42 U.S.C. § 9603 (THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE)
§ 9603. Notification requirements respecting released substances
(a) Notice to National Response Center upon release from vessel or offshore or onshore facility by person in charge; conveyance of notice by Center
Any person in charge of a vessel or an offshore or an onshore facility shall, as soon as he has knowledge of any release (other than a federally permitted release) of a hazardous substance from such vessel or facility in quantities equal to or greater than those determined pursuant to section 9602 of this title, immediately notify the National Response Center established under the Clean Water Act [33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.] of such release. The National Response Center shall convey the notification expeditiously to all appropriate Government agencies, including the Governor of any affected State.
(b) Penalties for failure to notify; use of notice or information pursuant to notice in criminal case
Any person—
(1) in charge of a vessel from which a hazardous substance is released, other than a federally permitted release, into or upon the navigable waters of the United States, adjoining shorelines, or into or upon the waters of the contiguous zone, or
(2) in charge of a vessel from which a hazardous substance is released, other than a federally permitted release, which may affect natural resources belonging to, appertaining to, or under the exclusive management authority of the United States (including resources under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act [16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.]), and who is otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the United States at the time of the release, or
(3) in charge of a facility from which a hazardous substance is released, other than a federally permitted release,
in a quantity equal to or greater than that determined pursuant to section 9602 of this title who fails to notify immediately the appropriate agency of the United States Government as soon as he has knowledge of such release or who submits in such a notification any information which he knows to be false or misleading shall, upon conviction, be fined in accordance with the applicable provisions of title 18 or imprisoned for not more than 3 years (or not more than 5 years in the case of a second or subsequent conviction), or both. Notification received pursuant to this subsection or information obtained by the exploitation of such notification shall not be used against any such person in any criminal case, except a prosecution for perjury or for giving a false statement.
(c) Notice to Administrator of EPA of existence of storage, etc., facility by owner or operator; exception; time, manner, and form of notice; penalties for failure to notify; use of notice or information pursuant to notice in criminal case
Within one hundred and eighty days after December 11, 1980, any person who owns or operates or who at the time of disposal owned or operated, or who accepted hazardous substances for transport and selected, a facility at which hazardous substances (as defined in section 9601(14)(C) of this title) are or have been stored, treated, or disposed of shall, unless such facility has a permit issued under, or has been accorded interim status under, subtitle C of the Solid Waste Disposal Act [42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq.], notify the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency of the existence of such facility, specifying the amount and type of any hazardous substance to be found there, and any known, suspected, or likely releases of such substances from such facility. The Administrator may prescribe in greater detail the manner and form of the notice and the information included. The Administrator shall notify the affected State agency, or any department designated by the Governor to receive such notice, of the existence of such facility. Any person who knowingly fails to notify the Administrator of the existence of any such facility shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $10,000, or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both. In addition, any such person who knowingly fails to provide the notice required by this subsection shall not be entitled to any limitation of liability or to any defenses to liability set out in section 9607 of this title: Provided, however, That notification under this subsection is not required for any facility which would be reportable hereunder solely as a result of any stoppage in transit which is temporary, incidental to the transportation movement, or at the ordinary operating convenience of a common or contract carrier, and such stoppage shall be considered as a continuity of movement and not as the storage of a hazardous substance. Notification received pursuant to this subsection or information obtained by the exploitation of such notification shall not be used against any such person in any criminal case, except a prosecution for perjury or for giving a false statement.
(d) Recordkeeping requirements; promulgation of rules and regulations by Administrator of EPA; penalties for violations; waiver of retention requirements
(1) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations specifying, with respect to—
(A) the location, title, or condition of a facility, and
(B) the identity, characteristics, quantity, origin, or condition (including containerization and previous treatment) of any hazardous substances contained or deposited in a facility;
the records which shall be retained by any person required to provide the notification of a facility set out in subsection (c) of this section. Such specification shall be in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.
(2) Beginning with December 11, 1980, for fifty years thereafter or for fifty years after the date of establishment of a record (whichever is later), or at any such earlier time as a waiver if obtained under paragraph (3) of this subsection, it shall be unlawful for any such person knowingly to destroy, mutilate, erase, dispose of, conceal, or otherwise render unavailable or unreadable or falsify any records identified in paragraph (1) of this subsection. Any person who violates this paragraph shall, upon conviction, be fined in accordance with the applicable provisions of title 18 or imprisoned for not more than 3 years (or not more than 5 years in the case of a second or subsequent conviction), or both.
(3) At any time prior to the date which occurs fifty years after December 11, 1980, any person identified under paragraph (1) of this subsection may apply to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for a waiver of the provisions of the first sentence of paragraph (2) of this subsection. The Administrator is authorized to grant such waiver if, in his discretion, such waiver would not unreasonably interfere with the attainment of the purposes and provisions of this chapter. The Administrator shall promulgate rules and regulations regarding such a waiver so as to inform parties of the proper application procedure and conditions for approval of such a waiver.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency may in his discretion require any such person to retain any record identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection for such a time period in excess of the period specified in paragraph (2) of this subsection as the Administrator determines to be necessary to protect the public health or welfare.
(e) Applicability to registered pesticide products and air emissions from animal waste at farms
(1) In general
This section shall not apply to—
(A) the application of a pesticide product registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.) or the handling and storage of such a pesticide product by an agricultural producer; or
(B) air emissions from animal waste (including decomposing animal waste) at a farm.
(2) Definitions
In this subsection:
(A) Animal waste
(i) In general
The term “animal waste” means feces, urine, or other excrement, digestive emission, urea, or similar substances emitted by animals (including any form of livestock, poultry, or fish).
(ii) Inclusions
The term “animal waste” includes animal waste that is mixed or commingled with bedding, compost, feed, soil, or any other material typically found with such waste.
(B) Farm
The term “farm” means a site or area (including associated structures) that—
(i) is used for—
(I) the production of a crop; or
(II) the raising or selling of animals (including any form of livestock, poultry, or fish); and
(ii) under normal conditions, produces during a farm year any agricultural products with a total value equal to not less than $1,000.
(f) Exemptions from notice and penalty provisions for substances reported under other Federal law or is in continuous release, etc.
No notification shall be required under subsection (a) or (b) of this section for any release of a hazardous substance—
(1) which is required to be reported (or specifically exempted from a requirement for reporting) under subtitle C of the Solid Waste Disposal Act [42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq.] or regulations thereunder and which has been reported to the National Response Center, or
(2) which is a continuous release, stable in quantity and rate, and is—
(A) from a facility for which notification has been given under subsection (c) of this section, or
(B) a release of which notification has been given under subsections (a) and (b) of this section for a period sufficient to establish the continuity, quantity, and regularity of such release:
Provided, That notification in accordance with subsections (a) and (b) of this paragraph shall be given for releases subject to this paragraph annually, or at such time as there is any statistically significant increase in the quantity of any hazardous substance or constituent thereof released, above that previously reported or occurring.
(Pub. L. 96–510, title I, § 103, Dec. 11, 1980, 94 Stat. 2772; Pub. L. 96–561, title II, § 238(b), Dec. 22, 1980, 94 Stat. 3300; Pub. L. 99–499, title I, §§ 103, 109(a)(1), (2), Oct. 17, 1986, 100 Stat. 1617, 1632, 1633; Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title II, § 211(b)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–41; Pub. L. 115–141, div. S, title XI, § 1102, Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1147.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: References in Text
text: The Clean Water Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is act June 30, 1948, ch. 758, as amended generally by Pub. L. 92–500, § 2, Oct. 18, 1972, 86 Stat. 816, also known as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, which is classified generally to chapter 26 (§ 1251 et seq.) of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1251 of Title 33 and Tables.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is Pub. L. 94–265, Apr. 13, 1976, 90 Stat. 331, which is classified principally to chapter 38 (§ 1801 et seq.) of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1801 of Title 16 and Tables.
The Solid Waste Disposal Act, referred to in subsecs. (c) and (f)(1), is title II of Pub. L. 89–272, Oct. 20, 1965, 79 Stat. 997, as amended generally by Pub. L. 94–580, § 2, Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2795. Subtitle C of the Solid Waste Disposal Act is classified generally to subchapter III (§ 6921 et seq.) of chapter 82 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 6901 of this title and Tables.
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (d)(3), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 96–510, Dec. 11, 1980, 94 Stat. 2767, known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 9601 of this title and Tables.
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, referred to in subsec. (e)(1)(A), is act June 25, 1947, ch. 125, as amended generally by Pub. L. 92–516, Oct. 21, 1972, 86 Stat. 973, which is classified generally to subchapter II (§ 136 et seq.) of chapter 6 of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 136 of Title 7 and Tables.
heading: Amendments
text: 2018—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 115–141 added subsec. (e) and struck out former subsec. (e). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “This section shall not apply to the application of a pesticide product registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act or to the handling and storage of such a pesticide product by an agricultural producer.”
1996—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 104–208 substituted “Magnuson-Stevens Fishery” for “Magnuson Fishery”.
1986—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–499, §§ 103, 109(a), adjusted left hand margin of text following “federally permitted release,” third place appearing so that there is no indentation of that text, inserted “or who submits in such a notification any information which he knows to be false or misleading”, and substituted “in accordance with the applicable provisions of title 18 or imprisoned for not more than 3 years (or not more than 5 years in the case of a second or subsequent conviction), or both” for “not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both” and “subsection” for “paragraph”.
Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 99–499, § 109(a)(2), substituted “in accordance with the applicable provisions of title 18 or imprisoned for not more than 3 years (or not more than 5 years in the case of a second or subsequent conviction), or both” for “not more than $20,000, or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both” as the probable intent of Congress, notwithstanding directory language that the substitution be made for “not more than $20,000, or imprisoned for not more than one year or both”.
1980—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 96–561 substituted “Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act” for “Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976”.
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date of 1996 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title II, § 211(b)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–41, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective 15 days after Oct. 11, 1996.
heading: Effective Date of 1980 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 96–561, title II, § 238(b), Dec. 22, 1980, 94 Stat. 3300, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective 15 days after Dec. 22, 1980.
heading: Application
text: Pub. L. 115–141, div. S, title XI, § 1103, Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1148, provided that: “Nothing in this title [see Short Title of 2018 Amendment note set out under section 9601 of this title] or an amendment made by this title affects, or supersedes or modifies the responsibility or authority of any Federal official or employee to comply with or enforce, any requirement under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), other than the hazardous substance notification requirements under section 103 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 9603) with respect to air emissions from animal waste at farms.”
heading: Online Incident Reporting System
text: Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXIV, § 7404, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1784, provided that:
“(a) In General.—
Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 18, 2025], the National Response Center shall submit to Congress a plan to design, fund, and staff the National Response Center to develop and maintain a web-based application by which the National Response Center may receive notifications of oil discharges or releases of hazardous substances.
“(b) Development of Application.—
Not later than 2 years after the date on which the plan is submitted under subsection (a), the National Response Center shall—
“(1) complete development of the application described in such subsection; and
“(2) allow notifications described in such subsection that are required under Federal law or regulation to be made online using such application.
“(c) Use of Application.—
In carrying out subsection (b), the National Response Center may not require the notification of an oil discharge or release of a hazardous substance to be made using the application developed under such subsection.”
heading: Executive Documents
heading: Contiguous Zone of United States
text: For extension of contiguous zone of United States, see Proc. No. 7219, set out as a note under section 1331 of Title 43, Public Lands.