Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73
§1361 Administration
Title 33 › Chapter CHAPTER 26— - WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 1361
Summary
The Administrator can make the rules needed to run this program. With permission from other federal agency leaders, the Administrator may use their staff to help. Any group that gets federal money must keep records showing how the money was used, the total project cost, and what other money paid for the project, and must keep other records needed for audits. The Administrator and the Comptroller General (or their representatives) may look at those records. The Administrator may hire independent State audit groups without a competitive bidding process, but only as allowed by law and when money is approved in advance by Congress. The Administrator, with state water agencies, will run a yearly program to recognize industries or local governments that showed outstanding technology or innovation in waste treatment or pollution control during the preceding year. Applicants must be fully compliant with water quality rules and have a good environmental record. Winners get a certificate or plaque. The President, the state Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the President pro tempore of the Senate will be told about awards, and the awards will be published in the Federal Register. If a State water agency asks, EPA staff may be temporarily assigned to help that agency.
Full Legal Text
Title 33, §1361
Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Administrator is authorized to prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out his functions under this chapter.
(b)The Administrator, with the consent of the head of any other agency of the United States, may utilize such officers and employees of such agency as may be found necessary to assist in carrying out the purposes of this chapter.
(c)Each recipient of financial assistance under this chapter shall keep such records as the Administrator shall prescribe, including records which fully disclose the amount and disposition by such recipient of the proceeds of such assistance, the total cost of the project or undertaking in connection with which such assistance is given or used, and the amount of that portion of the cost of the project or undertaking supplied by other sources, and such other records as will facilitate effective audit.
(d)The Administrator and the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, shall have access, for the purpose of audit and examination, to any books, documents, papers, and records of the recipients that are pertinent to the grants received under this chapter. For the purpose of carrying out audits and examinations with respect to recipients of Federal assistance under this chapter, the Administrator is authorized to enter into noncompetitive procurement contracts with independent State audit organizations, consistent with chapter 75 of title 31. Such contracts may only be entered into to the extent and in such amounts as may be provided in advance in appropriation Acts.
(e)(1)It is the purpose of this subsection to authorize a program which will provide official recognition by the United States Government to those industrial organizations and political subdivisions of States which during the preceding year demonstrated an outstanding technological achievement or an innovative process, method, or device in their waste treatment and pollution abatement programs. The Administrator shall, in consultation with the appropriate State water pollution control agencies, establish regulations under which such recognition may be applied for and granted, except that no applicant shall be eligible for an award under this subsection if such applicant is not in total compliance with all applicable water quality requirements under this chapter, or otherwise does not have a satisfactory record with respect to environmental quality.
(2)The Administrator shall award a certificate or plaque of suitable design to each industrial organization or political subdivision which qualifies for such recognition under regulations established under this subsection.
(3)The President of the United States, the Governor of the appropriate State, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall be notified of the award by the Administrator and the awarding of such recognition shall be published in the Federal Register.
(f)Upon the request of a State water pollution control agency, personnel of the Environmental Protection Agency may be detailed to such agency for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this chapter.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1987—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100–4 inserted provision at end authorizing Administrator to enter into noncompetitive procurement contracts with independent State audit organizations, consistent with chapter 75 of title 31, but only to extent and in such amounts as provided in advance in appropriations Acts.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Applicability of Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Rule Pub. L. 113–121, title I, § 1049, June 10, 2014, 128 Stat. 1257, as amended by Pub. L. 114–322, title IV, § 5011, Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1902, provided that: “(a) Definitions.—In this section:“(1) Administrator.—The term ‘Administrator’ means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. “(2) Farm.—The term ‘farm’ has the meaning given the term in section 112.2 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations
(or successor
Regulations
). “(3) Gallon.—The term ‘gallon’ means a United States gallon. “(4) Oil.—The term ‘oil’ has the meaning given the term in section 112.2 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations
(or successor
Regulations
). “(5) Oil discharge.—The term ‘oil discharge’ has the meaning given the term ‘discharge’ in section 112.2 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations
(or successor
Regulations
). “(6) Reportable oil discharge history.—“(A) In general.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the term ‘reportable oil discharge history’ means a single oil discharge, as described in section 112.1(b) of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations
(including successor
Regulations
), that exceeds 1,000 gallons or 2 oil discharges, as described in section 112.1(b) of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations
(including successor
Regulations
), that each exceed 42 gallons within any 12-month period—“(i) in the 3 years prior to the certification date of the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure plan (as described in section 112.3 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations
(including successor
Regulations
); or “(ii) since becoming subject to part 112 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations
, if the facility has been in operation for less than 3 years. “(B) Exclusions.—The term ‘reportable oil discharge history’ does not include an oil discharge, as described in section 112.1(b) of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations
(including successor
Regulations
), that is the result of a natural disaster, an act of war, or terrorism. “(7) Spill prevention, control, and countermeasure rule.—The term ‘Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule’ means the regulation, including
Amendments
, promulgated by the Administrator under part 112 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations
(or successor
Regulations
). “(b) Certification.—In implementing the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule with respect to any farm, the Administrator shall—“(1) require certification by a professional engineer for a farm with—“(A) an individual tank with an aboveground storage capacity greater than 10,000 gallons; “(B) an aggregate aboveground storage capacity greater than or equal to 20,000 gallons; or “(C) a reportable oil discharge history; or “(2) allow certification by the owner or operator of the farm (via self-certification) for a farm with—“(A) an aggregate aboveground storage capacity less than 20,000 gallons and greater than the lesser of—“(i) 6,000 gallons; and “(ii) the adjustment quantity established under subsection (d)(2); and “(B) no reportable oil discharge history; and “(3) not require compliance with the rule by any farm—“(A) with an aggregate aboveground storage capacity greater than 2,500 gallons and less than the lesser of—“(i) 6,000 gallons; and “(ii) the adjustment quantity established under subsection (d)(2); and “(B) no reportable oil discharge history; and “(4) not require compliance with the rule by any farm with an aggregate aboveground storage capacity of less than 2,500 gallons. “(c) Regulation of Aboveground Storage at Farms.—“(1) Calculation of aggregate aboveground storage capacity.—For purposes of subsection (b), the aggregate aboveground storage capacity of a farm excludes—“(A) all containers on separate parcels that have a capacity that is 1,000 gallons or less; and “(B) all containers holding animal feed ingredients approved for use in livestock feed by the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. “(2) Certain farm containers.—Part 112 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations
(or successor
Regulations
), shall not apply to the following containers located at a farm:“(A) Containers on a separate parcel that have—“(i) an individual capacity of not greater than 1,000 gallons; and “(ii) an aggregate capacity of not greater than 2,500 gallons. “(B) A container holding animal feed ingredients approved for use in livestock feed by the Food and Drug Administration. “(d) Study.—“(1) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [June 10, 2014], the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall conduct a study to determine the appropriate exemption under paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b), which shall be not more than 6,000 gallons and not less than 2,500 gallons, based on a significant risk of discharge to water. “(2) Adjustment.—Not later than 18 months after the date on which the study described in paragraph (1) is complete, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall promulgate a rule to adjust the exemption levels described in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b) in accordance with the study.” Environmental Court Feasibility Study Pub. L. 92–500, § 9, Oct. 18, 1972, 86 Stat. 899, authorized the President, acting through the Attorney General, to study the feasibility of establishing a separate court or court system with jurisdiction over environmental matters and required him to report the results of his study, together with his recommendations, to Congress not later than one year after Oct. 18, 1972. Transfer of Public Health Service Officers Pub. L. 89–234, § 2(b)–(k), Oct. 2, 1965, 79 Stat. 904, 905, authorized the transfer of certain commissioned officers of the Public Health Service to classified positions in the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, now the Environmental Protection Agency, where such transfer was requested within six months after the establishment of the Administration and made certain administrative provisions relating to pension and retirement rights of the transferees, sick leave benefits, group life insurance, and certain other miscellaneous provisions.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
33 U.S.C. § 1361
Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable Waters
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73