Executive Order 12418—Transfer of Functions Relating to Financial Responsibility of Vessels for Pollution Liability

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and statutes of the United States of America, in order to transfer certain functions relating to the financial responsibility of vessels for water pollution and establish the authority of Federal agencies to respond to discharges or substantial threats of discharges of oil and hazardous substances, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Executive Order No. 11735 of August 3, 1973, is amended as follows:

(a) The heading of Section 3 is amended to read "Reserved".

(b) Subsections 3(1) and 3(2) are redesignated subsections 2(6) and 2(7) respectively.

(c) Section 5(a) is amended to provide as follows:

"(a) The head of each Federal department and agency having responsibilities under the National Contingency Plan (40 C.F.R. Part 300), as now or hereafter amended, is designated and empowered to exercise, without the approval, ratification, or other action of the President, in accordance with that Plan, the authority under Section 311(c)(1) of the Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(c)(1)), relating to the removal of oil and hazardous substances that have been discharged, or for which there is a substantial threat of discharge, into or upon the navigable waters of the United States, adjoining shorelines, or into or upon the waters of the contiguous zone, or in connection with activities under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act or the Deepwater Port Act of 1974, or which may affect natural resources belonging to, appertaining to, or under the exclusive management authority of the United States (including resources under the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976).".

Sec. 2. Section 1-2 of Executive Order No. 12123 of February 26, 1979, is amended to provide as follows:

"1-2. Determination of Financial Responsibility and the Assessment and Compromise of Penalties.

"The Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating is hereby delegated the following authorities:

"1-201. The authority vested in the President by Section 305(a)(1) of the Act (92 Stat. 677, 43 U.S.C. 1815(a)(1)), relating to vessels;

1-202. The authority vested in the President by Section 305(b) of the Act (92 Stat. 678, 43 U.S.C. 1815(b)), relating to offshore facilities; and

1-203. The authority vested in the President by Section 312(a)(2) of the Act (92 Stat. 684, 43 U.S.C. 1822(a)(2)), relating to the assessment and compromise of penalties concerning vessels.".

Sec. 3. Section 5(b) of Executive Order No. 12316 of August 14, 1981 is amended to provide as follows:

"(b) The functions vested in the President by Section 108(a) of the Act are delegated to the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating. The Secretary shall be responsible, in accordance with Section 109 of the Act, for the enforcement of civil penalties for violations of the regulations issued under Section 108(a) of the Act.".

Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating is hereby delegated the authority vested in the President by Sections 311(p)(1)-(2) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (86 Stat. 870, 33 U.S.C. 1321(p)(1)-(2)), as those sections are incorporated by reference in Section 204(c)(3) of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-153, 87 Stat. 586, 587), relating to the demonstration of financial responsibility for vessels carrying oil loaded from the Trans-Alaska pipeline.

Sec. 5. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall make such determinations, issue such Orders, and take all steps necessary or appropriate to effectuate the transfer of records, property, personnel, and positions and unexpended balances of appropriations, available or to be made available, which relate to the functions transferred, as provided in this Order, from the Federal Maritime Commission to the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating.

Sec. 6. Any rules, regulations, orders, directives, circulars, or other actions taken pursuant to the functions transferred from the Federal Maritime Commission to the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating by the delegation made in this Order shall remain in effect until amended, modified, or revoked.

RONALD REAGAN

The White House,

May 5, 1983.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 4:30 p.m., May 6, 1983]