Vessels.

(1) Existing law, until January 1, 2014, prohibits, if the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency approves an application to prohibit the release of sewage from large passenger vessels or if the State Water Resources Control Board determines that an application is not necessary, an owner or operator of a large passenger vessel from releasing, or permitting another to release, sewage from the vessel into the marine waters of the state. Existing law requires, until January 1, 2014, the owner or operator to notify the California Emergency Management Agency immediately, but not longer than 30 minutes, after the discovery of a release of sewage from a large passenger vessel into the marine waters of the state or a marine sanctuary. Existing law requires the owner or operator to notify the agency immediately, but not longer than 30 minutes, after the discovery of a release of graywater from a large passenger vessel into the marine waters of the state. Existing law imposes on a person who violates the prohibition a civil penalty of not more than $25,000 for each violation. This bill would extend the prohibition and notification requirement indefinitely. The bill would expand the prohibition to sewage releases into a marine sanctuary. The bill would additionally require the owner or operator of a large passenger vessel to notify the agency upon the discovery of a release of graywater into a marine sanctuary. (2) Existing law prohibits the owner or operator of a large passenger vessel or an oceangoing ship with sufficient holding tank capacity from releasing, or permitting anyone to release, from the vessel, graywater into the marine waters of the state. The bill would additionally prohibit the owner or operator of a large passenger vessel or an oceangoing ship with sufficient holding tank capacity from releasing, or permitting anyone to release, from the vessel, graywater into a marine sanctuary. (3) Existing law prohibits an owner or operator of a large passenger vessel or oceangoing ship from releasing or permitting anyone to release specified substances from the vessel or ship into the marine waters of the state or a marine sanctuary. Existing law excludes from those requirements a large passenger vessel or oceangoing ship that operates in the marine waters of the state, as that term is defined, solely in innocent passage and discharges made for the purpose of securing the safety of the vessel or ship or saving life at sea if specified precautions are taken. The act provides that for purposes of that exclusion, a vessel is engaged in innocent passage if its operation in the marine waters of the state would constitute innocent passage under specified conventions. For purposes of the exclusion provision, the bill would replace the reference to a "vessel" with reference to a "large passenger vessel or oceangoing ship." The bill would also define the term "marine waters of the state" to mean waters within the area bounded by the mean high tide line to the 3-mile state waters limit, from the Oregon border to the Mexican border, for purposes of provisions relating to the operation of a large passenger vessel or an oceangoing ship with sufficient holding tank capacity.