{"identifier":"/us/usc/t33/s2702","title":33,"num":"\u00a7\u202f2702.","heading":"Elements of liability","text":"\u00a7\u202f2702.\nElements of liability\n(a)\nIn general\nNotwithstanding any other provision or rule of law, and subject to the provisions of this Act, each responsible party for a vessel or a facility from which oil is discharged, or which poses the substantial threat of a discharge of oil, into or upon the navigable waters or adjoining shorelines or the exclusive economic zone is liable for the removal costs and damages specified in subsection (b) that result from such incident.\n(b)\nCovered removal costs and damages\n(1)\nRemoval costs\nThe removal costs referred to in subsection (a) are\u2014\n(A) all removal costs incurred by the United States, a State, or an Indian tribe under subsection (c), (d), (e), or (\nl\nsection 1321 of this title\n33 U.S.C. 1471\n(B) any removal costs incurred by any person for acts taken by the person which are consistent with the National Contingency Plan.\n(2)\nDamages\nThe damages referred to in subsection (a) are the following:\n(A)\nNatural resources\nDamages for injury to, destruction of, loss of, or loss of use of, natural resources, including the reasonable costs of assessing the damage, which shall be recoverable by a United States trustee, a State trustee, an Indian tribe trustee, or a foreign trustee.\n(B)\nReal or personal property\nDamages for injury to, or economic losses resulting from destruction of, real or personal property, which shall be recoverable by a claimant who owns or leases that property.\n(C)\nSubsistence use\nDamages for loss of subsistence use of natural resources, which shall be recoverable by any claimant who so uses natural resources which have been injured, destroyed, or lost, without regard to the ownership or management of the resources.\n(D)\nRevenues\nDamages equal to the net loss of taxes, royalties, rents, fees, or net profit shares due to the injury, destruction, or loss of real property, personal property, or natural resources, which shall be recoverable by the Government of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof.\n(E)\nProfits and earning capacity\nDamages equal to the loss of profits or impairment of earning capacity due to the injury, destruction, or loss of real property, personal property, or natural resources, which shall be recoverable by any claimant.\n(F)\nPublic services\nDamages for net costs of providing increased or additional public services during or after removal activities, including protection from fire, safety, or health hazards, caused by a discharge of oil, which shall be recoverable by a State, or a political subdivision of a State.\n(c)\nExcluded discharges\nThis subchapter does not apply to any discharge\u2014\n(1) permitted by a permit issued under Federal, State, or local law;\n(2) from a public vessel; or\n(3) from an onshore facility which is subject to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act (\n43 U.S.C. 1651\n(d)\nLiability of third parties\n(1)\nIn general\n(A)\nThird party treated as responsible party\nExcept as provided in subparagraph (B), in any case in which a responsible party establishes that a discharge or threat of a discharge and the resulting removal costs and damages were caused solely by an act or omission of one or more third parties described in\nsection 2703(a)(3) of this title\n(B)\nSubrogation of responsible party\nIf the responsible party alleges that the discharge or threat of a discharge was caused solely by an act or omission of a third party, the responsible party\u2014\n(i) in accordance with\nsection 2713 of this title\n(ii) shall be entitled by subrogation to all rights of the United States Government and the claimant to recover removal costs or damages from the third party or the Fund paid under this subsection.\n(2)\nLimitation applied\n(A)\nOwner or operator of vessel or facility\nIf the act or omission of a third party that causes an incident occurs in connection with a vessel or facility owned or operated by the third party, the liability of the third party shall be subject to the limits provided in\nsection 2704 of this title\n(B)\nOther cases\nIn any other case, the liability of a third party or parties shall not exceed the limitation which would have been applicable to the responsible party of the vessel or facility from which the discharge actually occurred if the responsible party were liable.","url":"https://projectusc.org/usc/t33/s2702.html","content":[{"t":"sec","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702","children":[{"t":"num","text":"\u00a7\u202f2702."},{"t":"heading","text":"Elements of liability"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/a","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(a)"},{"t":"heading","text":"In general"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Notwithstanding any other provision or rule of law, and subject to the provisions of this Act, each responsible party for a vessel or a facility from which oil is discharged, or which poses the substantial threat of a discharge of oil, into or upon the navigable waters or adjoining shorelines or the exclusive economic zone is liable for the removal costs and damages specified in subsection (b) that result from such incident.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/b","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(b)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Covered removal costs and damages"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/b/1","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(1)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Removal costs"},{"t":"chapeau","text":"The removal costs referred to in subsection (a) are\u2014"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/b/1/A","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(A)"},{"t":"content","text":" all removal costs incurred by the United States, a State, or an Indian tribe under subsection (c), (d), (e), or (","children":[{"t":"text","text":"l","tail":") of "},{"t":"ref","text":"section 1321 of this title","href":"/us/usc/t33/s1321","tail":", under the Intervention on the High Seas Act ("},{"t":"ref","text":"33 U.S.C. 1471","href":"/us/usc/t33/s1471","tail":" et seq.), or under State law; and"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/b/1/B","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(B)"},{"t":"content","text":" any removal costs incurred by any person for acts taken by the person which are consistent with the National Contingency Plan.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/b/2","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(2)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Damages"},{"t":"chapeau","text":"The damages referred to in subsection (a) are the following:"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/b/2/A","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(A)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Natural resources"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Damages for injury to, destruction of, loss of, or loss of use of, natural resources, including the reasonable costs of assessing the damage, which shall be recoverable by a United States trustee, a State trustee, an Indian tribe trustee, or a foreign trustee.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/b/2/B","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(B)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Real or personal property"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Damages for injury to, or economic losses resulting from destruction of, real or personal property, which shall be recoverable by a claimant who owns or leases that property.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/b/2/C","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(C)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Subsistence use"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Damages for loss of subsistence use of natural resources, which shall be recoverable by any claimant who so uses natural resources which have been injured, destroyed, or lost, without regard to the ownership or management of the resources.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/b/2/D","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(D)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Revenues"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Damages equal to the net loss of taxes, royalties, rents, fees, or net profit shares due to the injury, destruction, or loss of real property, personal property, or natural resources, which shall be recoverable by the Government of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/b/2/E","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(E)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Profits and earning capacity"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Damages equal to the loss of profits or impairment of earning capacity due to the injury, destruction, or loss of real property, personal property, or natural resources, which shall be recoverable by any claimant.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/b/2/F","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(F)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Public services"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Damages for net costs of providing increased or additional public services during or after removal activities, including protection from fire, safety, or health hazards, caused by a discharge of oil, which shall be recoverable by a State, or a political subdivision of a State.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/c","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(c)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Excluded discharges"},{"t":"chapeau","text":"This subchapter does not apply to any discharge\u2014"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/c/1","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(1)"},{"t":"content","text":" permitted by a permit issued under Federal, State, or local law;","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/c/2","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(2)"},{"t":"content","text":" from a public vessel; or","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/c/3","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(3)"},{"t":"content","text":" from an onshore facility which is subject to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act (","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"43 U.S.C. 1651","href":"/us/usc/t43/s1651","tail":" et seq.)."}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/d","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(d)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Liability of third parties"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/d/1","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(1)"},{"t":"heading","text":"In general"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/d/1/A","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(A)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Third party treated as responsible party"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Except as provided in subparagraph (B), in any case in which a responsible party establishes that a discharge or threat of a discharge and the resulting removal costs and damages were caused solely by an act or omission of one or more third parties described in ","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"section 2703(a)(3) of this title","href":"/us/usc/t33/s2703/a/3","tail":" (or solely by such an act or omission in combination with an act of God or an act of war), the third party or parties shall be treated as the responsible party or parties for purposes of determining liability under this subchapter."}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/d/1/B","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(B)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Subrogation of responsible party"},{"t":"chapeau","text":"If the responsible party alleges that the discharge or threat of a discharge was caused solely by an act or omission of a third party, the responsible party\u2014"},{"t":"clause","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/d/1/B/i","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(i)"},{"t":"content","text":" in accordance with ","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"section 2713 of this title","href":"/us/usc/t33/s2713","tail":", shall pay removal costs and damages to any claimant; and"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"clause","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/d/1/B/ii","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(ii)"},{"t":"content","text":" shall be entitled by subrogation to all rights of the United States Government and the claimant to recover removal costs or damages from the third party or the Fund paid under this subsection.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/d/2","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(2)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Limitation applied"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/d/2/A","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(A)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Owner or operator of vessel or facility"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"If the act or omission of a third party that causes an incident occurs in connection with a vessel or facility owned or operated by the third party, the liability of the third party shall be subject to the limits provided in ","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"section 2704 of this title","href":"/us/usc/t33/s2704","tail":" as applied with respect to the vessel or facility."}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t33/s2702/d/2/B","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(B)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Other cases"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"In any other case, the liability of a third party or parties shall not exceed the limitation which would have been applicable to the responsible party of the vessel or facility from which the discharge actually occurred if the responsible party were liable.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"text","text":"\n"},{"t":"text","text":"\n"}]}]}