Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to revise a regulatory definition under the Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting regulations pertaining to discharges in the contiguous zone and ocean. The proposal would revise the regulatory definition of "discharge of a pollutant" to reflect and faithfully implement the statutory exclusion of vessels and other floating craft that add pollutants in the contiguous zone or the ocean from inclusion in the definition of "discharge of a pollutant" or "discharge", and thus, from National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program requirements. The proposed rulemaking would also make conforming and clarifying changes to the NPDES regulatory exclusion for vessels and other floating craft. The effect of these changes would be that the addition of pollutants by a vessel or other floating craft in the contiguous zone or the ocean that is not secured to the seabed would not be a discharge and would not require CWA NPDES permit authorization to add pollutants to those waters.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR Part 122 [EPA-HQ-OW-2026-6965; FRL 13340-01-OW] RIN 2040-AG56 AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to revise a regulatory definition under the Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting regulations pertaining to discharges in the contiguous zone and ocean. The proposal would revise the regulatory definition of “discharge of a pollutant” to reflect and faithfully implement the statutory exclusion of vessels and other floating craft that add pollutants in the contiguous zone or the ocean from inclusion in the definition of “discharge of a pollutant” or “discharge”, and thus, from National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program requirements. The proposed rulemaking would also make conforming and clarifying changes to the NPDES regulatory exclusion for vessels and other floating craft. The effect of these changes would be that the addition of pollutants by a vessel or other floating craft in the contiguous zone or the ocean that is not secured to the seabed would not be a discharge and would not require CWA NPDES permit authorization to add pollutants to those waters. DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 19, 2026. Please refer to the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for additional information on the public hearing. ADDRESSES: You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-…
Citation: 91 FR 56819
