Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 33 : Section 1902


   
U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 1902. Ships subject to preventive measures

    (a) Included vessels
      This chapter shall apply - 
        (1) to a ship of United States registry or nationality, or one
      operated under the authority of the United States, wherever
      located;
        (2) with respect to Annexes I and II to the Convention, to a
      ship, other than a ship referred to in paragraph (1), while in
      the navigable waters of the United States;
        (3) with respect to the requirements of Annex V to the
      Convention, to a ship, other than a ship referred to in paragraph
      (1), while in the navigable waters or the exclusive economic zone
      of the United States; and
        (4) with respect to regulations prescribed under section 1905
      of this title, any port or terminal in the United States.
    (b) Excluded vessels
      (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), this chapter shall not
    apply to - 
        (A) a warship, naval auxiliary, or other ship owned or operated
      by the United States when engaged in noncommercial service; or
        (B) any other ship specifically excluded by the MARPOL Protocol
      or the Antarctic Protocol.

      (2)(A) Notwithstanding any provision of the MARPOL Protocol, and
    subject to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the requirements of
    Annex V to the Convention shall apply as follows:
        (i) After December 31, 1993, to all ships referred to in
      paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection other than those owned or
      operated by the Department of the Navy.
        (ii) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section,
      after December 31, 1998, to all ships referred to in paragraph
      (1)(A) of this subsection other than submersibles owned or
      operated by the Department of the Navy.
        (iii) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section,
      after December 31, 2008, to all ships referred to in paragraph
      (1)(A) of this subsection.

      (B) This paragraph shall not apply during time of war or a
    declared national emergency.
    (c) Discharges in special areas
      (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), not later than
    December 31, 2000, all surface ships owned or operated by the
    Department of the Navy, and not later than December 31, 2008, all
    submersibles owned or operated by the Department of the Navy, shall
    comply with the special area requirements of Regulation 5 of Annex
    V to the Convention.
      (2)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), any ship described in
    subparagraph (C) may discharge, without regard to the special area
    requirements of Regulation 5 of Annex V to the Convention, the
    following non-plastic, non-floating garbage:
        (i) A slurry of seawater, paper, cardboard, or food waste that
      is capable of passing through a screen with openings no larger
      than 12 millimeters in diameter.
        (ii) Metal and glass that have been shredded and bagged so as
      to ensure negative buoyancy.
        (iii) With regard to a submersible, nonplastic garbage that has
      been compacted and weighted to ensure negative buoyancy.

      (B)(i) Garbage described in subparagraph (A)(i) may not be
    discharged within 3 nautical miles of land.
      (ii) Garbage described in clauses (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph
    (A) may not be discharged within 12 nautical miles of land.
      (C) This paragraph applies to any ship that is owned or operated
    by the Department of the Navy that, as determined by the Secretary
    of the Navy - 
        (i) has unique military design, construction, manning, or
      operating requirements; and
        (ii) cannot fully comply with the special area requirements of
      Regulation 5 of Annex V to the Convention because compliance is
      not technologically feasible or would impair the operations or
      operational capability of the ship.

      (3)(A) Not later than December 31, 2000, the Secretary of the
    Navy shall prescribe and publish in the Federal Register standards
    to ensure that each ship described in subparagraph (B) is, to the
    maximum extent practicable without impairing the operations or
    operational capabilities of the ship, operated in a manner that is
    consistent with the special area requirements of Regulation 5 of
    Annex V to the Convention.
      (B) Subparagraph (A) applies to surface ships that are owned or
    operated by the Department of the Navy that the Secretary plans to
    decommission during the period beginning on January 1, 2001, and
    ending on December 31, 2005.
      (C) At the same time that the Secretary publishes standards under
    subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall publish in the Federal
    Register a list of the ships covered by subparagraph (B).
    (d) Regulations
      The Secretary shall prescribe regulations applicable to the ships
    of a country not a party to the MARPOL Protocol, including
    regulations conforming to and giving effect to the requirements of
    Annex V as they apply under subsection (a) of this section, to
    ensure that their treatment is not more favorable than that
    accorded ships to parties to the MARPOL Protocol.
    (e) Compliance by excluded vessels
      (1) The Secretary of the Navy shall develop and, as appropriate,
    support the development of technologies and practices for solid
    waste management aboard ships owned or operated by the Department
    of the Navy, including technologies and practices for the reduction
    of the waste stream generated aboard such ships, that are necessary
    to ensure the compliance of such ships with Annex V to the
    Convention on or before the dates referred to in subsections
    (b)(2)(A) and (c)(1) of this section.
      (2) Notwithstanding any effective date of the application of this
    section to a ship, the provisions of Annex V to the Convention with
    respect to the disposal of plastic shall apply to ships equipped
    with plastic processors required for the long-term collection and
    storage of plastic aboard ships of the Navy upon the installation
    of such processors in such ships.
      (3) Except when necessary for the purpose of securing the safety
    of the ship, the health of the ship's personnel, or saving life at
    sea, it shall be a violation of this chapter for a ship referred to
    in subsection (b)(1)(A) of this section that is owned or operated
    by the Department of the Navy:
        (A) With regard to a submersible, to discharge buoyant garbage
      or plastic.
        (B) With regard to a surface ship, to discharge plastic
      contaminated by food during the last 3 days before the ship
      enters port.
        (C) With regard to a surface ship, to discharge plastic, except
      plastic that is contaminated by food, during the last 20 days
      before the ship enters port.

      (4) The Secretary of Defense shall publish in the Federal
    Register:
        (A) Each year, the amount and nature of the discharges in
      special areas, not otherwise authorized under this chapter,
      during the preceding year from ships referred to in subsection
      (b)(1)(A) of this section owned or operated by the Department of
      the Navy.
        (B) Beginning on October 1, 1996, and each year thereafter
      until October 1, 1998, a list of the names of such ships equipped
      with plastic processors pursuant to section 1003(e) of the
      National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994.
    (f) Waiver authority
      The President may waive the effective dates of the requirements
    set forth in subsection (c) of this section and in subsection
    1003(e) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
    1994 if the President determines it to be in the paramount interest
    of the United States to do so. Any such waiver shall be for a
    period not in excess of one year. The President shall submit to the
    Congress each January a report on all waivers from the requirements
    of this section granted during the preceding calendar year,
    together with the reasons for granting such waivers.
    (g) Noncommercial shipping standards
      The heads of Federal departments and agencies shall prescribe
    standards applicable to ships excluded from this chapter by
    subsection (b)(1) of this section and for which they are
    responsible. Standards prescribed under this subsection shall
    ensure, so far as is reasonable and practicable without impairing
    the operations or operational capabilities of such ships, that such
    ships act in a manner consistent with the MARPOL Protocol.



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