33 USC 1951 - Purpose

Collapse to view only § 1951. Purpose

§ 1951. Purpose
§ 1952. NOAA Marine Debris Program
§ 1953. Coast Guard program
§ 1954. Coordination
§ 1955. Federal information clearinghouse
§ 1956. Definitions
§ 1957. Relationship to Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
§ 1958. Authorization of appropriations
§ 1959. Prioritization of marine debris in existing innovation and entrepreneurship programs

§ 1951. Purpose

The purpose of this chapter is to address the adverse impacts of marine debris on the United States economy, the marine environment (including waters in the jurisdiction of the United States, the high seas, and waters in the jurisdiction of other countries), and navigation safety through the identification, determination of sources, assessment, prevention, reduction, and removal of marine debris.

(Pub. L. 109–449, § 2, Dec. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 3333; Pub. L. 112–213, title VI, § 603, Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1576; Pub. L. 116–224, title I, § 101(1), Dec. 18, 2020, 134 Stat. 1074.)

§ 1952. NOAA Marine Debris Program

(a) Establishment of Program

(b) Program componentsThe Administrator, acting through the Program and subject to the availability of appropriations, shall—

(1) identify, determine sources of, assess, prevent, reduce, and remove marine debris, with a focus on marine debris posing a threat to living marine resources and navigation safety;

(2) provide national and regional coordination to assist States, Indian tribes, and regional organizations in the identification, determination of sources, assessment, prevention, reduction, and removal of marine debris;

(3) undertake efforts to reduce the adverse impacts of lost and discarded fishing gear on living marine resources and navigation safety, including—

(A) research and development of alternatives to gear posing threats to the marine environment and methods for marking gear used in certain fisheries to enhance the tracking, recovery, and identification of lost and discarded gear; and

(B) the development of effective nonregulatory measures and incentives to cooperatively reduce the volume of lost and discarded fishing gear and to aid in gear recovery;

(4) undertake outreach and education activities for the public and other stakeholders on sources of marine debris, threats associated with marine debris, and approaches to identifying, determining sources of, assessing, preventing, reducing, and removing marine debris and its adverse impacts on the United States economy, the marine environment, and navigation safety, including outreach and education activities through public-private initiatives;

(5) develop, in consultation with the Interagency Committee, interagency plans for the timely response to events determined by the Administrator to be severe marine debris events, including plans to—

(A) coordinate across agencies and with relevant State, tribal, and local governments to ensure adequate, timely, and efficient response;

(B) assess the composition, volume, and trajectory of marine debris associated with a severe marine debris event; and

(C) estimate the potential impacts of a severe marine debris event, including economic impacts on human health, navigation safety, natural resources, tourism, and livestock, including aquaculture;

(6) work to develop outreach and education strategies with other Federal agencies to address sources of marine debris;

(7) except for discharges of marine debris from vessels, in consultation with the Department of State and other Federal agencies, promote international action, as appropriate, to reduce the incidence of marine debris, including providing technical assistance to expand waste management systems internationally; and

(8) in the case of an event determined to be a severe marine debris event under subsection (c)—

(A) assist in the cleanup and response required by the severe marine debris event; or

(B) conduct such other activity as the Administrator determines is appropriate in response to the severe marine debris event.

(d) Grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts

(1) In general

(2) Grant cost sharing requirement

(A) In general

(B) Waiver

(C) Severe marine debris eventsNotwithstanding subparagraph (A), the Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out under a determination made under subsection (c) shall be—

(i) 100 percent of the cost of the activity, for an activity funded wholly by funds made available by a person, including the government of a foreign country, to the Federal Government for the purpose of responding to a severe marine debris event; or

(ii) 75 percent of the cost of the activity, for any activity other than an activity funded as described in clause (i).

(3) Amounts paid and services rendered under consent

(A) Consent decrees and orders

(B) Other decrees and orders

(4) Eligibility

(5) Project review and approvalThe Administrator shall—

(A) review each marine debris project proposal to determine if it meets the grant criteria and supports the goals of this chapter;

(B) after considering any written comments and recommendations based on the review, approve or disapprove the proposal; and

(6) Project reporting

(Pub. L. 109–449, § 3, Dec. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 3333; Pub. L. 112–213, title VI, § 604(a)–(c), Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1576, 1577; Pub. L. 115–265, title I, § 101, Oct. 11, 2018, 132 Stat. 3742.)

§ 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.

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

§ 1954. Coordination

(a) Establishment of Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee

(b) Membership

The Committee shall include a senior official from—

(1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who shall serve as the Chairperson of the Committee;

(2) the Environmental Protection Agency;

(3) the United States Coast Guard;

(4) the United States Navy;

(5) the Department of State;

(6) the Department of the Interior; and

(7) such other Federal agencies that have an interest in ocean issues or water pollution prevention and control as the Secretary of Commerce determines appropriate.

(d) Monitoring

The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in cooperation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall utilize the marine debris data derived under title V of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (33 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) to assist—

(1) the Committee in ensuring coordination of research, monitoring, education and regulatory actions; and

(2) the United States Coast Guard in assessing the effectiveness of the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987 and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships [33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.] in ensuring compliance under section 2201 of the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987 [33 U.S.C. 1913].

(e) Biennial progress reports

Biennially, the Committee, through the Chairperson, shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report that evaluates United States and international progress in meeting the purpose of this chapter. The report shall include—

(1) the status of implementation of any recommendations and strategies of the Committee and analysis of their effectiveness;

(2) a summary of the marine debris inventory to be maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;

(3) a review of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration program authorized by section 1952 of this title, including projects funded and accomplishments relating to reduction and prevention of marine debris;

(4) a review of Coast Guard programs and accomplishments relating to marine debris removal, including enforcement and compliance with MARPOL requirements; and

(5) estimated Federal and non-Federal funding provided for marine debris and recommendations for priority funding needs.

(Pub. L. 109–449, § 5, formerly Pub. L. 100–220, title II, § 2203, Dec. 29, 1987, 101 Stat. 1466; Pub. L. 104–324, title VIII, § 802(b), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3944; Pub. L. 109–449, § 5(a), Dec. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 3337; renumbered Pub. L. 109–449, § 5, and amended Pub. L. 112–213, title VI, § 606(a)(1), (2), (b), Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1578; Pub. L. 115–265, title I, § 104, Oct. 11, 2018, 132 Stat. 3744.)

§ 1955. Federal information clearinghouse

The Administrator, in coordination with the Interagency Committee, shall—

(1) maintain a Federal information clearinghouse on marine debris that will be available to researchers and other interested persons to improve marine debris source identification, data sharing, and monitoring efforts through collaborative research and open sharing of data; and

(2) take the necessary steps to ensure the confidentiality of such information (especially proprietary information), for any information required by the Administrator to be submitted under this section.

(Pub. L. 109–449, § 6, Dec. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 3338; Pub. L. 112–213, title VI, § 607, Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1578.)

§ 1956. Definitions

In this chapter:

(1) Administrator

(2) Interagency Committee

(3) Marine debris

(4) MARPOL; Annex V; Convention

(5) Program

(6) Severe marine debris event

(7) 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;

(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.

(Pub. L. 109–449, § 7, Dec. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 3338; Pub. L. 112–213, title VI, § 608, Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1578.)

§ 1957. Relationship to Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act

Nothing in this chapter supersedes, or limits the authority of the Secretary of the Interior under, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.).

(Pub. L. 109–449, § 8, Dec. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 3339.)

§ 1958. Authorization of appropriations

(a) In general

(b) Amounts authorized for Coast Guard

(Pub. L. 109–449, § 9, Dec. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 3339; Pub. L. 115–265, title I, § 105, Oct. 11, 2018, 132 Stat. 3744; Pub. L. 116–224, title I, § 101(2), Dec. 18, 2020, 134 Stat. 1074; Pub. L. 117–263, div. K, title CXIII, § 11328(b), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 4098; Pub. L. 118–31, div. C, title XXXV, § 3514(i), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 811.)

§ 1959. Prioritization of marine debris in existing innovation and entrepreneurship programsIn carrying out any relevant innovation and entrepreneurship programs that improve the innovation, effectiveness, and efficiency of the Marine Debris Program established under section 1952 of this title without undermining the purpose for which such program was established, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall prioritize efforts to combat marine debris, including by—

(1) increasing innovation in methods and the effectiveness of efforts to identify, determine sources of, assess, prevent, reduce, and remove marine debris; and

(2) addressing the impacts of marine debris on—

(A) the economy of the United States;

(B) the marine environment; and

(Pub. L. 109–449, § 10, as added Pub. L. 116–224, title I, § 101(3), Dec. 18, 2020, 134 Stat. 1075.)