ABSTRACT
The United States legal landscape for marine pollution encompasses federal and state law and regulations intended to safeguard the navigable waters of the U. S. and to respond to and address pollution events that occur. Federal Water Pollution Control Act was amended by Oil Pollution Act (OPA), but continues to cover discharges of hazardous materials other than oil. OPA mandates that the responsible party for certain types of vessels maintain evidence of financial responsibility in an amount equal to the maximum amount of limited liability to which the responsible party could be exposed. OPA expanded the role and breadth of the National Contingency Plan by establishing a multi-layered planning and response system to improve preparedness and response to spills in marine environments. The Clean Water Act, as amended by OPA, requires any person in charge of a vessel to immediately notify the National Response Center upon knowledge of a reportable quantity discharge of oil or hazardous substance from the vessel.
