---
kind: "section"
citation: "33 U.S.C. § 2603"
title: "33"
title_heading: "Navigation and Navigable Waters"
number: "2603"
heading: "Waste handling practices"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/33/2603"
units:
  - "Chapter 39 — Shore Protection from Municipal or Commercial Waste"
  - "Subchapter I — Shore Protection"
---

# §2603. Waste handling practices

- (a) **In general—**
  - (1) **Loading—** The owner or operator of the [waste source](/usc/33/2601.md?p=7) shall take all reasonable steps to assure that all [municipal or commercial waste](/usc/33/2601.md?p=3) is loaded onto a vessel in a manner that assures that waste deposited in [coastal waters](/usc/33/2601.md?p=2) is minimized.
  - (2) **Securing—** The owner or operator of a vessel shall assure that all [municipal or commercial waste](/usc/33/2601.md?p=3) loaded onto the vessel is secured by netting or other means to assure that waste will not be deposited into [coastal waters](/usc/33/2601.md?p=2) during transport.
  - (3) **Offloading—** The owner or operator of the [receiving facility](/usc/33/2601.md?p=5) shall take all reasonable steps to assure that any [municipal or commercial waste](/usc/33/2601.md?p=3) is offloaded from a vessel in a manner that assures that waste deposited into [coastal waters](/usc/33/2601.md?p=2) is minimized.
  - (4) **Cleaning up—** The owner or operator of any [waste source](/usc/33/2601.md?p=7) or [receiving facility](/usc/33/2601.md?p=5) shall provide adequate control measures to clean up any [municipal or commercial waste](/usc/33/2601.md?p=3) which is deposited into [coastal waters](/usc/33/2601.md?p=2).
- (b) **Regulations—** The [Administrator](/usc/33/2601.md?p=1), in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) of Transportation, shall prescribe regulations—
  - (1) requiring that [waste sources](/usc/33/2601.md?p=7), [receiving facilities](/usc/33/2601.md?p=5), and vessels provide the means and facilities to assure that the waste will not be deposited into [coastal waters](/usc/33/2601.md?p=2) during loading, offloading, and transport;
  - (2) requiring, as appropriate, the submission and adoption by each responsible party of an operation and maintenance manual identifying procedures to be used to prevent, report, and clean up any deposit of [municipal or commercial waste](/usc/33/2601.md?p=3) into [coastal waters](/usc/33/2601.md?p=2), including record keeping requirements; and
  - (3) if the [Administrator](/usc/33/2601.md?p=1) determines that tracking systems are required to assure adequate enforcement of laws preventing the deposit of [municipal or commercial waste](/usc/33/2601.md?p=3) into [coastal waters](/usc/33/2601.md?p=2), requiring installation of the appropriate systems within 18 months after the [Administrator](/usc/33/2601.md?p=1) makes that determination.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 100–688, title IV, § 4103, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4156.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Pub. L. 100–688, title IV, § 4204(c), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4160, provided that: “Section 4103 of this Act [33 U.S.C. 2603] takes effect 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 18, 1988].”