Laws and Safety Equipment

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POLLUTION REGULATIONS AND ASSOCIATED PLACARDS

United States vessels of 26 feet or longer must display in a prominent location, a durable placard at least 5 by 8 inches, fixed in a conspicuous place in the machinery spaces, or at the bilge pump control station, notifying the crew and passengers of oil discharge restrictions.

Capacity to retain oily mixtures

• Regulations issued under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act require all vessels with propulsion machinery to 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 reception facility. A bucket and rags meet this requirement.
• On recreational vessels, a bucket, oil absorbent pads and heavy-duty plastic bag, bailer or portable pump are some suitable means that meet the requirement for retention on board until transferring the oily mixture to a reception facility.
• No person may intentionally drain oil or oily waste from any source into the bilge of any vessel.

DISCHARGE OF GARBAGE PROHIBITED

Waste Management

United States oceangoing vessels of 40 feet or longer, which are engaged in commerce or are equipped with a galley and berthing must have a written Waste Management Plan.

All recreational boats with installed toilet facilities must have an operable marine sanitation device (MSD) on board.

• Vessels 65 feet and under may use a Type I, II or III MSD. Vessels over 65.6 feet/20 meters must install a Type II or III MSD. All installed MSDs must be Coast Guard certified . Coast Guard certified devices are so labeled except for some holding tanks, which are certified by definition under the regulations.
• Houseboats must have a waste-water holding system to prevent the discharge of waste into surrounding waters. Missouri law prohibits discharge of any sewage, treated or untreated, into the state’s freshwaters.
• If you have a recreational vessel with installed toilet facilities, it must have an operable marine sanitation device (MSD) onboard. All installed devices must be U. S. Coast Guard certified. 
• Type III MSDs must have the “Y”-valve secured so that waste cannot be discharged into the water.

Definitions:

"Litter" means all waste material including, but not limited to, any garbage, refuse, trash, disposable package, container, can, bottle, paper, ashes, cigarette or cigar butt, carcass of any dead animal or any part thereof, or any other offensive or unsightly matter, but not including the wastes of primary processes of mining, logging, sawmilling, farming or manufacturing.

"Litter receptacle" means those containers suitable for the depositing of litter at each respective public area designated by the director's rules promulgated pursuant to subdivision eight, subsection (a), section twenty-five of this article.

"Waters of the state" means generally, without limitation, natural or artificial lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, branches, brooks, ponds, impounding reservoirs, springs, wells, watercourses and wetlands.

• No person shall place, deposit, dump, throw or cause to be placed, deposited, dumped or thrown any litter, in or upon any public or private highway, road, street or alley; any private property; any public property; or the waters of the state or within one hundred feet of the waters of this state, except in a proper litter or other solid waste receptacle.
• If any litter is placed, deposited, dumped, discharged, thrown or caused to be placed, deposited, dumped or thrown from a motor vehicle, boat, airplane or other conveyance, it is prima facie evidence that the owner or the operator of the motor vehicle, boat, airplane or other conveyance intended to violate the provisions of this section.

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.