SHIPBOARD SOLID WASTE CONTROL.

SEC. 324. SHIPBOARD SOLID WASTE CONTROL. (a) In General.— Section 3(c) of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. 1902(c)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking out “Not later than” and inserting in lieu thereof “Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), not later than”; and (2) by striking out paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) and inserting in lieu thereof the following: “(2) (A) Subject to subparagraph (B), any ship described in subparagraph (C) may discharge, without regard to the special area requirements of Regulation 5 of Annex V to the Convention, the following non-plastic, non-floating garbage: “(i) A slurry of seawater, paper, cardboard, or food waste that is capable of passing through a screen with openings no larger than 12 millimeters in diameter. “(ii) Metal and glass that have been shredded and bagged so as to ensure negative buoyancy. “(B) (i) Garbage described in subparagraph (A)(i) may not be discharged within 3 nautical miles of land. “(ii) Garbage described in subparagraph (A)(ii) may not be discharged within 12 nautical miles of land. “(C) This paragraph applies to any ship that is owned or operated by the Department of the Navy that, as determined by the Secretary of the Navy— “(i) has unique military design, construction, manning, or operating requirements; and “(ii) cannot fully comply with the special area requirements of Regulation 5 of Annex V to the Convention because compliance is not technologically feasible or would impair the operations or operational capability of the ship. “(3) (A) Not later than December 31, 2000, the Secretary of the Navy shall prescribe and publish in the Federal Register standards to ensure that each ship described in subparagraph (B) is, to the maximum extent practicable without impairing the operations or operational capabilities of the ship, operated in a manner that is consistent with the special area requirements of Regulation 5 of Annex V to the Convention. “(B) Subparagraph (A) applies to surface ships that are owned or operated by the Department of the Navy that the Secretary plans to decommission during the period beginning on January 1, 2001, and ending on December 31, 2005. “(C) At the same time that the Secretary publishes standards under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a list of the ships covered by subparagraph (B).”. (b) Sense of Congress.— (1) It is the sense of Congress that it should be an objective of the Navy to achieve full compliance with Annex V to the Convention as part of the Navy’s development of ships that are environmentally sound. (2) In this subsection, the terms “Convention” and “ship” have the meanings given such terms in section 2(a) of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. 1901(a)). (c) Report on Compliance With Annex V to the Convention.— The Secretary of Defense shall include in each report on environmental compliance activities submitted to Congress under section 2706(b) of title 10, United States Code, the following information: 110 STAT. 2481 (1) A list of the ship types, if any, for which the Secretary of the Navy has made the determination referred to in paragraph (2)(C) of section 3(c) of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, as amended by subsection (a)(2) of this section. (2) A list of ship types which the Secretary of the Navy has determined can comply with Regulation 5 of Annex V to the Convention. (3) A summary of the progress made by the Navy in implementing the requirements of paragraphs (2) and (3) of such section 3(c), as so amended. (4) A description of any emerging technologies offering the potential to achieve full compliance with Regulation 5 of Annex V to the Convention. (5) The amount and nature of the discharges in special areas, not otherwise authorized under the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), during the preceding year from ships referred to in section 3(b)(1)(A) of such Act owned or operated by the Department of the Navy. (d) Publication Regarding Special Area Discharges.— Subparagraph (A) of section 3(e)(4) of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. 1902(e)(4)) is amended to read as follows: “(A) Each year, the amount and nature of the discharges in special areas, not otherwise authorized under this Act, during the preceding year from ships referred to in subsection (b)(1)(A) of this section owned or operated by the Department of the Navy.”.