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Title 33, Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-110

§1906 Incidents Involving Ships

Title 33 › CHAPTER 33 — PREVENTION OF POLLUTION FROM SHIPS › § 1906

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

People in charge of a ship — like the master, owner, charterer, manager, or operator — must report any incident involving the ship. They must report it the way Article 8 of the Convention requires and follow the rules the Secretary creates. The master or person in charge must also report a release, likely release, or detection of oil when it involves a U.S.-registered or U.S.-operated ship anywhere, any other ship while in U.S. navigable waters, or a U.S. seaport or oil-handling facility. These oil reports must follow Article 4 of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, 1990 (adopted at London, November 30, 1990), and the Secretary’s regulations.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §1906

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Requirement to report incident
The master, person in charge, owner, charterer, manager, or operator of a ship involved in an incident shall report the incident in the manner prescribed by Article 8 of the Convention in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Secretary for that purpose.
(b)Requirement to report discharge, probable discharge, or presence of oil
The master or person in charge of— (1)
(2)another ship while in the navigable waters of the United States; or
(3)a sea port or oil handling facility subject to the jurisdiction of the United States,
shall report a discharge, probable discharge, or presence of oil in the manner prescribed by Article 4 of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, 1990 (adopted at London, November 30, 1990), in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Secretary for that purpose.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1991—Pub. L. 102–241 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “(a) As soon as he has knowledge of an incident, the master or other person in charge of a ship shall report it to the Secretary in the manner prescribed by Article 8 of the Convention. “(b) Upon receipt of the report of an incident involving a ship, other than one of United States registry or nationality or one operated under the authority of the United States, the Secretary shall take the action required by Article 8 of the Convention.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 1906

Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110