(a) In the event a vessel loses or jettisons at sea any cargo described in paragraph (b) of this section, it must comply with the immediate notification requirements of 33 CFR 160.216, and if the cargo contains hazardous material as defined in paragraph (c) of this section, the vessel must also report it as soon as possible in accordance with 49 CFR 176.48.

(b) The cargo to which this section applies includes any container and any other cargo the loss or jettisoning of which could adversely affect the safety of any vessel, bridge, structure, or shore area or the environmental quality of any port, harbor, or navigable waterway of the United States.

(c) As used in this section, “hazardous material” means a substance or material designated by the Secretary of Transportation as capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce. The term includes hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, marine pollutants, and elevated temperature materials as defined in 49 CFR 171.8, materials designated as hazardous under the provisions of 49 CFR 172.101, and materials that meet the defining criteria for hazard classes and divisions in 49 CFR part 173.