§ 52-7-8-1 — Discharge of sewage from vessels on lakes; use of vessels with marine toilets on protected fresh waters; certificate and recordation requirements

(a) (1) The General Assembly finds that because of the increasing number of vessels having marine toilets which are operated or moored on Allatoona Lake, Lake Blackshear, Clarks Hill Lake, Hartwell Lake, Lake Sidney Lanier, Lake Oconee, Lake Seminole, Lake Sinclair, Russell Lake, Walter F. George Reservoir, Lake Blue Ridge, and West Point Lake, it is necessary for the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare to prohibit the discharge of sewage from such vessels into the waters of such lakes. (2) Because of the findings stated in paragraph (1) of this subsection, it is declared to be the intent of the General Assembly to protect and enhance the quality of the waters of such lakes by requiring greater environmental protection than is provided pursuant to Section 312 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, such that any discharge of sewage from a vessel into the waters of such lakes shall be prohibited. (b) Except as otherwise provided in the federal Clean Water Act of 1977, P.L. 95-217, as now or hereafter amended, it shall be unlawful for any person to operate or float a vessel, whether moored or not, on protected fresh waters, from which sewage is discharged into such protected fresh waters. (c) Except as otherwise provided in the federal Clean Water Act of 1977, P.L. 95-217, as now or hereafter amended, it shall be unlawful to operate or float any vessel on protected fresh waters which has located within or on such vessel a marine toilet, unless such marine toilet is designed and operated to prevent the discharge of sewage, treated or untreated, into protected fresh waters and is equipped with a holding tank, as the term is defined in Code Section 52-7-3 , which is constructed and installed in such a manner that it can be emptied only by pumping out. (d) It shall be unlawful to pump out any sewage from a holding tank except into a pump-out facility approved by the department. It shall also be unlawful to discharge or dispose of the wastes from a portable marine toilet into protected fresh waters except into a pump-out facility approved by the department or into a permanent toilet or sewer system located on dry land. (e) Except as otherwise provided in the federal Clean Water Act of 1977, P.L. 95-217, as now or hereafter amended, it shall be unlawful for any person to operate or float a vessel having a marine toilet, whether moored or not, on protected fresh waters, unless it has a certificate issued by the department affixed thereto immediately adjacent to its registration number. No certificate may be issued unless a marine toilet and holding tank, as the terms are defined in Code Section 52-7-3 , have been properly installed on the vessel. (f) Applications shall be signed by the owner or owners of the vessel and shall be accompanied by a fee of $5.00. A certificate issued under this Code section shall continue in full force and effect, and shall not require renewal; provided, however, that the certificate shall become invalid if it is determined that a false or fraudulent statement was made in the application. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department is authorized to retain all funds generated by the operation of its program to require certificates for marine toilets under this Code section for use in the operation of that program. Any such funds not expended for this purpose in the fiscal year in which they are generated shall be deposited in the state treasury, provided that nothing in this Code section shall be construed so as to allow the department to retain any funds required by the Constitution of the State of Georgia to be paid into the state treasury; provided, further, that the department shall comply with all provisions of Part 1 of Article 4 of Chapter 12 of Title 45, the "Budget Act," except Code Section 45-12-92 , prior to expending any such miscellaneous funds. (g) (1) This Code section shall apply on and after July 1, 1988, for all vessels on the waters of Lake Sidney Lanier, whether or not they are registered. Each owner of a vessel registered prior to July 1, 1988, shall declare the existence of any marine toilet on the vessel and shall apply for a certificate for the marine toilet at the first date of renewal of the vessel's registration after July 1, 1988, if said vessel is to be operated or floated on such waters. For vessels registered after July 1, 1988, which will be operated or floated on such waters, each vessel owner shall declare the existence of any marine toilet and apply for a certificate for the marine toilet at the same time application is made to register a vessel. Regardless of any other provisions of this title to the contrary, any vessel which has a marine toilet and which is to be operated or floated on such waters must be registered and must obtain a certificate pursuant to this Code section. (2) Except as provided by paragraph (1) of this subsection, this Code section shall apply on and after July 1, 1991, for all vessels on protected fresh waters, whether or not they are registered. Each owner of a vessel registered prior to July 1, 1991, shall declare the existence of any marine toilet on the vessel and shall apply for a certificate for the marine toilet at the first date of renewal of the vessel's registration after July 1, 1991, if said vessel is to be operated or floated on protected fresh waters. For vessels registered after July 1, 1991, which will be operated or floated on protected fresh waters, each vessel owner shall declare the existence of any marine toilet and apply for a certificate for the marine toilet at the same time application is made to register a vessel. Regardless of any other provisions of this title to the contrary, any vessel which has a marine toilet and which is to be operated or floated on protected fresh waters must be registered and must obtain a certificate pursuant to this Code section. (h) Any person owning a vessel with a marine toilet, who does not obtain a certificate for such toilet as provided in subsection (g) of this Code section, if such vessel is operated or floated on protected fresh waters, and any person who falsifies information about the existence of a marine toilet or holding tank in an application for a certificate, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to the penalties associated with misdemeanors. (i) Persons operating or floating vessels with marine toilets and subject to the requirements of this Code section shall create and maintain for at least one year after creation records which indicate the name and location of pump-out facilities used and the dates of such use. Persons who own or operate pump-out facilities shall also create and maintain for at least one year after creation records which indicate the name and vessel registration number, the date of pump-out, and verification of pump-out. (j) In the event any provision of this Code section is found to be in conflict with the federal Clean Water Act of 1977, P.L. 95-217, as now or hereafter amended, such federal act shall control.