Peggie Hall wrote:

Yep. A lack of any enforcement of marine sanitation laws there--even a
total absence of any pumpout facilities--does not change the fact that
federal law prohibits the discharge of raw untreated toilet waste from
vessels in ALL U.S. waters within 3 miles of the coastline. But a lack
of any enforcement doesn't make it legal.


Wrong again. It is not a matter of enforcement at all. The "donut holes"
are areas that are more than 3 miles from the nearest land. They are
shoreward of the boundary line, within the waters of the State of Alaska
and well within what anyone would call the "inside passage."

It is perfectly legal to pump sewage in these areas. Law was recently
made to prohibit large passenger vessels (read cruise ships) from
dumping untreated sewage in these areas but for other than commercial
passenger vessels above a certain size it is perfectly legal.

As a matter of fact you may sail from just north of Seattle all the way
to Glacier Bay on the inside passage and never break the law so long as
you observe the location of the donut holes while in SE Alaska.

Rick