Ocean Shipping Guam Request for Information Request

November 3, 2026
Attention Maritime Transportation / Ocean Freight industry partners: Request for Information (RFI) – Market Research for Ocean Transportation of Hazardous Waste (Guam to CONUS)
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is conducting a market survey to determine the commercial availability and operational capacity of ocean carriers to transport governmentgenerated hazardous waste from the Territory of Guam to permitted facilities in the United States. Pursuant to the Military Cargo Preference Act (10 U.S.C. § 2631) and coastwise trade statutes under 46 U.S.C. Chapter 551, the Government is evaluating the availability of qualified U.S.-flagged vessels, including coastwise-endorsed vessels and U.S.-flagged vessels operating under registry endorsements in accordance with the statutory Guam trade exemption (46 U.S.C. § 12111(b)).
This market survey assesses industry capability to meet technical environmental safety standards and required volume throughput, while establishing factual market data regarding whether domestic vessel capacity is sufficient or if alternative statutory authorities, such as the hazardous waste transport exception under 46 U.S.C. § 55105(b) or applicable administrative waiver procedures must be evaluated to ensure mission readiness and regulatory compliance. 1. The current Cargo Description and Operational Requirements for DLA are: a. Cargo Type: Department of War (DoW) Generated Hazardous Waste. The waste streams include a broad range of materials, including:
i. RCRA-regulated hazardous waste: Waste exhibiting ignitability (D001), corrosivity (D002), reactivity (D003), or toxicity characteristics, including waste containing lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury, benzene, and other hazardous constituents.
ii. Contaminated liquids: Waste fuels, gasoline, solvents, paints, thinners, corrosive liquids, contaminated wastewater, and other petroleum- or chemically contaminated liquids.
iii. Used oil and petroleum-related waste: Used lubricating oil, oily water, oil filters, sludge, and petroleum contaminated materials, some of which may be managed as non-RCRA-regulated waste.
iv. Batteries: Lithium-ion batteries, lithium-metal batteries, lead-acid batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, and other spent batteries requiring regulated transportation or disposal.

v. Contaminated solids: Paint debris, spent blasting media, contaminated soil, oily rags, absorbents, filters, and other solids contaminated with hazardous substances.