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Title 33, Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-102

§1472 Grave and Imminent Danger From Oil Pollution Casualties to Coastline or Related Interests of United States; Federal Nonliability for Federal Preventive Measures on the High Seas

Title 33 › CHAPTER 28 — POLLUTION CASUALTIES ON THE HIGH SEAS: UNITED STATES INTERVENTION › § 1472

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may act on the high seas to prevent or stop a serious pollution threat when a ship collision, grounding, or similar incident causes material damage or an imminent risk and the Secretary finds it creates a grave and imminent danger to U.S. coasts or related interests from convention oil or other substances likely to cause major harm. Except as provided in section 1479 of this title, those measures, taken under the convention, its protocol, and this chapter, do not make the United States liable to owners or other interested parties (including operators, cargo interests, crew, and insurers).

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §1472

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whenever a ship collision, stranding, or other incident of navigation or other occurrence on board a ship or external to it resulting in material damage or imminent threat of material damage to the ship or her cargo creates, as determined by the Secretary, a grave and imminent danger to the coastline or related interests of the United States from pollution or threat of pollution of the sea by convention oil or of the sea or atmosphere by a substance other than convention oil which may reasonably be expected to result in major harmful consequences, the Secretary may, except as provided for in section 1479 of this title, without liability for any damage to the owners or operators of the ship, to her cargo or crew, to underwriters or other parties interested therein, take measures on the high seas, in accordance with the provisions of the convention, the protocol and this chapter, to prevent, mitigate, or eliminate that danger.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1978—Pub. L. 95–302 substituted “convention oil or of the sea or atmosphere by a substance other than convention oil” for “oil”, and “convention, the protocol” for “Convention”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 1472

Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102