33 U.S.C. § 2503

Prohibition

After 6 months after November 18, 1988 , no public vessel shall dispose of potentially infectious medical waste into ocean waters unless—

(1)

(A)

the health or safety of individuals on board the vessel is threatened; or

(B)

during time of war or a declared national emergency;

(2)

the waste is disposed of beyond 50 nautical miles from the nearest land; and

(3)

(A)

in the case of a public vessel which is not a submersible, the waste is sterilized, properly packaged, and sufficiently weighted to prevent the waste from coming ashore after disposal; and

(B)

in the case of a public vessel which is a submersible, the waste is properly packaged and sufficiently weighted to prevent the waste from coming ashore after disposal.

( Pub. L. 100–688, title III, § 3104 , Nov. 18, 1988 , 102 Stat. 4152 .)