
    notice and an opportunity for a hearing on such charge. In
    determining the amount of the penalty, or the amount agreed upon in
    compromise, the gravity of the violation, and the demonstrated good
    faith of the person charged in attempting to achieve rapid
    compliance, after notification of a violation, shall be considered
    by said Secretary.
    (k) Enforcement authority
      The provisions of this section shall be enforced by the Secretary
    of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating and he may
    utilize by agreement, with or without reimbursement, law
    enforcement officers or other personnel and facilities of the
    Administrator, other Federal agencies, or the States to carry out
    the provisions of this section. The provisions of this section may
    also be enforced by a State.
    (l) Boarding and inspection of vessels; execution of warrants and
      other process
      Anyone authorized by the Secretary of the department in which the
    Coast Guard is operating to enforce the provisions of this section
    may, except as to public vessels, (1) board and inspect any vessel
    upon the navigable waters of the United States and (2) execute any
    warrant or other process issued by an officer or court of competent
    jurisdiction.
    (m) Enforcement in United States possessions
      In the case of Guam and the Trust Territory of the Pacific
    Islands, actions arising under this section may be brought in the
    district court of Guam, and in the case of the Virgin Islands such
    actions may be brought in the district court of the Virgin Islands.
    In the case of American Samoa and the Trust Territory of the
    Pacific Islands, such actions may be brought in the District Court
    of the United States for the District of Hawaii and such court
    shall have jurisdiction of such actions. In the case of the Canal
    Zone, such actions may be brought in the District Court for the
    District of the Canal Zone.
    (n) Uniform national discharge standards for vessels of Armed
      Forces
      (1) Applicability
        This subsection shall apply to vessels of the Armed Forces and
      discharges, other than sewage, incidental to the normal operation
      of a vessel of the Armed Forces, unless the Secretary of Defense
      finds that compliance with this subsection would not be in the
      national security interests of the United States.
      (2) Determination of discharges required to be controlled by
        marine pollution control devices
        (A) In general
          The Administrator and the Secretary of Defense, after
        consultation with the Secretary of the department in which the
        Coast Guard is operating, the Secretary of Commerce, and
        interested States, shall jointly determine the discharges
        incidental to the normal operation of a vessel of the Armed
        Forces for which it is reasonable and practicable to require
        use of a marine pollution control device to mitigate adverse
        impacts on the marine environment. Notwithstanding subsection
        (a)(1) of section 553 of title 5, the Administrator and the
        Secretary of Defense shall promulgate the determinations in
        accordance with such section. The Secretary of Defense shall
        require the use of a marine pollution control device on board a
        vessel of the Armed Forces in any case in which it is
        determined that the use of such a device is reasonable and
        practicable.
        (B) Considerations
          In making a determination under subparagraph (A), the
        Administrator and the Secretary of Defense shall take into
        consideration - 
            (i) the nature of the discharge;
            (ii) the environmental effects of the discharge;
            (iii) the practicability of using the marine pollution
          control device;
            (iv) the effect that installation or use of the marine
          pollution control device would have on the operation or
          operational capability of the vessel;
            (v) applicable United States law;
            (vi) applicable international standards; and
            (vii) the economic costs of the installation and use of the
          marine pollution control device.
      (3) Performance standards for marine pollution control devices
        (A) In general
          For each discharge for which a marine pollution control
        device is determined to be required under paragraph (2), the
        Administrator and the Secretary of Defense, in consultation
        with the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard
        is operating, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of
        Commerce, other interested Federal agencies, and interested
        States, shall jointly promulgate Federal standards of
        performance for each marine pollution control device required
        with respect to the discharge. Notwithstanding subsection
        (a)(1) of section 553 of title 5, the Administrator and the
        Secretary of Defense shall promulgate the standards in
        accordance with such section.
        (B) Considerations
          In promulgating standards under this paragraph, the
        Administrator and the Secretary of Defense shall take into
        consideration the matters set forth in paragraph (2)(B).
        (C) Classes, types, and sizes of vessels
          The standards promulgated under this paragraph may - 
            (i) distinguish among classes, types, and sizes of vessels;
            (ii) distinguish between new and existing vessels; and
            (iii) provide for a waiver of the applicability of the
          standards as necessary or appropriate to a particular class,
          type, age, or size of vessel.
      (4) Regulations for use of marine pollution control devices
        The Secretary of Defense, after consultation with the
      Administrator and the Secretary of the department in which the
      Coast Guard is operating, shall promulgate such regulations
      governing the design, construction, installation, and use of
      marine pollution control devices on board vessels of the Armed
      Forces as are necessary to achieve the standards promulgated
      under paragraph (3).
      (5) Deadlines; effective date
        (A) Determinations
          The Administrator and the Secretary of Defense shall - 
            (i) make the initial determinations under paragraph (2) not
          later than 2 years after February 10, 1996; and
            (ii) every 5 years - 
              (I) review the determinations; and
              (II) if necessary, revise the determinations based on
            significant new information.
        (B) Standards
          The Administrator and the Secretary of Defense shall - 
            (i) promulgate standards of performance for a marine
          pollution control device under paragraph (3) not later than 2
          years after the date of a determination under paragraph (2)
          that the marine pollution control device is required; and
            (ii) every 5 years - 
              (I) review the standards; and
              (II) if necessary, revise the standards, consistent with
            paragraph (3)(B) and based on significant new information.
        (C) Regulations
          The Secretary of Defense shall promulgate regulations with
        respect to a marine pollution control device under paragraph
        (4) as soon as practicable after the Administrator and the
        Secretary of Defense promulgate standards with respect to the
        device under paragraph (3), but not later than 1 year after the
        Administrator and the Secretary of Defense promulgate the
        standards. The regulations promulgated by the Secretary of
        Defense under paragraph (4) shall become effective upon
        promulgation unless another effective date is specified in the
        regulations.
        (D) Petition for review
          The Governor of any State may submit a petition requesting
        that the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator review a
        determination under paragraph (2) or a standard under paragraph
        (3), if there is significant new information, not considered
        previously, that could reasonably result in a change to the
        particular determination or standard after consideration of the
        matters set forth in paragraph (2)(B). The petition shall be
        accompanied by the scientific and technical information on
        which the petition is based. The Administrator and the
        Secretary of Defense shall grant or deny the petition not later
        than 2 years after the date of receipt of the petition.
      (6) Effect on other laws
        (A) Prohibition on regulation by States or political
          subdivisions of States
          Beginning on the effective date of - 
            (i) a determination under paragraph (2) that it is not
          reasonable and practicable to require use of a marine
          pollution control device regarding a particular discharge
          incidental to the normal operation of a vessel of the Armed
          Forces; or
            (ii) regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Defense
          under paragraph (4);

        except as provided in paragraph (7), neither a State nor a
        political subdivision of a State may adopt or enforce any
        statute or regulation of the State or political subdivision
        with respect to the discharge or the design, construction,
        installation, or use of any marine pollution control device
        required to control discharges from a vessel of the Armed
        Forces.
        (B) Federal laws
          This subsection shall not affect the application of section
        1321 of this title to discharges incidental to the normal
        operation of a vessel.
      (7) Establishment of State no-discharge zones
        (A) State prohibition
          (i) In general
            After the effective date of - 
              (I) a determination under paragraph (2) that it is not
            reasonable and practicable to require use of a marine
            pollution control device regarding a particular discharge
            incidental to the normal operation of a vessel of the Armed
            Forces; or
              (II) regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Defense
            under paragraph (4);

          if a State determines that the protection and enhancement of
          the quality of some or all of the waters within the State
          require greater environmental protection, the State may
          prohibit 1 or more discharges incidental to the normal
          operation of a vessel, whether treated or not treated, into
          the waters. No prohibition shall apply until the
          Administrator makes the determinations described in
          subclauses (II) and (III) of subparagraph (B)(i).
          (ii) Documentation
            To the extent that a prohibition under this paragraph would
          apply to vessels of the Armed Forces and not to other types
          of vessels, the State shall document the technical or
          environmental basis for the distinction.
        (B) Prohibition by the Administrator
          (i) In general
            Upon application of a State, the Administrator shall by
          regulation prohibit the discharge from a vessel of 1 or more
          discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel,
          whether treated or not treated, into the waters covered by
          the application if the Administrator determines that - 
              (I) the protection and enhancement of the quality of the
            specified waters within the State require a prohibition of
            the discharge into the waters;
              (II) adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary
            removal of the discharge incidental to the normal operation
            of a vessel are reasonably available for the waters to
            which the prohibition would apply; and
              (III) the prohibition will not have the effect of
            discriminating against a vessel of the Armed Forces by
            reason of the ownership or operation by the Federal
            Government, or the military function, of the vessel.
          (ii) Approval or disapproval
            The Administrator shall approve or disapprove an
          application submitted under clause (i) not later than 90 days
          after the date on which the application is submitted to the
          Administrator. Notwithstanding clause (i)(II), the
          Administrator shall not disapprove an application for the
          sole reason that there are not adequate facilities to remove
          any discharge incidental to the normal operation of a vessel
          from vessels of the Armed Forces.
        (C) Applicability to foreign flagged vessels
          A prohibition under this paragraph - 
            (i) shall not impose any design, construction, manning, or
          equipment standard on a foreign flagged vessel engaged in
          innocent passage unless the prohibition implements a
          generally accepted international rule or standard; and
            (ii) that relates to the prevention, reduction, and control
          of pollution shall not apply to a foreign flagged vessel
          engaged in transit passage unless the prohibition implements
          an applicable international regulation regarding the
          discharge of oil, oily waste, or any other noxious substance
          into the waters.
      (8) Prohibition relating to vessels of the Armed Forces
        After the effective date of the regulations promulgated by the
      Secretary of Defense under paragraph (4), it shall be unlawful
      for any vessel of the Armed Forces subject to the regulations to
      - 
          (A) operate in the navigable waters of the United States or
        the waters of the contiguous zone, if the vessel is not
        equipped with any required marine pollution control device
        meeting standards established under this subsection; or
          (B) discharge overboard any discharge incidental to the
        normal operation of a vessel in waters with respect to which a
        prohibition on the discharge has been established under
        paragraph (7).
      (9) Enforcement
        This subsection shall be enforceable, as provided in
      subsections (j) and (k) of this section, against any agency of
      the United States responsible for vessels of the Armed Forces
      notwithstanding any immunity asserted by the agency.



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