POLLUTION REGULATIONS AND ASSOCIATED PLACARDS
 

The following rules apply to all boats operating on federal navigable waters. Navigable waters include, but are not limited to, the Great Lakes and coastal waters and all rivers connected to them.

Capacity to retain oily mixtures

All recreational vessels with propulsion machinery must have a capacity to retain oily mixtures on board and be equipped with a fixed or portable means to discharge these oily mixtures to a proper reception facility onshore. Examples of portable means to discharge: a bucket and rags oil absorbent pads and heavy-duty plastic bag, bailer or portable pump The oily mixture must be retained onboard until transferred to a recycling center on land.

No person may intentionally drain oil or oily waste from any source into the bilge of any vessel.

Oil Pollution Placard

Boats 26-feet in length and greater, and operating on federal navigable waters, are required to display a “pollution placard”. The placard must be at least 5” x 8” and be visibly displayed near the engine bilge switch, or in the engine compartment.

DISCHARGE OF GARBAGE PROHIBITED

The recreational boater has the responsibility of treating the aquatic ecosystem with respect, as it is illegal to dispose of trash in the water. All trash must be retained onboard the boat until you return to shore and dispose of it in a trash can or other acceptable receptacle.

Waste Management

Federal law requires oceangoing U.S. vessels (state registered or federally documented) of 40 feet or longer, which are engaged in commerce or are equipped with a galley and berthing, to have a written Waste Management Plan. The Waste Management Plan must contain information regarding policy and procedures for handling the vessel’s garbage.

Marine Sanitation Devices

Recreational boats must have an operable Marine Sanitation Device (MSD) if the boat has an installed toilet. Porta-Potties are not considered “installed” toilets.

There are three (3) types of MSDs:

• Type I and Type II devices are both flow-through devices that treat sewage through maceration or disinfection before the sewage is discharged overboard.
• A Type III device is a holding tank where the sewage is held until it can be properly disposed of at a pump-out facility. Holding tanks may be discharged outside of state waters (more than 3 nautical miles offshore in the ocean and 9 nautical miles in the Gulf of Mexico). Most Type III devices are equipped with a discharge option, in the form of a Y-valve. The Y-valve allows the boater to direct the flow of the sewage into the holding tank or directly overboard.
• Vessels 65.6 feet/20 meters and under may use a Type I, II, or III MSD. If over 65.6 feet/20 meters, the vessel must install a Type II or III MSD.
• All installed MSDs should have a placard on them that states the device is in compliance with USCG standards.

Preventing Discharge

When operating a vessel on a body of water where the discharge of treated or untreated sewage is prohibited, such as No Discharge Zones, the operator must secure the device in a manner that prevents any discharge. Some acceptable methods are:

• Padlocking overboard discharge valves in the closed position, using a non-releasable wire tie to hold overboard discharge valves in the closed position.
• Closing overboard discharge valves and removing the handle.
• Locking the door, with padlock or key lock, to the space enclosing the toilets (for Type I, Type II only).

Most marinas have dedicated "pump out" stations available for removing sewage. All boaters should pump out sewage holding tanks on a regular basis.