Compliance with pollution control requirements by Federal entities
Each department, agency, or instrumentality of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government (1) having jurisdiction over any property or facility, or (2) engaged in any activity resulting, or which may result, in the discharge or runoff of pollutants, and each officer, agent, or employee thereof in the performance of his official duties, shall be subject to, and comply with, all Federal, State, interstate, and local requirements, administrative authority, and process and sanctions respecting the control and abatement of water pollution in the same manner, and to the same extent as any nongovernmental entity including the payment of reasonable service charges. The preceding sentence shall apply (A) to any requirement whether substantive or procedural (including any recordkeeping or reporting requirement, any requirement respecting permits and any other requirement, whatsoever), (B) to the exercise of any Federal, State, or local administrative authority, and (C) to any process and sanction, whether enforced in Federal, State, or local courts or in any other manner. This subsection shall apply notwithstanding any immunity of such agencies, officers, agents, or employees under any law or rule of law. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any department, agency, or instrumentality of the Federal Government, or any officer, agent, or employee thereof in the performance of his official duties, from removing to the appropriate Federal district court any proceeding to which the department, agency, or instrumentality or officer, agent, or employee thereof is subject pursuant to this section, and any such proceeding may be removed in accordance with section 1441 et seq. of title 28. No officer, agent, or employee of the United States shall be personally liable for any civil penalty arising from the performance of his official duties, for which he is not otherwise liable, and the United States shall be liable only for those civil penalties arising under Federal law or imposed by a State or local court to enforce an order or the process of such court. The President may exempt any effluent source of any department, agency, or instrumentality in the executive branch from compliance with any such a requirement if he determines it to be in the paramount interest of the United States to do so; except that no exemption may be granted from the requirements of section 1316 or 1317 of this title. No such exemptions shall be granted due to lack of appropriation unless the President shall have specifically requested such appropriation as a part of the budgetary process and the Congress shall have failed to make available such requested appropriation. Any exemption shall be for a period not in excess of one year, but additional exemptions may be granted for periods of not to exceed one year upon the President’s making a new determination. The President shall report each January to the Congress all exemptions from the requirements of this section granted during the preceding calendar year, together with his reason for granting such exemption. In addition to any such exemption of a particular effluent source, the President may, if he determines it to be in the paramount interest of the United States to do so, issue regulations exempting from compliance with the requirements of this section any weaponry, equipment, aircraft, vessels, vehicles, or other classes or categories of property, and access to such property, which are owned or operated by the Armed Forces of the United States (including the Coast Guard) or by the National Guard of any State and which are uniquely military in nature. The President shall reconsider the need for such regulations at three-year intervals.
Cooperation with Federal entities and limitation on facility construction
Reasonable service charges
In general
Limitation on accounts
Limitation
The payment or reimbursement of any fee, charge, or assessment described in paragraph (1) shall not be made using funds from any permanent authorization account in the Treasury.
Reimbursement or payment obligation of Federal Government
Each department, agency, or instrumentality of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government, as described in subsection (a), shall not be obligated to pay or reimburse any fee, charge, or assessment described in paragraph (1), except to the extent and in an amount provided in advance by any appropriations Act to pay or reimburse the fee, charge, or assessment.
June 30, 1948, ch. 758Pub. L. 92–500, § 286 Stat. 875Pub. L. 95–21791 Stat. 1597Pub. L. 111–378, § 1124 Stat. 4128(, title III, § 313, as added , , ; amended , §§ 60, 61(a), , , 1598; , , .)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
Pub. L. 111–3782011—Subsec. (c). added subsec. (c).
Pub. L. 95–2171977—Subsec. (a). , §§ 60, 61(a), designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and inserted provisions making officers, agents, or employees of Federal departments, agencies, or instrumentalities subject to Federal, State, interstate, and local requirements, administrative authority, process, and sanctions respecting the control and abatement of water pollution in the same manner and to the same extent as non-governmental entities, including the payment of reasonable service charges, inserted provisions covering Federal employee liability, and inserted provisions relating to military source exemptions and the issuance of regulations covering those exemptions.
Pub. L. 95–217, § 60Subsec. (b). , added subsec. (b).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Transfer of Functions
section 542 of Title 6For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of , as modified, set out as a note under .
Marine Guidance Systems
Pub. L. 105–383, title IV, § 425(b)112 Stat. 3441
Executive Documents
Federal Compliance With Pollution Control Standards
section 4321 of Title 42For provisions relating to the responsibility of the head of each Executive agency for compliance with applicable pollution control standards, see Ex. Ord. No. 12088, , 43 F.R. 47707, set out as a note under , The Public Health and Welfare.
Executive Order No. 11258
Ex. Ord. No. 11258, , 30 F.R. 14483, which related to prevention, control, and abatement of water pollution by federal activities, was superseded by Ex. Ord. No. 11286, , 31 F.R. 9261.
Executive Order No. 11288
Ex. Ord. No. 11288, , 31 F.R. 9261, which provided for prevention, control, and abatement of water pollution from federal activities, was superseded by Ex. Ord. No. 11507, , 35 F.R. 2573.