---
type: "LegalText"
title: "46 U.S.C. § 3709"
description: "Exemptions"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
chapter_number: "37"
chapter_name: "CARRIAGE OF LIQUID BULK DANGEROUS CARGOES"
section: "3709"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 3709"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc46@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s3709"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml"
source_hash: "e1ef3b1a5f7b8d3adb1edb41ba06fc905692f51191b6e62ce5fddacd2cb94ba7"
raw_snapshot_hash: "eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f"
text_hash: "084183519cb6316dd57eab4b914f449154b84cee223512821595bfdd5cb76fcc"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 46 U.S.C. § 3709 - Exemptions

## Text

The Secretary may exempt a vessel from the minimum requirements established by sections 3704–3706 of this title for segregated ballast, crude oil washing, and dedicated clean ballast if the Secretary decides that shore-based reception facilities are a preferred method of handling ballast and that adequate facilities are readily available.

(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 524.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision Notes Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 370946:391a(7)(N) Section 3709 provides the Secretary with the authority to exempt certain minimum tanker requirements of sections 3704, 3705, and 3706 when shorebased reception facilities are a better way of handling ballast and when the facilities are adequate and readily available.