🔍 Key Concepts

• 33 CFR Part 151 – Vessel Pollution Control Regulations • Regulatory definition of “discharge” for oil under U.S. pollution prevention rules • Difference between a specific cause (leak, pour, pump) and a broad legal definition

💭 Think About

• Look at how regulations usually define key terms: do they describe one specific way something happens, or do they often group several ways under a single definition? • Ask yourself whether the law is more interested in how the oil left the ship (leaked, poured, pumped), or simply that oil ended up in the water from the vessel. • Compare each choice with the idea of any oil leaving the vessel and entering navigable waters—does the legal term likely cover only one mechanism or multiple mechanisms?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in 33 CFR 151.05 – Definitions how “discharge” is actually worded for oil. • Check whether the definition includes phrases like “any release” or language that suggests multiple methods of getting into the water. • Confirm if the regulation limits “discharge” to just one method (like pumping) or if it clearly covers all manners of oil entering navigable waters from a vessel.