TITLE 2: NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION 1: MARITIME AND COASTAL RESOURCES
§ 1663. Notification and Removal. (a) The responsible party of a vessel who knows or should know that their vessel has run aground on coral reef, struck coral reef, released pollutants harming any coral reef, or otherwise damaged coral reef must notify DLNR of such an event within 24 hours after its occurrence. (b) Unless otherwise prohibited or restricted by the United States Coast Guard, the responsible party must remove or cause the removal of the grounded or anchored vessel within 72 hours after the initial grounding or anchoring absent extenuating circumstances such as weather, or marine hazards that would prevent safe removal of the vessel. The responsible party must also remove all associated debris, paraphernalia, hazardous materials, and pollutants in a manner that avoids further damage to coral reefs. The responsible party shall have their plan approved by DLNR prior to vessel removal to ensure that the removal avoids further damage to the coral reef. (c) The responsible party must cooperate with DLNR to undertake damage assessment and primary restoration of the coral reef in a timely fashion. (d) In the event of an injury caused by a spill or unpermitted pollutant discharge, the responsible party shall remove or cause the removal of the pollutant within 72 hours of the spill or discharge, absent threats posed to human health by the pollutant and absent extenuating circumstances such as weather or marine hazards that would prevent safe removal. The responsible party shall submit their removal plan to DLNR and obtain approval before initiating the removal of the pollutant. Source: PL 20-79 § 3 (Nov. 2, 2018).