Oil Pollution Act of 1990

Oil Pollution Act of 1990
Long title	Oil Pollution Act of 1990 – Public Law 101-380
Enacted by	the 101st United States Congress
Effective	August 18, 1990
Citations
Public law	101-380
Statutes at Large	104 Stat. 484
Codification
Titles amended	33 U.S.C.: Navigable Waters
U.S.C. sections created	33 U.S.C. ch. 40 § 2701
Legislative history
	Introduced in the House as H.R. 1465 by Walter B. Jones, Sr. (D-NC) on March 16, 1989; Committee consideration by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House Public Works and Transportation, House Interior and Insular Affairs, House Foreign Affairs, House Science, Space and Technology; Passed the House on November 9, 1989 (375–5); Passed the Senate on November 19, 1989 (voice vote); Reported by the joint conference committee on August 1, 1990; agreed to by the Senate on August 2, 1990 (99–0) and by the House on August 4, 1990 (360–0); Signed into law by President George H. W. Bush on August 18, 1990;
United States Supreme Court cases
	United States v. Locke, 529 U.S. 89 (2000); CITGO Asphalt Refining Co. v. Frescati Shipping Co., No. 18-565, 589 U.S. ___ (2020); United States v. Trafigura Trading LLC, 599 U.S. ___ (2023);

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) was passed by the 101st United States Congress and signed by President George H. W. Bush.^[1]^[2] It works to avoid oil spills from vessels and facilities by enforcing removal of spilled oil and assigning liability for the cost of cleanup and damage; requires specific operating procedures; defines responsible parties and financial liability; implements processes for measuring damages; specifies damages for which violators are liable; and establishes a fund for damages, cleanup, and removal costs. This statute has resulted in instrumental changes in the oil production, transportation, and distribution industries.^[3]

^ United States. Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Pub. L. 101–380 Approved August 18, 1990.
^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T (August 18, 1990). "George Bush: "Statement on Signing the Oil Pollution Act of 1990"". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara.
^ Telsey, Albert (2016). The ABCs of Environmental Regulation. Lanham, Maryland: Bernan Press. ISBN 978-1-59888-725-9.

[1] United States. Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Pub. L. 101–380 Approved August 18, 1990.

[2] Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T (August 18, 1990). "George Bush: "Statement on Signing the Oil Pollution Act of 1990"". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara.

[3] Telsey, Albert (2016). The ABCs of Environmental Regulation. Lanham, Maryland: Bernan Press. ISBN 978-1-59888-725-9.

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