33 U.S.C. § 1953

Current through P.L. 118-106 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/04/2024)

Section 1953 - Coast Guard program

The Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with the Interagency Committee, shall-

(1) take actions to reduce violations of and improve implementation of MARPOL Annex V and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships ( 33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) with respect to the discard of plastics and other garbage from vessels;

(2) take actions to cost-effectively monitor and enforce compliance with MARPOL Annex V and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships ( 33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), including through cooperation and coordination with other Federal and State enforcement programs;

(3) take actions to improve compliance with requirements under MARPOL Annex V and section 6 of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships ( 33 U.S.C. 1905 ) that all United States ports and terminals maintain and monitor the adequacy of receptacles for the disposal of plastics and other garbage, including through promoting voluntary government-industry partnerships;

(4) develop and implement a plan, in coordination with industry and recreational boaters, to improve ship-board waste management, including recordkeeping, and access to waste reception facilities for ship-board waste;

(5) take actions to improve international cooperation to reduce marine debris; and

(6) establish a voluntary reporting program for commercial vessel operators and recreational boaters to report incidents of damage to vessels and disruption of navigation caused by marine debris, and observed violations of laws and regulations relating to the disposal of plastics and other marine debris.

33 U.S.C. § 1953

Pub. L. 109-449, §4, Dec. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 3335; Pub. L. 112-213, title VI, §605, Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1578.

EDITORIAL NOTES

REFERENCES IN TEXTThe Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, referred to in pars. (1) and (2), is Pub. L. 96-478, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2297, which is classified principally to chapter 33 (§1901 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1901 of this title and Tables.

AMENDMENTS2012- Pub. L. 112-213 struck out subsec. (a) designation and heading "Strategy" and struck out subsecs. (b) and (c) which required reports on the Coast Guard's progress in implementing former subsec. (a) and on the effectiveness of international and national measures to prevent and reduce marine debris and its impact.

Interagency Committee

The term "Interagency Committee" means the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee established under section 1954 of this title.

Program

The term "Program" means the Marine Debris Program established under section 1952 of this title.

State

The term "State" means-(A) any State of the United States that is impacted by marine debris within its seaward or Great Lakes boundaries;(B) the District of Columbia;(C) American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; and(D) any other territory or possession of the United States, or separate sovereign in free association with the United States, that is impacted by marine debris within its seaward boundaries.

marine debris

The term "marine debris" means any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes.