Key Dates

Effective date of the law. The law becomes effective 90 days from the last day of the current legislation session July 30, 2004).

By January 15, 2005. The DEP is required to submit a report to the Natural Resources Committee of the Legislature concerning air emissions from vessels. The report must include draft legislation necessary to implement any proposal.

Between the effective date of the law and January 1, 2006. The owner or operator of a large commercial passenger vessel may discharge graywater or a mixture of graywater and blackwater to coastal waters if the vessel is authorized to discharge graywater or a mixture of graywater and blackwater in Alaska pursuant to the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2001, Public Law 106-554, Section 1(a)(4) and Appendix D, Division B, Title XIV, Section 1404(b) or (c), 14 Stat. 2763, 2763A-316.

Large commercial passenger vessel: a commercial passenger vessel that provides overnight accommodations for 250 or more passengers for hire, determined with reference to the number of lower berths.

Coastal waters: those portions of the Atlantic Ocean within the jurisdiction of the State and all other waters of the State subject to the rise and fall of the tide.

By Janaury 1, 2006. The DEP is required to submit a report to the Natural Resource Committee of the Legislature concerning whether whether small commercial passenger vessels, or a subset of small commercial passenger vessels, should be required to seek authorization to discharge graywater. The department may include any recommended legislation concerning vessel discharges.

Beginning January 1, 2006. The owner or operator of a large commercial passenger vessel may not discharge graywater or a mixture of graywater and blackwater to coastal waters unless the discharge is authorized under a general permit and meets the requirements at 38 MRSA 423-D(4)(B) and associated rules.

Large Commercial Passenger Vessels

Key Dates