Title 33 › Chapter CHAPTER 39— - SHORE PROTECTION FROM MUNICIPAL OR COMMERCIAL WASTE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - SHORE PROTECTION › § 2602
Vessels (not government-owned ships) may not carry municipal or commercial waste in coastal waters unless they have a permit from the Secretary of Transportation and display whatever number or marking the Secretary requires on the vessel. The vessel owner or operator must apply for the permit and give contact details; the vessel’s name and ID; where it operates; how much it can carry; a one-year history of cargo types showing whether the waste was municipal, commercial, medical, or other; any extra information the Secretary asks for; and an acknowledgment. Permits start 30 days after they are issued, last no more than 5 years, can be renewed only by the same owner or operator for up to 5 years, and end if the vessel is sold. The Secretary may deny a permit for a record of repeated serious violations of this law or listed environmental laws, and must decide within 30 days of a complete application, tell the applicant the reasons if denied, and offer a hearing. The Secretary will keep permits as directed and may record them on documentation or in the vessel information system.
Full Legal Text
Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
33 U.S.C. § 2602
Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable Waters
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73