Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/529bv.pdf
Page Number: 177

529US1

Unit: $U35

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UNITED STATES v. LOCKE

Opinion of the Court

sponsible for an oil spill. § 2702. Other provisions provide
defenses to, and limitations on, this liability. 33 U. S. C.
§§ 2703, 2704. Of considerable importance to these cases are
OPA’s saving clauses, found in Title I of the Act, § 2718, and
to be discussed below.

Title IV of OPA is entitled “Prevention and Removal.”
For the most part, it amends existing statutory provisions
or instructs the Secretary of Transportation (whose depart-
ments include the Coast Guard) to take action under previ-
ous grants of rulemaking authority. For example, Title IV
instructs the Coast Guard to require reporting of marine cas-
ualties resulting in a “signiﬁcant harm to the environment.”
46 U. S. C. § 6101(a)(5) (1994 ed. and Supp. V). Title IV fur-
ther requires the Secretary to issue regulations to deﬁne
those areas, including Puget Sound, on which single hulled
tankers shall be escorted by other vessels. 104 Stat. 523.
By incremental dates speciﬁed in the Act, all covered tanker
vessels must have a double hull. 46 U. S. C. § 3703a.

4. Treaties and International Agreements.

The scheme of regulation includes a signiﬁcant and intri-
cate complex of international treaties and maritime agree-
ments bearing upon the licensing and operation of vessels.
We are advised by the United States that the international
regime depends upon the principle of reciprocity. That is to
say, the certiﬁcation of a vessel by the government of its
own ﬂag nation warrants that the ship has complied with
international standards, and vessels with those certiﬁcates
may enter ports of the signatory nations. Brief for United
States 3.

Illustrative of treaties and agreements to which the
United States is a party are the International Convention
for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, 32 U. S. T. 47, T. I. A. S.
No. 9700, the International Convention for Prevention of Pol-
lution from Ships, 1973, S. Exec. Doc. C, 93–1, 12 I. L. M.
1319, as amended by 1978 Protocol, S. Exec. Doc. C, 96–1, 17