(a) Except in case of emergency imperiling life or property, or unavoidable accident, collision, or stranding, or as otherwise permitted by law, it is unlawful and constitutes a misdemeanor for a person to discharge, or suffer the discharge of, oil by any methods, means, or manner, into or upon the navigable waters of the state from any vessel using oil as fuel for the generation of propulsion power, or any vessel carrying or having oil in excess of that necessary for its lubricating requirements, and as may be required under the laws and prescribed rules and regulations of the United States and this state.
(b) As used in this section, the term “oil” means oil of any kind or in any form, including fuel oil, oil sludge, and oil refuse, and the term, “navigable waters of the state,” means all portions of the sea within the territorial jurisdiction of the state, and all inland waters navigable in fact in which the tide ebbs and flows.
(c) A person found guilty of a misdemeanor violation of this section shall be subject to a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed six months, or both that fine and imprisonment.
(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 610, Sec. 17. (SB 717) Effective January 1, 2010.)