PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

You must first ask the responsible party or their guarantor to pay for cleanup costs or damages. You can instead go straight to the Fund in four cases: if the President has told people to file with the Fund, if the person filing is a responsible party who can make a claim back, if a State governor files for costs the State paid, or if a U.S. person is harmed by oil from a foreign offshore unit for which the Fund can pay. If you first present the claim to the responsible party and they deny it or do not pay within 90 days after you presented the claim or after public notice began (whichever is later), you can sue or take the claim to the Fund. The Fund will not pay a claim while you have a court case about the same costs. You may ask the Fund for unpaid or partial (interim) damages when full payment is not available. The President must create and can update rules for filing and handling Fund claims.

Title 33, §2713

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Presentation

Except as provided in subsection (b), all claims for removal costs or damages shall be presented first to the responsible party or guarantor of the source designated under section 2714(a) of this title.

(b)Presentation to Fund

(1)In general

Claims for removal costs or damages may be presented first to the Fund—

(A)if the President has advertised or otherwise notified claimants in accordance with section 2714(c) of this title;

(B)by a responsible party who may assert a claim under section 2708 of this title;

(C)by the Governor of a State for removal costs incurred by that State; or

(D)by a United States claimant in a case where a foreign offshore unit has discharged oil causing damage for which the Fund is liable under section 2712(a) of this title.

(2)Limitation on presenting claim

No claim of a person against the Fund may be approved or certified during the pendency of an action by the person in court to recover costs which are the subject of the claim.

(c)Election

If a claim is presented in accordance with subsection (a) and— (1)

(2)the claim is not settled by any person by payment within 90 days after the date upon which (A) the claim was presented, or (B) advertising was begun pursuant to section 2714(b) of this title, whichever is later,

the claimant may elect to commence an action in court against the responsible party or guarantor or to present the claim to the Fund.

(d)Uncompensated damages

If a claim is presented in accordance with this section, including a claim for interim, short-term damages representing less than the full amount of damages to which the claimant ultimately may be entitled, and full and adequate compensation is unavailable, a claim for the uncompensated damages and removal costs may be presented to the Fund.

(e)Procedure for claims against Fund

The President shall promulgate, and may from time to time amend, regulations for the presentation, filing, processing, settlement, and adjudication of claims under this Act against the Fund.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in subsec. (e), is Pub. L. 101–380, Aug. 18, 1990, 104 Stat. 484, known as the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2701 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 116–283 struck out subsec. (f) which related to loan program to provide interim assistance to fishermen and aquaculture producer claimants during the claims procedure. 2004—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 108–293 added subsec.(f). 1996—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–324 substituted “section, including a claim for interim, short-term damages representing less than the full amount of damages to which the claimant ultimately may be entitled,” for “section”.

Executive Documents

Delegation of Functions Functions of President under subsec. (e) of this section delegated to Secretary of Department in which Coast Guard is operating by section 7(c)(2) of Ex. Ord. No. 12777, Oct. 18, 1991, 56 F.R. 54767, set out as a note under section 1321 of this title.

§2713 Claims Procedure