Title 40—Protection of Environment--Volume 1
PART 110—DISCHARGE OF OIL
§ 110.1   Definitions.
Terms not defined in this section have the same meaning given by the Section 311 of the Act. As used in this part, the following terms shall have the meaning indicated below:
Act means the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq., also known as the Clean Water Act;
Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
Applicable water quality standards means State water quality standards adopted by the State pursuant to section 303 of the Act or promulgated by EPA pursuant to that section;
MARPOL 73/78 means the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto, Annex I, which regulates pollution from oil and which entered into force on October 2, 1983;
Navigable waters means waters of the United States, including the territorial seas, as defined in § 120.2 of this chapter.
NPDES means National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System;
Sheen means an iridescent appearance on the surface of water;
Sludge means an aggregate of oil or oil and other matter of any kind in any form other than dredged spoil having a combined specific gravity equivalent to or greater than water;
United States means the States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands;
§ 110.2   Applicability.
The regulations of this part apply to the discharge of oil prohibited by section 311(b)(3) of the Act.
§ 110.3   Discharge of oil in such quantities as “may be harmful” pursuant to section 311(b)(4) of the Act.
For purposes of section 311(b)(4) of the Act, discharges of oil in such quantities that the Administrator has determined may be harmful to the public health or welfare or the environment of the United States include discharges of oil that:
(a) Violate applicable water quality standards; or
(b) Cause a film or sheen upon or discoloration of the surface of the water or adjoining shorelines or cause a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface of the water or upon adjoining shorelines.
§ 110.4   Chemical or biological agents.
The addition of any chemical or biological agent, or any other substance, to oil to be discharged that would circumvent the provisions of this part is prohibited.
§ 110.5   Discharges of oil not determined “as may be harmful” pursuant to Section 311(b)(3) of the Act.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this part, the Administrator has not determined the following discharges of oil “as may be harmful” for purposes of section 311(b) of the Act:
(a) Discharges of oil from a properly functioning vessel engine (including an engine on a public vessel) and any discharges of such oil accumulated in the bilges of a vessel discharged in compliance with MARPOL 73/78, Annex I, as provided in 33 CFR part 151, subpart A;
(b) Other discharges of oil permitted under MARPOL 73/78, Annex I, as provided in 33 CFR part 151, subpart A; and
(c) Any discharge of oil explicitly permitted by the Administrator in connection with research, demonstration projects, or studies relating to the prevention, control, or abatement of oil pollution.
§ 110.6   Notice.
Any person in charge of a vessel or of an onshore or offshore facility shall, as soon as he or she has knowledge of any discharge of oil from such vessel or facility in violation of section 311(b)(3) of the Act, immediately notify the National Response Center (NRC) (800-424-8802; in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, 202-426-2675). If direct reporting to the NRC is not practicable, reports may be made to the Coast Guard or EPA predesignated On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) for the geographic area where the discharge occurs. All such reports shall be promptly relayed to the NRC. If it is not possible to notify the NRC or the predesignated OCS immediately, reports may be made immediately to the nearest Coast Guard unit, provided that the person in charge of the vessel or onshore or offshore facility notifies the NRC as soon as possible. The reports shall be made in accordance with such procedures as the Secretary of Transportation may prescribe. The procedures for such notice are set forth in U.S. Coast Guard regulations, 33 CFR part 153, subpart B and in the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, 40 CFR part 300, subpart E.