33 C.F.R. § 156.410 – General.

(a) Oil tankers subject to this subpart, and each U.S. oil tanker, wherever located, subject to this subpart, must carry onboard an STS Operations Plan that prescribes how that vessel will conduct STS Operations.
(b) Any oil tanker subject to this subpart must carry onboard an STS Operations Plan, prescribing how to conduct STS Operations, no later than the date of the first annual, intermediate, or renewal survey of the oil tanker, which must be carried out on or after the effective date of this final rule.
(c) The STS Operations Plan must be—
1. (1) Written in the working language of the oil tanker's crew;
2. (2) Developed using the information contained in the best practice guidelines for STS Operations identified in the Manual on Oil Pollution and in the Ship to Ship Transfer Guide (Petroleum) (both documents are incorporated by reference, see § 156.111); and
3. (3) Approved by the vessel's Flag State for oil tankers operated under the authority of a country other than the United States. For U.S. oil tankers, the STS Operations Plan must be approved by the Commandant (CG-CVC-1) or an Authorized Classification Society.
(d) When chapter IX of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended is applicable to the vessel, the STS Operations Plan may be incorporated into an existing required Safety Management System.
(e) Any oil tanker subject to this subpart must comply with the vessel's approved STS Operations Plan while engaging in STS Operations.
(f) The person in overall advisory control of STS Operations must be qualified to perform all relevant duties, taking into account the qualifications found in the best practice guidelines for STS Operations identified in the Manual on Oil Pollution and in the Ship to Ship Transfer Guide (Petroleum) (both documents are incorporated by reference, see § 156.111).
(g) In addition to any records required by the vessel's approved STS Operations Plan, each STS operation must be recorded in the oil tanker's Oil Record Book, required by § 151.25 of this chapter.
(h) All records of STS Operations shall be retained onboard for 3 years and be readily available for inspection.
(i) No oil tanker may transfer oil in a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, if the oil cargo has been transferred by an STS Operation in the marine environment beyond the baseline, unless:
1. (1) Both oil tankers engaged in the STS Operation have, onboard, at the time of transfer all certificates required by this chapter for transfer of oil cargos, including a valid Certificate of Inspection or Certificate of Compliance, as applicable to any transfer of oil taking place in a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States;
2. (2) Both oil tankers engaged in the STS operation have onboard at the time of transfer, evidence that each vessel is operating in compliance with the National Response System as described in section 311(j) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(j)). Additionally, the vessels must comply with the Declaration of Inspection requirements delineated in § 156.150 and a vessel response plan if required under part 155 of this chapter; and
3. (3) Both oil tankers engaged in STS Operations have onboard, at the time of transfer, an International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) Certificate or equivalent documentation of compliance with Annex I, as would be required by part 151 of this chapter for vessels in navigable waters of the United States. The IOPP Certificate or documentation of compliance shall be that prescribed by §§ 151.19 and 151.21 of this chapter, and shall be effective under the same timetable as specified in § 151.19.
(j) In an emergency, the Captain of the Port (COTP), upon request, may authorize a deviation from any requirement in this part if the COTP determines that its application will endanger persons, property, or the environment.