The Secretary of Transportation is authorized, empowered, and directed to define and establish anchorage grounds for vessels in all harbors, rivers, bays, and other navigable waters of the United States whenever it is manifest to the said Secretary that the maritime or commercial interests of the United States require such anchorage grounds for safe navigation and the establishment of such anchorage grounds shall have been recommended by the Chief of Engineers, and to adopt suitable rules and regulations in relation thereto; and such rules and regulations shall be enforced by the Coast Guard under the direction of the Secretary of Transportation: Provided, That at ports or places where there is no Coast Guard vessel available such rules and regulations may be enforced by the Chief of Engineers under the direction of the Secretary of Transportation. In the event of the violation of any such rules and regulations by the owner, master, or person in charge of any vessel, such owner, master, or person in charge of such vessel shall be liable to a penalty of $100; and the said vessel may be holden for the payment of such penalty, and may be seized and proceeded against summarily by libel for the recovery of the same in any United States district court for the district within which such vessel may be and in the name of the officer designated by the Secretary of Transportation.
(Mar. 4, 1915, ch. 142, §7, 38 Stat. 1053; Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, §§1, 20, 63 Stat. 496, 561; Oct. 15, 1966, Pub. L. 89–670, §6(b)(1), 80 Stat. 938; Jan. 12, 1983, Pub. L. 97–449, §2(d)(1), 96 Stat. 2440.)
Section was from the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1915.
Section probably supersedes acts May 16, 1888, ch. 257, §§1, 2, 25 Stat. 151, relative to anchorage grounds in port of New York, Mar. 3, 1899, ch. 424, §1, 30 Stat. 1074, extending anchorage regulations for port of New York, Feb. 6, 1893, ch. 64, §§1, 2, 27 Stat. 431, relative to anchorage grounds in port of Chicago, and June 6, 1900, ch. 819, §§1, 2, 31 Stat. 682, relative to anchorage grounds in Kennebec River.
1983—Pub. L. 97–449 substituted “Secretary of Transportation” for “Secretary of War” wherever appearing. See Transfer of Functions note below.
“Coast Guard” and “Coast Guard vessel” substituted in text for “Revenue Cutter Service” and “revenue cutter”, respectively, the Revenue Cutter Service and Life-Saving Service having been combined to form the Coast Guard by act Jan. 28, 1915, ch. 20, §1, 38 Stat. 800. That act was repealed by act Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, §20, 63 Stat. 561, section 1 of which reestablished the Coast Guard by enacting Title 14, Coast Guard.
“Secretary of Transportation” substituted for “Secretary of the Treasury” in provision covering enforcement of rules and regulations by Coast Guard pursuant to section 6(b)(1) of Pub. L. 89–670, which transferred to Secretary of Transportation functions, powers, and duties of Secretary of the Treasury and of other offices and officers of Department of the Treasury relating to Coast Guard. Section 6(b)(2) of Pub. L. 89–670, however, provided that notwithstanding such transfer of functions, the Coast Guard shall operate as part of the Navy in time of war or when President directs as provided in section 3 of Title 14, Coast Guard. See section 108 of Title 49, Transportation.
Section 6(g)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 89–670, transferred functions, powers, and duties of Secretary of the Army [formerly War] and other officers and offices of Department of the Army [formerly War] relating generally to water vessel anchorages under this section to Secretary of Transportation. Pub. L. 97–449 amended this section to reflect the transfer made by section 6(g)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 89–670, and repealed section 6(g)(1)(A).
Admiralty and maritime rules of practice (which included libel procedures) were superseded, and civil and admiralty procedures in United States district courts were unified, effective July 1, 1966, see rule 1 and Supplemental Rules for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims, Title 28, Appendix, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.
Control by Coast Guard of anchorage and movement of vessels in territorial waters for safety of naval vessels, see section 91 of Title 14, Coast Guard.
Regulations for Saint Marys River by Secretary of Commerce, see section 474 of this title.
Special anchorage areas under navigation rules, inland waters generally, see section 2030 of this title.
The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall provide, establish, and maintain, out of the annual appropriations for the Coast Guard, buoys or other suitable marks for marking anchorage grounds for vessels in waters of the United States, when such anchorage grounds have been defined and established by proper authority in accordance with the laws of the United States.
(Sept. 15, 1922, ch. 313, 42 Stat. 844; 1939 Reorg. Plan No. II, §2(a), eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1432.)
“Commandant of the Coast Guard” and “Coast Guard” substituted in text for “Commissioner of Lighthouses” and “Lighthouse Service”, respectively, on authority of Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939, §2(a), set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, which transferred and consolidated the Bureau of Lighthouses (of which the Lighthouse Service was a part and of which the Commissioner of Lighthouses was the head) and its functions with the Coast Guard (of which the Commandant was the Chief).
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Treasury, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Treasury with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950, §§1, 2, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, 1281, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Functions of Coast Guard, and Commandant of Coast Guard, excepted from transfer when Coast Guard is operating as part of Navy under sections 1 and 3 of Title 14, Coast Guard.
Coast Guard transferred to Department of Transportation, and functions, powers, and duties relating to Coast Guard of Secretary of the Treasury and of other officers and offices of Department of the Treasury transferred to Secretary of Transportation by Pub. L. 89–670, §6(b)(1), Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 938. Section 6(b)(2) of Pub. L. 89–670, however, provided that notwithstanding such transfer of functions, Coast Guard shall operate as part of the Navy in time of war or when President directs as provided in section 3 of Title 14, Coast Guard. See section 108 of Title 49, Transportation.
Section, act Mar. 2, 1895, ch. 172, §2, 28 Stat. 740, provided that the powers and authority conferred upon the harbor master, District of Columbia, may in his absence or disability by exercised by the pilot of the harbor police boat. See section 22–1701 of the District of Columbia Code.
The Commandant of the Coast Guard is authorized and directed to adopt and prescribe suitable rules and regulations governing the movements and anchorage of vessels and rafts in Saint Marys River from Point Iroquois, on Lake Superior, to Point Detour, on Lake Huron, and for the purpose of enforcing the observance of such regulations the Secretary of Transportation is authorized to detail one or more Coast Guard vessels for duty upon the request of the Commandant of the Coast Guard on said river.
All officers of the Coast Guard who are directed to enforce the regulations prescribed by the above rules are empowered and directed, in case of necessity, or when a proper notice has been disregarded, to use the force at their command to remove from channels or stop any vessel found violating the prescribed rules.
In the event of the violation of any such regulations or rules of the Commandant of the Coast Guard by the owners, master, or person in charge of such vessel, such owners, master, or person in charge shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding $200: Provided, That the Commandant of the Coast Guard may remit said fine on such terms as he may prescribe: Provided also, That nothing in this section shall be construed to amend or repeal chapter 1 4 of this title.
(Mar. 6, 1896, ch. 49, §§1–3, 29 Stat. 54, 55; Apr. 26, 1906, ch. 1874, §§1, 2, 34 Stat. 136; Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 141, §1, 37 Stat. 736; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, §§101–104, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7875, 60 Stat. 1097; Oct. 14, 1949, ch. 393, §§1, 20, 63 Stat. 496, 561; Oct. 15, 1966, Pub. L. 89–670, §6(b)(1), 80 Stat. 938.)
Chapter 4 of this title, referred to in last par., was in the original “the Act entitled ‘An Act to regulate navigation on the Great Lakes, and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal,’ approved February eighth, eighteen hundred and ninety-five”, which was classified generally to chapter 4 (§241 et seq.) of this title and was repealed by Pub. L. 96–591, §8(b), Dec. 24, 1980, 94 Stat. 3435, eff. Mar. 1, 1983, pursuant to 47 F.R. 15135, Apr. 8, 1982. See section 7 of Pub. L. 96–591, set out as an Effective Date note under section 2001 of this title.
“Coast Guard vessels” and “Coast Guard” substituted in text for “revenue cutters” and “Revenue-Cutter Service”, respectively, the Revenue Cutter Service and Life-Saving Service having been combined to form the Coast Guard by act Jan. 28, 1915, ch. 20, §1, 38 Stat. 800. That act was repealed by act Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, §20, 63 Stat. 561, section 1 of which reestablished the Coast Guard by enacting Title 14, Coast Guard.
Secretary of Commerce and Labor designated Secretary of Commerce by act Mar. 4, 1913, which created Department of Labor.
Functions of Secretary of Commerce under this section transferred to Commandant of Coast Guard by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1946, §§101–104, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Treasury, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Treasury with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950, §§1, 2, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, 1281, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Functions of Coast Guard, and Commandant of Coast Guard, excepted from transfer when Coast Guard is operating as part of Navy under sections 1 and 3 of Title 14, Coast Guard.
Coast Guard transferred to Department of Transportation, and functions, powers, and duties relating to Coast Guard of Secretary of the Treasury and of other officers and offices of Department of the Treasury transferred to Secretary of Transportation by Pub. L. 89–670, §6(b)(1), Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 938. Section 6(b)(2) of Pub. L. 89–670, however, provided that notwithstanding such transfer of functions, Coast Guard shall operate as part of Navy in time of war or when President directs as provided in section 3 of Title 14, Coast Guard. See section 108 of Title 49, Transportation.
Anchorage grounds and regulations generally, see section 471 of this title.
1 See References in Text note below.
For the proper control, protection, and defense of the naval station, harbor, and entrance channel at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, the Secretary of the Navy is authorized, empowered, and directed to adopt and prescribe suitable rules and regulations governing the navigation, movement, and anchorage of vessels of whatsoever character in the waters of Pearl Harbor, island of Oahu, Hawaiian Islands, and in the entrance channel to said harbor, and to take all necessary measures for the proper enforcement of such rules and regulations.
(Aug. 22, 1912, ch. 335, 37 Stat. 341.)
Section is from the Naval Appropriation Act for 1913.
Admission of Hawaii into the Union was accomplished Aug. 21, 1959, on issuance of Proc. No. 3309, Aug. 21, 1959, 24 F.R. 6868, 73 Stat. c74, as required by sections 1 and 7(c) of Pub. L. 86–3, Mar. 18, 1959, 73 Stat. 4, set out as notes preceding section 491 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.
(a) The Congress finds that—
(1) the navigable waters of Puget Sound in the State of Washington, and the natural resources therein, are a fragile and important national asset;
(2) Puget Sound and the shore area immediately adjacent thereto is threatened by increased domestic and international traffic of tankers carrying crude oil in bulk which increases the possibility of vessel collisions and oil spills; and
(3) it is necessary to restrict such tanker traffic in Puget Sound in order to protect the navigable waters thereof, the natural resources therein, and the shore area immediately adjacent thereto, from environmental harm.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on and after October 18, 1977, no officer, employee, or other official of the Federal Government shall, or shall have authority to, issue, renew, grant, or otherwise approve any permit, license, or other authority for constructing, renovating, modifying, or otherwise altering a terminal, dock, or other facility in, on, or immediately adjacent to, or affecting the navigable waters of Puget Sound, or any other navigable waters in the State of Washington east of Port Angeles, which will or may result in any increase in the volume of crude oil capable of being handled at any such facility (measured as of October 18, 1977), other than oil to be refined for consumption in the State of Washington.
(Pub. L. 95–136, §5, Oct. 18, 1977, 91 Stat. 1168.)