Section 159.16 - Authorization to label devices(a) When a test device is certified under § 159.15(b) , the Coast Guard will issue a letter that authorizes the manufacturer to label each device that he manufactures with the manufacturer's certification that the device is in all material respects substantially the same as a test device certified by the U.S. Coast Guard pursuant to section 312 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972.(b) Certification placed on a device by its manufacturer under this section is the certification required by section 312(h)(4) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, which makes it unlawful for a vessel that is subject to the standards and regulations promulgated under the Act 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 section 312 of the Act.(c) Letters of authorization issued under this section are valid for 5 years, unless sooner suspended, withdrawn, or terminated and may be reissued upon written request of the manufacturer to whom the letter was issued.(d) The Coast Guard, in accordance with the procedure in 46 CFR 2.75 , may suspend, withdraw, or terminate any letter of authorization issued under this section if the Coast Guard finds that the manufacturer is engaged in the manufacture of devices labeled under this part that are not in all material respects substantially the same as a test device certified pursuant to this part.