The purposes of these regulations in part 671 are to protect the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems, to preserve Antarctica's value as an area for the conduct of scientific research, and to implement the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-541, consistent with the provisions of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, signed in Madrid, Spain, on October 4, 1991.
(a) Definitions. In this part:
Act means the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-541, 92 Stat. 2048 (16 U.S.C. 2401 et seq.)
Antarctic hazardous waste means any waste consisting of or containing one or more designated pollutants.
Antarctica means the area south of 60 degrees south latitude.
Banned substance means any polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), non-sterile soil, polystyrene beads, plastic chips or similar loose polystyrene packing material, pesticides (other than those required for scientific, medical or hygiene purposes) or other substance designated as such under subpart E of this part.
Designated pollutant means any substance designated as such by the Director pursuant to subpart E of this part; any pesticide, radioactive substance, or substance consisting of or containing any chemical listed by source, generic or chemical name at 40 CFR 61.01, Table 116.4A of 40 CFR 116.4; subpart D of 40 CFR part 261, 40 CFR 302.4, part 355, and part 372; and any substance which exhibits a hazardous waste characteristic as defined in subparts B and C of 40 CFR part 261; but shall not include any banned substance.
Director means the Director of the National Science Foundation, or an officer or employee of the Foundation designated by the Director.
Incinerate or Incineration means the processing of material by mechanisms that (1) involve the control of combustion air and/or fuel so as to maintain adequate temperature for efficient combustion; (2) contain the combustion reaction in an enclosed device with sufficient residence time and mixing for complete processing; and (3) control emission of gaseous or particulate combustion products.
Master permit means a permit issued to a federal agency, or its agents or contractors, or any other entity, covering activities conducted in connection with USAP or other group activities in Antarctica.
NSF or Foundation means the National Science Foundation.
Open burning means combustion of any material by means other than incineration.
Permit means a permit issued pursuant to subpart C of this part.
Private permit means any permit other than a master permit.
Protocol means the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, signed by the United States in Madrid on October 4, 1991, and any and all Annexes thereto, as amended or supplemented from time to time.
Release means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, leaching, dumping, burying or disposing of a substance, whether intentionally or accidentally.
Station means McMurdo Station, Palmer Station, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and any other permanent USAP facility in Antarctica designed to accommodate at least 50 persons at any one time.
Substance means any gas, liquid, or solid, or mixture thereof, including biological material.
Treaty means the Antarctic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on December 1, 1959.
United States means the several States of the Union, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, including the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
United States Antarctic Program or USAP means the United States national program in Antarctica.
U.S. citizen means any individual who is a citizen or national of the United States; any corporation, partnership, trust, association, or other legal entity existing or organized under the laws of any of the United States; and any department agency or other instrumentality of the Federal government or of any State, and any officer, employee, or agent of such instrumentality.
Use means to use, generate or create a substance, or to import a substance into Antarctica, but does not include the shipboard use of a substance, provided that substance is not released or removed from the vessel.
Waste means any substance that will no longer be used for any useful purpose, but does not include substances to be recycled in Antarctica, or substances to be reused in a manner different than their initial use, provided such substances are stored in a manner that will prevent their dispersal into the environment, and further provided that they are recycled, reused or disposed of in accordance with the provisions of this part within three years. Recycling includes, but is not limited to, the reuse, further use, reclamation or extraction of a waste through a process or activity that is separate from the process or activity that produced the waste.
(b) Pollutants, generally. All banned substances, designated pollutants and waste shall be considered pollutants for purposes of the Antarctic Conservation Act.