I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1684 

To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Federal Water Pollution 

Control Act to impose penalties and provide for the recovery of removal 

costs and damages in connection with certain discharges of oil from 

foreign offshore units, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 26, 2015 

Mr. CURBELO of Florida (for himself, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. YOUNG

of Alaska, Mr. SIRES, and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Federal 

Water Pollution Control Act to impose penalties and 

provide for the recovery of removal costs and damages 

in connection with certain discharges of oil from foreign 

offshore units, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Foreign Spill Protec5 tion Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. LIABILITY OF OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF FOR2 EIGN OFFSHORE UNITS. 

3 Section 1002 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 

4 U.S.C. 2702) is amended by adding at the end the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘(e) FOREIGN OFFSHORE UNITS.—In any case in 

7 which there is a discharge, or substantial threat of dis8 charge, of oil from a foreign offshore unit that reaches 

9 or threatens to reach the navigable waters or adjoining 

10 shorelines or the exclusive economic zone, the owner or 

11 operator of the facility— 

12 ‘‘(1) is liable for the removal costs and damages 

13 specified in subsection (b) that result from such inci14 dent; and 

15 ‘‘(2) shall be treated as a responsible party with 

16 respect to the incident for the purposes of this Act 

17 in the same manner as a responsible party for an 

18 offshore facility.’’. 

19 SEC. 3. PENALTIES FOR DISCHARGE OF OIL FROM FOR20 EIGN OFFSHORE UNITS. 

21 Section 311(b) of the Federal Water Pollution Con22 trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(b)) is amended by adding at the 

23 end the following: 

24 ‘‘(13) FOREIGN OFFSHORE UNITS.— 

25 ‘‘(A) DISCHARGES OF OIL REACHING NAVI26 GABLE WATERS.—In any case in which there is 


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1 a discharge of oil from a foreign offshore unit 

2 that reaches the navigable waters of the United 

3 States, adjoining shorelines, or waters of the 

4 contiguous zone— 

5 ‘‘(i) the discharge shall be subject to 

6 the prohibition in paragraph (3); and 

7 ‘‘(ii) the owner or operator of the unit 

8 shall be subject to the penalties established 

9 under this subsection. 

10 ‘‘(B) FOREIGN OFFSHORE UNIT DE11 FINED.—In this paragraph, the term ‘foreign 

12 offshore unit’ has the meaning given that term 

13 in section 1001 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 

14 (33 U.S.C. 2701).’’. 

15 SEC. 4. APPLICABILITY. 

16 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 

17 respect to a discharge, or substantial threat of discharge, 

18 of oil occurring after the date of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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