(a) This part identifies those discharges, other than sewage, incidental to the normal operation of vessels of the Armed Forces that require control within the navigable waters of the United States, including the territorial seas and the waters of the contiguous zone, and those discharges that do not require control. Discharges requiring control are identified in § 1700.4. Discharges not requiring control are identified in § 1700.5. Federal standards of performance for each required Marine Pollution Control Device are listed in §§ 1700.14 through 1700.38. Federal standards of performance apply to all vessels, whether existing or new, and regardless of vessel class, type, or size, unless otherwise expressly provided in §§ 1700.14 through 1700.38.

(b) This part prohibits States and their political subdivisions from adopting or enforcing State or local statutes or regulations controlling the discharges from Armed Forces vessels listed in §§ 1700.4 and 1700.5 according to the timing provisions in § 1700.6, except to establish a no-discharge zone by State prohibition in accordance with § 1700.9, or to apply for a no-discharge zone by EPA prohibition in accordance with § 1700.10. This part also provides a mechanism for States to petition the Administrator and the Secretary to review a determination of whether a discharge requires control, or to review a Federal standard of performance for a Marine Pollution Control Device, in accordance with §§ 1700.11 through 1700.13.