EPA Revises Ocean Pollutant Rules for Ships and Boats
Published Date: 9/4/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to revise a regulatory definition under the Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting regulations pertaining to discharges in the contiguous zone and ocean. The proposal would revise the regulatory definition of "discharge of a pollutant" to reflect and faithfully implement the statutory exclusion of vessels and other floating craft that add pollutants in the contiguous zone or the ocean from inclusion in the definition of "discharge of a pollutant" or "discharge", and thus, from National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program requirements. The proposed rulemaking would also make conforming and clarifying changes to the NPDES regulatory exclusion for vessels and other floating craft. The effect of these changes would be that the addition of pollutants by a vessel or other floating craft in the contiguous zone or the ocean that is not secured to the seabed would not be a discharge and would not require CWA NPDES permit authorization to add pollutants to those waters.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Vessel pollutant additions exempted from NPDES
The EPA proposes to change the regulatory definition of “discharge of a pollutant” so that pollutants added by a vessel or other floating craft in the contiguous zone or the ocean (when the vessel is not secured to the seabed) would not be treated as a discharge. That means adding pollutants from those vessels would not require Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit authorization under the proposed rule.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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