[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 33, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 33CFR153.103]

[Page 289-291]
 
                TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS
 
   CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 153--CONTROL OF POLLUTION BY OIL AND HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES, DISCHARGE 
REMOVAL--Table of Contents
 
                           Subpart A--General
 
Sec. 153.103  Definitions.

    As used in this part:
    (a) Act means the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended 
(33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).
    (b) CERCLA means the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.).
    (c) Chemical agents means those elements, compounds, or mixtures 
that coagulate, disperse, dissolve, emulsify, foam, neutralize, 
precipitate, reduce, solubilize, oxidize, concentrate, congeal, entrap, 
fix, make the pollutant mass more rigid or viscous, or otherwise 
facilitate the mitigation of deleterious effects or removal of the 
pollutant from the water. The term ``chemical agents'' as used in this 
part includes dispersants, surface collecting agents, biological 
additives, burning agents, and sinking agents as defined in Subpart H of 
the National Contingency Plan.
    (d) Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and 
Environmental Protection means the Coast Guard Officer designated by the 
Commandant to assist and advise the Commandant on matters related to 
marine environmental response, port and environmental safety, and 
waterways management.
    (e) Coastal waters means all U.S. waters subject to the tide, U.S. 
waters of the Great Lakes, specified ports and harbors on the inland 
rivers, waters of the contiguous zone, or other waters of the high seas 
subject to discharges in connection with activities under the Outer 
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) or the Deepwater 
Port Act of 1974 (33 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.), or which may affect natural 
resources belonging to, appertaining to, or under the exclusive 
management authority of the United States (including resources under the 
Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C.

[[Page 290]]

1801 et seq.)). These waters include those contained within the 
Exclusive Economic Zone declared by Presidential Proclamation 5030 on 
March 10, 1983 (43 FR 10605).
    Note: Coastal waters are those waters where the Coast Guard has the 
responsibility for providing On-Scene Coordinators under the National 
Contingency Plan. Specific dividing lines between coastal and inland 
waters, and the identification of specified ports and harbors on inland 
rivers, are contained in Regional Contingency Plans prepared pursuant to 
the National Contingency Plan.
    (f) Contiguous zone means the entire zone established by the United 
States under Article 24 of the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the 
Contiguous Zone, as published in the June 1, 1972 issue of the Federal 
Register (37 FR 11906).
    (g) Discharge includes, but is not limited to, any spilling, 
leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or dumping, but excludes 
(A) discharges in compliance with a permit under Section 402 of the Act, 
(B) discharges resulting from circumstances identified and reviewed and 
made part of the public record with respect to a permit issued or 
modified under Section 402 of the Act, and subject to a condition in 
such permit, and (C) continuous or anticipated intermittent discharges 
from a point source, identified in a permit or permit application under 
section 402 of the Act, which are caused by events occurring within the 
scope of relevant operating or treatment systems.
    (h) Hazardous substance means any substance designated by the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to section 
311(b)(2) of the Act.
    (i) Inland waters means all other waters of the U.S. not included in 
the definition of coastal waters.
    Note: Inland waters are those waters where the Environmental 
Protection Agency has the responsibility for providing On-Scene 
Coordinators under the National Contingency Plan. Specific dividing 
lines between coastal and inland waters are contained in Regional 
Contingency Plans prepared pursuant to the National Contingency Plan.
    (j) Mechanical removal means the use of pumps, skimmers, booms, 
earthmoving equipment, and other mechanical devices to contain the 
discharge of oil and to recover the discharge from the water or 
adjoining shorelines.
    (k) Navigable waters means the waters of the United States as 
defined in paragraph 2.05-25(b) of this Chapter.
    (l) Offshore facility means any facility of any kind located in, on, 
or under, any of the navigable waters of the United States, and any 
facility of any kind which is subject to the jurisdiction of the United 
States and is located in, on, or under any other waters, other than a 
vessel or a public vessel.
    (m) Oil means oil of any kind or in any form, including but not 
limited to petroleum, fuel oil, sludge, oil refuse, and oil mixed with 
wastes other than dredged spoil.
    (n) On-Scene Coordinator or OSC is the Federal official 
predesignated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Coast 
Guard to coordinate and direct Federal removal efforts at the scene of 
an oil or hazardous substance discharge as prescribed in the National 
Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (National 
Contingency Plan) as published in 40 CFR Part 300.
    (o) Onshore facility means any facility (including, but not limited 
to, motor vehicles and rolling stock) of any kind located in, on, or 
under, any land within the United States other than submerged land.
    (p) Person includes an individual, firm, corporation, association, 
and a partnership.
    (q) Pollution Fund and Fund means the revolving fund established in 
the Treasury under the authority in section 311(k) of the Act to carry 
out the provisions of section 311 (c), (d), (i), and (l) of the Act.
    (r) Public vessel means a vessel owned or bare-boat chartered and 
operated by the United States, or by a State or political subdivision 
thereof, or by a foreign nation, except when such vessel is engaged in 
commerce.
    (s) Remove or Removal refers to removal of oil or hazardous 
substances from the waters and shorelines or the taking of such other 
actions as may be necessary to minimize or mitigate damage to the public 
health or welfare, including, but not limited to, fish, shellfish, 
wildlife, and public and private property, shorelines, and beaches.

[[Page 291]]

    (t) Sorbent means materials essentially inert and insoluble used to 
remove oil from water through a variety of sorption mechanisms. Examples 
include straw, expanded perlite, polyurethane foam, reclaimed paper 
fibers, and peat moss.
    (u) Such quantities as may be harmful means those quantities of oil 
and any hazardous substances determined in accordance with the 
provisions of section 311(b)(4) of the Act.
    Note: Regulations that relate to such quantities as may be harmful 
of oil are published in 40 CFR Part 110. Regulations that relate to such 
quantities as may be harmful (reportable quantities) of hazardous 
substances are published in 40 CFR Part 117 and also listed in 40 CFR 
Part 302.
    (v) 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.
    (w) Vessel means every description of watercraft or other artificial 
contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation 
on water other than a public vessel.

[CGD 84-067, 51 FR 17965, May 16, 1986, as amended by CGD 88-052, 53 FR 
25121, July 1, 1988; CGD 96-026, 61 FR 33665, June 28, 1996; CGD 97-023, 
62 FR 33363, June 19, 1997; USCG-2002-12471, 67 FR 41333, June 18, 2002]