Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 84 Part 1.djvu/151

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PUBLIC LAW 91-000—MMMM. DD, 1970

84 STAT. ]

09

PUBLIC LAW 91-224-APR. 3, 1970

"(d) Whenever any hazardous substance is discharged into or upon the navigable waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines or the waters of the contiguous zone, unless removal is immediately undertaken by the owner or operator of the vessel or onshore or offshore facility from which the discharge occurs or which caused the discharge, pursuant to the regulations promulgated under this section, the President, if appropriate, shall remove or arrange for the removal thereof in accordance with such regulations. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to restrict the authority of the President to act to remove or arrange for the removal of such hazardous substance at any time. "(e) Nothing in this section shall affect or modify in any way the obligations of any owner or operator of any vessel, onshore or offshore facility to any person or agency under any provision of law for damages to any publicly- or privately-owned property resulting from a discharge of any hazardous substance or from the removal of any such substance. "(f)(1) For the purpose of this section the definitions in subsection (a) of section 11 of this Act shall be applicable to the provisions of this section, except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection: "(2) For the purpose of this section, the term— "(A) 'remove' or 'removal' refers to removal of the hazardous substances from the water and shorelines or the taking of such other actions as may be necessary to minimize or mitigate damage to the public health or welfare, including, but not limited to, fish, shellfish, wildlife, and public and private property, shorelines, and beaches; "(B) 'owner or operator'means any person owning, operating, chartering by demise, or otherwise controlling the operations of, a vessel, or any person owning, operating, or otherwise controlling the operations of an onshore or offshore facility; and "(C) 'offshore or onshore facility' means any facility of any kind and related appurtenances thereto which is located m, on, or under the surface of any land, or permanently or temporarily affixed to any land, including lands beneath the navigable waters of the United States and which is used or capable of use for the purpose of processing, transporting, producing, storing, or transferring for commercial purposes any hazardous substance designated under this section. "(g) The President shall submit a report to the Congress, together with his recommendations, not later than November 1, 1970, on the need for, and desirability of, enacting legislation to impose liability for the cost of removal of hazardous substances discharged from vessels and onshore and offshore facilities subject to this section including financial responsibility requirements. In preparing this report, the President shall conduct an accelerated study which shall include, but not be limited to, the method and measures for controlling hazardous substances to prevent this discharge, and the most appropriate measures for (1) enforcement (including the imposition of civil and criminal penalties for discharges and for failure to notify) and (2) recovery of costs incurred by the United States if removal is undertaken by the United States. In carrying out this study, the President shall consult with the interested representatives of the various public and private groups that would be affected by such legislation as well as other interested persons. " ( h \ Any moneys in the funds established by section 11 of this Act shall be available to the President to carry out the purposes of this section. In carrying out this section the President shall utilize the personnel, services, and facilities of Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities in such manner as will avoid duplication of effort.

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p. 91.

Definitions.

Presidential report and recommendations to Congress.

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