Title 30, Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-110

§1427 Civil Actions

Title 30 › CHAPTER 26 — DEEP SEABED HARD MINERAL RESOURCES › SUBCHAPTER I — REGULATION OF EXPLORATION AND COMMERCIAL RECOVERY BY UNITED STATES CITIZENS › § 1427

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

People can bring a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to get a court order that stops someone from breaking this law or that forces the agency head (the Administrator) to do a duty the agency must do and cannot ignore. To bring such a case the person must have a real legal interest that could be harmed. The court can enforce the law, enforce license terms, or order the Administrator to act, no matter how much money the case involves or where the people live. You usually must wait 60 days after telling the Administrator and the alleged violator before suing, and the Administrator sets how to give that notice. If the agency or the Attorney General already started a U.S. case and is actively prosecuting it, others may join that case instead of starting a new one. The court can award litigation costs, including reasonable lawyer and expert fees, when it finds that appropriate. These rights do not replace other legal rights, and these safety and environmental rules are added on top of other laws.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §1427

Mineral Lands and Mining, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Equitable relief

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, any person may commence a civil action for equitable relief on that person’s behalf in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia—

(1)against any person who is alleged to be in violation of any provision of this chapter or any condition of a license or permit issued under this subchapter; or

(2)against the Administrator when there is alleged a failure of the Administrator to perform any act or duty under this chapter which is not discretionary,

if the person bringing the action has a valid legal interest which is or may be adversely affected by such alleged violation or failure to perform. In suits brought under this subsection, the district court shall have jurisdiction, without regard to the amount in controversy or the citizenship of the parties, to enforce the provisions of this chapter, or any term, condition, or restriction of a license or permit issued under this subchapter, or to order the Administrator to perform such act or duty.

(b)Notice

No civil action may be commenced—

(1)under subsection (a)(1) of this section—

(A)prior to 60 days after the plaintiff has given notice of the alleged violation to the Administrator and to any alleged violator; or

(B)if the Administrator or the Attorney General has commenced and is diligently prosecuting a civil or criminal action with respect to the alleged violation in a court of the United States; except that in any such civil action, any person having a valid legal interest which is or may be adversely affected by the alleged violation may intervene; or

(2)under subsection (a)(2) of this section, prior to 60 days after the plaintiff has given notice of such action to the Administrator.

Notice under this subsection shall be given in such a manner as the Administrator shall prescribe by regulation.

(c)Costs and fees

The court, in issuing any final order in any action brought under subsection (a) of this section, may award costs of litigation, including reasonable attorney and expert witness fees, to any party whenever the court determines that such an award is appropriate.

(d)Relationship to other law

Nothing in this section shall restrict the rights which any person or class of persons may have under other law to seek enforcement or to seek any other relief. All vessel safety and environmental requirements of or under this chapter shall be in addition to other requirements of law.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 1427

Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110