Laws, Regulations, Treaties (Ocean Laws)

Related Links: General Water Laws | Wetlands | Oceans, Coasts, & Estuaries | Watersheds

Key federal statutes governing oceans and coasts in the United States

Laws | Regulations | Treaties

• Ocean Dumping
  Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972(PDF) (68 pp, 339K, About PDF)

• Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972

  • Amended through the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA) of 1990 and P.L. 104-150, The Coastal Zone Protection Act of 1996

  • Full text

  • Summary of Section 6217, The Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program

• Dredged Material Laws and Regulations

• Ocean Outfalls
  Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act) (PDF) (234 pp, 571K, About PDF)

• NPDES permits for outfalls in the territorial sea and beyond
  Includes 403 and 301(h) permitting.

• Certain Alaskan Cruise Ship Operations
  (Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001)

• Clean Water Act Section 312 Vessel Sewage Discharge
  

  • § 1322. Marine sanitation devices (Cornell University)  
  • Sec. 1322. Marine sanitation devices (Government Printing Office)
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• Uniform National Discharge Standards (UNDS)
  Clean Water Act: Section 312(n)

• Aquatic Invasive Species
  

  • Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act
  • Executive Order 13112 on Invasive Species (PDF) (4 pp, 68K, About PDF)
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• Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (PDF) (16 pp, 143K, About PDF)

• National Estuary Program
  

  • Estuaries Restoration Act
  • Estuary Habitat Restoration Strategy (PDF) (7 pp, 61K, About PDF)
  • Management Conferences  
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• Estuaries and Clean Waters Act of 2000