An Act to implement the provisions of the International Convention for the Prevention of the Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954.
PL 87-167 (S.2187), enacted 08/30/1961

402 
PUBLIC LAW 87-167-AUG. 30, 1961 
[75 ST A T . 
August 30, 1961 
[S. 2 187] 
Public Law 87-167 
AN ACT 
To implement the provisions of the International Convention for the Prevention 
of the Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954. 
Oil 
P o l l u t i o n 
Act, 1961. 
Definitions. 
Prohibition. 
Exceptions. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That this Act, to 
implement the provisions of the International Convention for the 
Prevention of the Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954, may be cited as 
the "Oil Pollution Act, 1961". 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.—As used in this Act, unless the context other-
wise requires— 
(a) The term "convention" means the International Convention 
for the Prevention of the Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954; 
(b) The term "discharge" in relation to oil or to an oily mixture 
means any discharge or escape howsoever caused; 
(c) The term "heavy diesel oil" means marine diesel oil, other than 
those distillates of which more than 50 per centum, by volume distills 
at a temperature not exceeding three hundred and forty degrees 
centigrade when tested by American Society for the Testing of 
Materials standard method D. 158/53; 
(d) The term "mile" means a nautical mile of six thousand and 
eighty feet or one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two meters; 
(e) The term "oil" means persistent oils, such as crude oil, fuel 
oil, heavy diesel oil, and lubricating oil. For the purposes of this 
legislation, the oil in an oily mixture of less than one hundred parts 
of oil in one million parts of the mixture, shall not be deemed to 
foul the surface of the sea; 
(f) The term "person" means an individual, partnership, corpo-
ration, or association; and any owner, operator, agent, master, officer, 
or employee of a ship; 
(g) The term "prohibited zones" means the zones described in 
section 12 of this Act as modified by notices, if any, of extension or 
reduction issued by the Secretary; 
(h) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Army; 
(i) The term "ship" means a seagoing ship of American registry 
except— 
(1) ships for the time being used as naval auxiliaries; 
(2) ships of under five hundred tons ^ross tonnage; 
(3) ships for the time being engaged m the whaling industry; 
(4) ships for the time being navigating the Great Lakes of 
North America and their connecting and tributary waters as 
far east as the lower exit of the Lachine Canal at Montreal in the 
Province of Quebec, Canada. 
SEC, 3. (a) Subject to the provisions of sections 4 and 5, the dis-
charge by any person froln any ship, which is a tanker, within any 
of the prohibited zones of oil or any oily mixture the oil in which 
fouls the surface of the sea, shall be unlawful. 
(b) Subject to the provisions of sections 4 and 5, any discharge by 
any person into the sea from a ship, other than a tanker, of oily 
ballast water or tank washinjjs shall be made as far as practicable 
from land. 
As from July 26, 1961, paragraph (a) of this section 
shall apply to ships other than tankers as it applies to tankers, except 
that the prohibited zones in relation to ships other than tankers shall 
be those referred to in the schedule. 
SEC. 4. Section 3 shall not apply to— 
(a) the discharge of oil or of an oily mixture from a ship for 
the purpose of securing the safety of the ship, preventing damage 
to the ship or cargo, or saving life at sea; or 
75 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 87-167-AUG. 30, 1961 
403 
(b) the escape of oil, or of an oily mixture, resulting from 
damage to the ship or unavoidable leakage, if all reasonable pre-
cautions have been taken after the occurrence of the damage or 
discovery of the leakage for the purpose of preventing or mini-
mizing the escape; 
(c) the discharge of sediment— 
(i) which cannot be pumped from the cargo tanks of 
tankers by reason of its soliditj^; or 
(ii) which is residue arising from the purification or 
clarification of oil fuel or lubricating oil, 
Provided^ That such discharge is made as far from land as is 
practicable. 
SEC. 5. Section 3 shall not apply to the discharge from the bilges 
of a ship— 
(a) of any oily mixture, during the period of twelve months 
after the United States accepts the convention; 
(b) after the expiration of such period, of an oily mixture 
containing no oil other than lubricating oil. 
SEC, 6. Any person who violates any provision of this Act, except 
sections 8(b) and 9, or any regulation prescribed in pursuance there-
of, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished 
by a f^ne not exceeding $2,500 nor less than $500, or by imprisonment 
not exceeding one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, for 
each offense. And any ship (other than a ship owned and operated 
by the United States) from which oil is discharged in violation of 
this Act, or any regulation prescribed in pursuance thereof, shall be 
liable for the pecuniary penalty specified in this section, and clear-
ance of such ship from a port of the United States may be withheld 
until the penalty is paid, and said penalty shall constitute a lien on 
such ship which may be recovered m proceedings by libel in rem in 
the district court of the United States for any district within which 
the ship may be. 
SEC. 7. The Coast Guard may, subject to the provisions of section 
4450 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (46 U.S.C. 239), suspend or 
revoke a license issued to the master or other licensed officer of any 
ship found violating the provisions of this Act or the regulations 
issued pursuant thereto. 
SEC. 8. (a) In the administration of sections 1-12 of this Act, 
the Secretary may make use of the organization, equipment, and agen-
cies, including engineering, clerical, and other personnel, employed 
under his direction in the improvement of rivers and harbors and in 
the enforcement of laws for the improvement of rivers and harbors 
and in the enforcement of laws for the preservation and protection 
of navigable waters. For the better enforcement of the provisions 
of said sections, the officers and agents of the United States in charge 
of river and harbor improvements and persons employed under them 
by authority of the Secretary, and officers and employees of the 
Bureau of Customs and the Coast Guard, shall have power and 
authority and it shall be their duty to swear out process and to arrest 
and take into custody, with or without process, any person who may 
violate any of said provisions: Promded^ That no person shall be 
arrested without process for a violation not committed in the presence 
of some one of the aforesaid officials: And 'provided further, 
That 
whenever any arrest is made under the provisions of said sections the 
person so arrested shall be brought forthwith before a commissioner, 
judge, or court of the United States for examination of the offenses 
alleged against him; and such commissioner, judge, or court shall pro-
ceed in respect thereto as authorized by law in cases of crimes against 
the United States. 
Representatives of the Secretary and of the 
Penalties. 
Adminisitration. 
Enforcement. 
404 
PUBLIC LAW 87-167-AUG. 30, 1961 
[75 ST A T . 
Oil record book. 
Regulations. 
P r o h i b i t e d 
zones. 
Tankers. 
Exceptions. 
Bureau of Customs and Coast (xuard of the United States may go on 
board and inspect any ship in a prohibited zone or in a port of the 
United States as may be necessary for enforcement of this Act. 
(b) To implement article VII of the convention, ship fittings and 
equipment, and operating requirements thereof, shall be in accordance 
with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Department in 
which the Coast Guard is operating. 
Any person found violating 
these regulations shall, in addition to any other penalty prescribed 
by law, be subject to a civil penalty not in excess of $100. 
SEC. 9. (a) There shall be carried in every ship an oil record book 
in the form specified in section 13 of this Act. In the event of dis-
charge or escape of oil from a ship in a prohibited zone, a signed state-
ment shall be made in the oil record book, by the officer or officers in 
charge of the operations concerned and by the master of the ship, of 
the circumstances of and the reason for the discharge or escape. 
(b) If any person fails to comply with the requirements imposed 
by or under this section, he shall be liable on conviction to a fine not 
exceeding $1,000 nor less than $500 and if any person makes an entry 
in any records kept in accordance with this Act which is to his knowl-
edge false or misleading in any material particular, he shall be liable 
on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 nor less than $500 or 
imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both. 
SEC. 10. The Secretary may make regulations for the administra-
tion of sections 8,4,5,8 (a), and 9. 
SEC. 11. (a) The Secretary may make regulations empowering 
such persons as may be designated to go on board any ship to which 
the convention applies, while the ship is within the territorial juris-
diction of the United States, and to require production of any records 
required to be kept in accordance with the convention. 
(b) Should evidence be obtained that a ship registered in another 
country party to the convention has discharged oil in any prohibited 
zone, such evidence should be forwarded to the State Department 
for action in accordance with article X of the convention. 
SEC. 12. (a) Subject to paragraph (c) of this section, the pro-
hibited zones in relation to tankers shall be all sea areas within fifty 
miles from land, with the following exceptions: 
(1) T H E ADRIATIC ZONES.—Within the Adriatic Sea the pro-
hibited zones off the coasts of Italy and Yugoslavia respectively 
shall each extend for a distance of fifty miles from, land, excepting 
only the island of Vis. 
(2) T H E NORTH SEA ZONE.—The North Sea Zone shall extend 
for a distance of one hundred miles from the coasts of the 
following countries— 
Belgium, 
Denmark, 
the Federal Republic of Germany, 
the Netherlands, 
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; 
but not beyond the point where the limit of a one hundred-mile 
zone off the west coast of Jutland intersects the limit of the fifty-
mile zone off the coast of Norway. 
(3) T H E ATLANTIC ZONE.—The Atlantic Zone shall be within 
a line drawn from a point on the Greenwich meridian one hun-
dred miles in a north-northeasterly direction from the Shetland 
Islands; thence northward along the Greenwich meridian to lati-
tude 64 degrees north; thence westward along the 64th parallel 
to longitude 10 degrees west; thence to latitude 60 degrees north, 
longitude 14 degrees west; thence to latitude 54 degrees 30 
minutes north, longitude 30 degrees west; thence to latitude 44 
75 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 87-167-AUG,30, 1961 
• 
405 
degrees 20 minutes north, longitude 30 degrees west; thence to 
latitude 48 degrees north, longitude 14 degrees west; thence east- 
—-
ward along the forty-eighth parallel to a point of intersection 
with the fifty-mile zone off the coast of France: Provided^ That 
in relation to voyages which do not extend seaward beyond the 
Atlantic Zone as defined above, and which are to points not pro-
vided with adequate facilities for the reception of oily residue, 
the Atlantic Zone shall be deemed to terminate at a distance of 
one hundred miles from land. 
(4) T H E AUSTRALIAN ZONE.—The Australian Zone shall ex-
tend for a distance of one hundred and fifty miles from the coasts 
of Australia, except off the north and west coasts of the Austra-
lian mainland between the point opposite Thursday Island and 
the point on the west coast at 20 degrees south latitude. 
(b) Subject to paragraph (c) of this section the prohibited zones taSSs. °*^^' *'^^" 
in relation to ships other than tankers shall be all sea areas within 
fifty miles from land with the following exceptions: 
(1) T H E ADRIATIC ZONES,—^Within the Adriatic Sea the pro-
hibited zones off the coasts of Italy and Yugoslavia respectively 
shall each extend for a distance of twenty miles from land, ex-
cepting only the Island of Vis. After the expiration of a period 
of three years following the application of prohibited zones to 
ships other than tankers in accordance with section 3(b) of this 
Act the said zones shall each be extended by a further thirty 
miles in width unless the two Governments agree to postpone 
such extension. 
In the event of such an agreement, the Conven-
tion provides for notification to be given accordingly to the Inter-
governmental Maritime Consultative Organization by said gov-
ernments not less than three months before the expiration of 
such period of three years and for notification to be given to all 
contracting governments by the Intergovernmental Maritime 
Consultative Organization. 
(2) T H E NORTH SEA AND ATLANTIC ZONES.—The North Sea 
and Atlantic Zones shall extend for a distance of one hundred 
miles from the coasts of the following countries: 
Belgium, 
Denmark, 
the Federal Republic of Germany, 
Ireland, 
the Netherlands, 
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern 
Ireland, 
but not beyond the point where the limit of a one-hundred-mile 
zone off the west coast of Jutland intersects the limit of the fifty-
mile zone off the coast of Norway. 
(c) With respect to the reduction or extension of the zones described .^"ti'cVs'^ t "°M8^ 
above effectuated under the terms of the Convention, the Secretary of iners." 
the Army shall give notice thereof by publication of such informa-
tion in Notices to Mariners issued by the United States Coast Guard 
and United States Navy. 
SEC. 13. (a) The Secretary shall have printed separate booklets j^J^fo«-matJont>ook-
which set forth instructions and spaces for inserting information as 
follows: 
(1) 
FOR TANKERS.— 
(A) Date of entry. 
(B) Ballasting of and discharge of ballast from cargo 
tanks. 
(i) Identity numbers of tank (s). 
(ii) Type of oil previously contained in tank(s). 
406 
PUBLIC LAW 87-167-AUG. 30, 1961 
[75 STAT. 
(iii) Date and place of ballasting, 
/iv) Date and time of discharge of ballast water. 
(v) Place or position of ship. 
(vi) Approximate amount of oil contaminated water 
transferred to slop tank(s). 
(vii) Identity numbers of slop tank (s). 
(C) Cleaning of cargo tanks. 
(i) Identity numbers of tank (s) cleaned, 
(ii) Type of oil previously contained in tank(s). 
(iii) Identity numbers of slop tank(s) to which 
washings transferred. 
(iv) Dates and times of cleaning. 
(D) Settling in slop tank(s) and discharge of water, 
(i) Identity numbers of slop tank (s). 
(ii) Period of settling (in hours). 
(iii) Date and time of discharge of water. 
(iv) Place or position of ship. 
(v) Approximate quantities of residue. 
(E) Disposal from ship of oily residues from slop tanks 
and other sources. 
(i) Date and method of disposal. 
(ii) Place or position of ship. 
(iii) Sources and approximate quantities. 
(F) Signature of Officer or Officers in Charge of the oper-
ations concerned and Signature of the Master. 
(2) 
FOR SHIPS OTHER THAN TANKERS.— 
(A) Date of entry. 
(B) Ballasting, or cleaning during voyage, of bunker 
fuel tanks. 
(i) Identity number of tank. 
(ii) Type of oil previously contained in tank. 
(iii) Date and place of ballasting. 
(iv) Date and time of discharge of ballast or wash-
ing water. 
(v) Place or position of ship. 
(vi) Whether separator used: if so, give period of 
use. 
(vii) Disposal of oily residue retained on board. 
(C) Disposal from ship of oily residues from bunker 
fuel tanks and other sources, 
(i) Date and method of disposal. 
(ii) Place or position of ship. 
(iii) Sources and approximate quantities. 
(D) Signature of officer or officers in charge of the opera-
tions concerned and signature of the master. 
(3) 
FOR ALL SHIPS.— 
(A) Date of entry. 
(B) Accidental and other exceptional discharges or 
escapes of oil. 
(i) Date and time of occurrence, 
(ii) Place or position of ship. 
(iii) Approximate quantity and type of oil. 
(iv) Circumstances of discharge or escape and gen-
eral remarks. 
(C) Signature of office or officers in charge of the opera-
tions concerned and signature of the master. 
(b) The booklet shall be furnished free to all seagoing ships of 
American registry subject to this Act. The provisions of section 140 
65 Stat. 290. 
^f ^j^je 5, United States Code shall not apply. 
The ownership of the 
75 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 87.168-AUG. 30, 1961 
407 
booklet shall remain in the United States Government. This booklet 
shall be available for inspection as provided in this Act and for sur-
render to the United States Government pursuant to regulations of 
the Secretary. 
SEC. 14. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums Ap.p'op"'stionau-
as may be necessary to carry out the provisions oi this Act. 
SEC. 15. If a provision of this Act or the application of such pro- separability. 
vision to any person or circumstances shall be held invalid, the re-
mainder of the Act and the application of such provision to persons 
or circumstances other than those to which it is held invalid shall not 
be affected thereby. 
SEC. 16. Nothing in this Act or in regulations issued hereunder shall 
be construed to modify or amend the provisions of the Oil Pollution 
Act, 1924 (33 U.S.C. 431^37), or of section 89 of title 14, United 
^^ stat. 604. 
States Code. 
63 stat. 502. 
SEC. 17. This Act shall become effective upon the date of its enact- 
Effective date, 
ment or upon the date the United States becomes a party to the con-
vention, whichever is the later date. 
Approved August 30, 1961. 
Public Law 87-168 
AN ACT 
August 30, 1961 
To approve the amendatory repayment contract negotiated with the Huntley 
[s. 1697] 
Project Irrigation District, Montana, to authorize its execution, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Seriate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the contract i,^"^!®^ D
i
'
*
t
^
f
*
^
* 
with the Huntley Project Irrigation District, which was negotiated Mont. 
s r c , 
by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to subsection (a) of section trSrtf^^'"*"* ^°'^' 
1 of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (53 Stat. 1187) and approved 
43 use 485f. 
as to form by the Department of the Interior on November 20, 1959, 
is hereby approved for execution, and the Secretary is authorized to 
execute and perform the same on behalf of the United States. 
SEC. 2. The 1956 reclassification of lands of the Huntley Project 
Irrigation District is approved. 
SEC. 3. There shall be deducted from the total cost of the Huntley 
project and from the construction charge obligation of the Huntley 
Project Irrigation District, contingent upon execution of the contract 
with the Huntley Project Irrigation District, approved in section 1 
hereof, the amount of the unmatured construction charges against the 
two thousand five hundred and thirty acres found to be permanently 
unproductive by the 1956 reclassification of lands. 
SEC. 4. All costs and expenses incurred by the United States in 
negotiating and completing the contract approved under section 1 of 
this Act and in making the investigations in connection therewith 
shall not exceed the sum of $13,000, and shall, contingent upon the final 
confirmation and execution of that contract, be nonreimbursable and 
nonreturnable under the Federal reclamation laws. 
SEC. 5. This Act is declared to be a part of the Federal reclamation 
laws as those laws are defined in the Reclamation Project Act of 
1939, supra. 
43 use 485a. 
Approved August 30, 1961.