§ 1981. Definitions

In this chapter:

• (1) The term “circular economy” has the meaning given such term in section 4201 of this title .
• (2) The term “coastal shoreline community” means a city or county directly adjacent to the open ocean, major estuaries, or the Great Lakes.
• (3) The term “EPA Administrator” has the meaning given such term in section 4201 of this title .
• (4) The term “Indian Tribe” has the meaning given that term in section 5304 of title 25 .
• (5) The term “Interagency Committee” means the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee established under section 1954 of this title .
• (6) The term “marine debris” means any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes.
• (7) The terms “MARPOL”, “Annex V”, and “Convention” have the meaning given those terms under section 1901(a) of this title .
• (8) The term “non-Federal funds” means funds provided by—
  • (A) a State;
  • (B) an Indian Tribe;
  • (C) a territory of the United States;
  • (D) one or more units of local governments or Tribal organizations;
  • (E) a foreign government;
  • (F) a private for-profit entity;
  • (G) a nonprofit organization; or
  • (H) a private individual.
• (9) The term “nonprofit organization” has the meaning given such term in section 4201 of this title .
• (10) The term “post-consumer materials management” has the meaning given such term in section 4201 of this title .
• (11) The term “Program” means the Marine Debris Program established under section 1952 1 1 See References in Text note below. of this title.
• (12) The term “severe marine debris event” means atypically large amounts of marine debris caused by a natural disaster, including a tsunami, flood, landslide, or hurricane, or other source.
• (13) The term “State” means—
  • (A) any State of the United States that is impacted by marine debris within its seaward or Great Lakes boundaries;
  • (B) Indian Tribe;
  • (C) the District of Columbia;
  • (D) American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; and
  • (E) any other territory or possession of the United States, or separate sovereign in free association with the United States, that is impacted by marine debris within its seaward boundaries.
• (14) The term “Tribal Government” means the recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community, component band, or component reservation, individually identified (including parenthetically) in the list published most recently as of December 26, 2025 , pursuant to section 5131 of title 25 .
• (15) The term “Tribal organization” has the meaning given the term in section 5304 of title 25 .
• (16) The term “Under Secretary” has the meaning given such term in section 4201 of this title .