33 U.S.C. § 419: Regulation by Secretary…

Summary

The Secretary of the Army can make rules about moving and dumping dredged material, dirt, garbage, and other refuse into navigable waters or nearby waters when needed to protect navigation. Those rules must be posted in public places. Anyone or any company that breaks the rules is guilty of a misdemeanor and faces the penalties found in sections 411 and 412 of this title. The rules can be enforced the same way as described in section 413. The rules do not apply to waters used for oyster farming under a State’s laws, except for navigable channels improved or designated as navigable by the United States or other authority; dredged material from those improvements cannot be placed on oyster grounds except under state law. Costs to carry out these rules may come from harbor or waterway improvement funds, or, if none are available, from Congressional appropriations for river and harbor examinations, surveys, and contingencies.

Title 33, §419

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of the Army is authorized and empowered to prescribe regulations to govern the transportation and dumping into any navigable water, or waters adjacent thereto, of dredgings, earth, garbage, and other refuse materials of every kind or description, whenever in his judgment such regulations are required in the interest of navigation. Such regulations shall be posted in conspicuous and appropriate places for the information of the public; and every person or corporation which shall violate the said regulations, or any of them, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to the penalties prescribed in section 411 and 412 of this title, for violation of the provisions of section 407 of this title: Provided, That any regulations made in pursuance hereof may be enforced as provided in section 413 of this title, the provisions whereof are made applicable to the said regulations: Provided further, That this section shall not apply to any waters within the jurisdictional boundaries of any State which are now or may hereafter be used for the cultivation of oysters under the laws of such State, except navigable channels which have been or may hereafter be improved by the United States, or to be designated as navigable channels by competent authority, and in making such improvements of channels, the material dredged shall not be deposited upon any ground in use in accordance with the laws of such State for the cultivation of oysters, except in compliance with said laws: And provided further, That any expense necessary in executing this section may be paid from funds available for the improvement of the harbor or waterway, for which regulations may be prescribed, and in case no such funds are available the said expense may be paid from appropriations made by Congress for examinations, surveys, and contingencies of rivers and harbors.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of act

July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, 61 Stat. 501. section 205(a) of act

July 26, 1947, was repealed by section 53 of act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 641. section 1 of act Aug. 10, 1956, enacted “Title 10, Armed Forces” which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army.

Transfer of Functions

Functions, powers, and duties of Secretary of the Army and other offices and officers of Department of the Army under section 401 of this title to extent that they relate generally to location and clearances of bridges and causeways in navigable waters of United States transferred to and vested in Secretary of Transportation by Pub. L. 89–670, § 6(g)(6)(A), Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 941, which created Department of Transportation. Pub. L. 97–449 amended section 401 of this title to reflect transfer made by section 6(g)(6)(A) of Pub. L. 89–670, and repealed section 6(g)(6)(A).

§419 Regulation by Secretary Governing Transportation and Dumping of Dredgings, Refuse, Etc., Into Navigable Waters; Oyster Lands; Appropriations