Table 4.
Global agreements and domestic legislation governing protection of the marine environment
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| A. Global agreements to protect the marine environment from dumping | |
| Convention of the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and other Matter (London Convention 1972) | Limits the quantities of land-based waste permissible for dumping in the ocean |
| International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the protocol of 1978 (MARPOL 73/78) | Provides measures to prevent pollution from ships and nation states, Annex V: garbage [63] |
| 1982 UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) | Provides a maritime framework addressing the rights and obligations of states. XII: protection and preservation of the marine environment [64] |
| Honolulu Strategy | A global framework to reduce marine plastic and its ecological, human health, and economic impacts [65] |
| The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14.1, 2015 | By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce pollution marine debris, particularly from land-based activities [66] |
| Clean Seas Campaign | Engaging individuals, industries, and member states of UNEP to voluntarily commit to reducing plastic pollution [67] |
| B. Key US Federal legislation to protect the marine and coastal environment | |
| Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), 1972 (also known as the Ocean Dumping Act) | Regulates and restricts dumping materials of any kind into the oceans which would adversely affect human health, welfare, or amenities, or the marine environment, ecological systems, or economic potentialities [63] |
| Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 | Intended to protect and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters [63] |
| Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 1976 (RCRA) | Principal federal law governing the disposal of solid and hazardous waste [63] |
| Shore Protection Act 1988 (SPA) | Requires a vessel have a permit, number, or other marking visible if transporting municipal or commercial waste within coastal waters [63] |
| Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act, 2006 (MDR PRA) (5. 362, 2006) | Identifies, determines sources of, assess, prevents, reduces, and removes marine debris in addition to addressing the adverse impacts of marine debris on the economy of the USA, marine environment, and navigation safety |
| Microbead-Free Waters Act (H.R. 1321, 2015) | Prohibits the manufacture of personal care products containing microbeads, including those made of biodegradable polymers, as of July 1, 2017 |
| Save Our Seas Act (S.756, 2017) | Providing funding for marine debris cleanup in coastal states and educational outreach addressing the topic of marine debris as well as promoting international action to reduce the incidence of marine debris |