33 U.S.C. § 1479

Current through P.L. 118-78 (published on www.congress.gov on 07/30/2024)

Section 1479 - Federal liability for unreasonable damages

(a) Payment of compensation

The United States shall be obliged to pay compensation to the extent of the damage caused by measures which exceed those reasonably necessary to achieve the end mentioned in section 1472 of this title.

(b) Jurisdiction

Actions against the United States seeking compensation for any excessive measures may be brought in the United States Court of Federal Claims, in any district court of the United States, and in those courts enumerated in section 460 of title 28. For purposes of this chapter, American Samoa shall be included within the judicial district of the District Court of the United States for the District of Hawaii, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands shall be included within the judicial districts of both the District Court of the United States for the District of Hawaii and the District Court of Guam.

(c) Burden of proof

With respect to intervention for a substance identified pursuant to section 1473(a) of this title, the United States has the burden of establishing that, under the circumstances present at the time of the intervention, the substance could reasonably pose a grave and imminent danger analogous to that posed by a substance enumerated in the protocol.

33 U.S.C. § 1479

Pub. L. 93-248, §10, Feb. 5, 1974, 88 Stat. 10; Pub. L. 95-302, §1(4), June 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 345; Pub. L. 97-164, title I, §161(6), Apr. 2, 1982, 96 Stat. 49; Pub. L. 102-572, title IX, §902(b)(1), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4516.

EDITORIAL NOTES

AMENDMENTS1992-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102-572 substituted "United States Court of Federal Claims" for "United States Claims Court". 1982-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97-164 substituted "Claims Court" for "Court of Claims". 1978-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95-302 added subsec. (c).

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1992 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 102-572 effective Oct. 29, 1992, see section 911 of Pub. L. 102-572 set out as a note under section 171 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1982 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 97-164 effective Oct. 1, 1982, see section 402 of Pub. L. 97-164 set out as a note under section 171 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1978 AMENDMENTFor effective date of amendment by Pub. L. 95-302 see section 2 of Pub. L. 95-302 set out as a note under section 1487 of this title.

EXECUTIVE DOCUMENTS

TERMINATION OF TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDSFor termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note set out preceding section 1681 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.

United States

"United States" means the States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and any other commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.

protocol

"protocol" means the Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Marine Pollution by Substances Other Than Oil, 1973, including annexes thereto; and