Final authority for the performance within the confines of his district of the functions of the Coast Guard, which in general terms are maritime law enforcement, saving and protecting life and property, safeguarding navigation on the high seas and navigable waters of the United States, and readiness for military operations, is delegated to the District Commander by the Commandant. In turn delegations of final authority run from the District Commander to commanding officers of units under the District Commander for the performance of the functions of law enforcement, patrol of marine regattas and parades, and the saving of life and property which come within the scope of their activities.

(a) Officers in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI), have been designated and delegated to perform, within each OCMI's jurisdiction, the following functions: Inspection of vessels in order to determine that they comply with the applicable laws, rules, and regulations relating to safe construction, equipment, manning, and operation and that they are in a seaworthy condition for the services in which they are operated; shipyard and factory inspections; the investigation of marine casualties and accidents; the licensing, certificating, shipment and discharge of seamen; the investigating and initiating of action in cases of misconduct, negligence, or incompetence of merchant marine officers or seamen; and the enforcement of vessel inspection, navigation, and seamen's laws in general. Specific procedures for appealing the decisions of the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, or of his subordinates are set forth in 46 CFR parts 1 to 4.

(b) The Commanding Officer of the National Maritime Center has been designated and delegated the same authority as an OCMI for the purpose of carrying out the following marine safety functions pursuant to the provisions of 46 CFR Subchapter B:

(1) Licensing, credentialing, certificating, shipment and discharge of seamen;

(2) Referring to the processing Regional Examination Center (REC), the Suspension and Revocation National Center of Expertise, or cognizant OCMI potential violations of law, negligence, misconduct, unskillfulness, incompetence or misbehavior of persons holding merchant mariner's documents, licenses, certificates or credentials issued by the Coast Guard, and recommending suspension or revocation under 46 U.S.C. Chapter 77 when deemed appropriate; and

(3) Granting, withholding, suspending, or withdrawing course approvals.

Captains of the Port and their representatives enforce within their respective areas port safety and security and marine environmental protection regulations, including, without limitation, regulations for the protection and security of vessels, harbors, and waterfront facilities; anchorages; security zones; safety zones; regulated navigation areas; deepwater ports; water pollution; and ports and waterways safety.

The Commandant delegates to the Vice Commandant authority to take final agency action under 46 CFR part 5, Subparts I, J and K on each petition to reopen a hearing and on each appeal from a decision of an Administrative Law Judge, except on petition or appeal in a case in which an order of revocation has been issued. This delegation does not prevent the Vice Commandant from acting as Commandant, as prescribed in 14 U.S.C. 304,for.

The Commandant redelegates to the District Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District, the authority in 46 U.S.C. 3302(i)(1) to issue permits to certain vessels transporting cargo, including bulk fuel, from one place in Alaska to another place in Alaska.

(a) The Commandant delegates to the Deputy Commandant for Operations (CG-DCO), the authority to issue the following permits for the construction, reconstruction, or alteration of bridges across navigable waters of the United States:

(1) Those that require an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and all implementing regulations, orders, and instructions.

(2) Those that require a Presidential permit and approval under the International Bridge Act of 1972 (33 U.S.C. 535).

(3) Those that require the amendment of an existing permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

(4) Those that raise substantial unresolved controversy involving the public, or are objected to by Federal, State, or local government agencies.

(5) Those authorized by the Commandant upon the appeal of a district commander's decision denying a permit.

(b) The Commandant delegates to each Coast Guard District Commander, with the reservation that this authority shall not be further redelegated, the authority to issue all permits for the construction, reconstruction, or alteration of bridges across navigable waters of the United States other than those specified in paragraph (a) of this section.

(a) For the purpose of this section, the definitions in section 101 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-510), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-499), apply. The Act, as amended, is referred to in this section as CERCLA.

(b) The Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection (CG-5) is delegated authority to take remedial action involving vessels under section 104 of CERCLA.

(c) Each Maintenance and Logistics Commander is delegated contract authority, consistent with each memorandum of understanding between the Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency regarding CERCLA funding mechanisms, for the purpose of carrying out response actions pursuant to CERCLA sections 104(a), 104(b), 104(f), 104(g), 105(f), and 122.

(d) Each district commander is delegated authority as follows:

(1) Authority, pursuant to CERCLA section 106(a), to determine an imminent and substantial endangerment to the public health or welfare or the environment because of an actual or threatened release of a hazardous substance from a facility, and to secure such relief as may be necessary to abate such danger or threat through the United States attorney of the district in which the threat occurs.

(2) Authority, pursuant to section 109 of CERCLA, to assess penalties relating to violations of sections 103 (a) and (b) pertaining to notification requirements, section 108 pertaining to financial responsibility for release of hazardous substances from vessels, and section 122 pertaining to administrative orders and consent decrees.

(3) Authority, pursuant to section 108 of CERCLA, to deny entry to any port or place in the United States or to the navigable waters of the United States and detain at any port or place in the United States any vessel subject to section 108(a) of CERCLA that, upon request, does not provide evidence of financial responsibility.

(e) Subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12580, and paragraph (g) of this section, each Coast Guard official, predesignated as an On-Scene Coordinator, is delegated authority as follows:

(1) Authority, pursuant to CERCLA sections 104(a), 104(b), 104(c) and consistent with the National Contingency Plan, to remove or arrange for the removal of releases and threatened releases of hazardous substances, and of pollutants or contaminants which may present an imminent and substantial danger to the public health or welfare.

(2) Authority, pursuant to CERCLA section 104(i)(11), to take such steps as may be necessary to reduce exposure that presents a significant risk to human health, and to eliminate or substantially mitigate that significant risk to human health.

(3) Authority, pursuant to CERCLA section 106(a), to issue orders to protect the public health and welfare and the environment whenever that official determines that a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance from a facility may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to the public health or welfare or the environment.

(4) Authority, pursuant to CERCLA section 104(e), except section 104(e)(7)(C), to enter establishments or other places where hazardous substances are or have been generated, stored, treated, disposed of, or transported from to inspect and obtain records, reports, samples and information in support of the response functions delegated in paragraphs (d), (e)(1), (e)(2), and (e)(3) of this section.

(5) Authority, pursuant to CERCLA section 122, to enter into an agreement with any person (including the owner or operator of the vessel or facility from which a release or substantial threat of release emanates, or any other potential responsible person), to perform any response action, provided that such action will be done properly by such person.

(f) Except for the authority granted in paragraphs (d)(1) and (e)(1) of this section, each Coast Guard official to whom authority is granted in this section may redelegate and authorize successive redelegations of that authority. The authority granted in paragraph (e)(3) of this section may only be redelegated to commissioned officers.

(g) The response authority described in paragraph (e)(1) of this section does not include authority to—

(1) Summarily remove or destroy a vessel; or

(2) Take any other action that constitutes intervention under CERCLA, the Intervention on the High Seas Act (33 U.S.C. 1471 et. seq.), or other applicable laws. “Intervention” means any detrimental action taken against the interest of a vessel or its cargo without the consent of the vessel's owner or operator.

(a) This section delegates authority to implement provisions of section 311 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA), as amended [33 U.S.C. 1321] and provisions of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). The definitions in subsection (a) of section 311 of the FWPCA and section 1001 of OPA 90 [33 U.S.C. 2701] apply.

(b) The Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection, is delegated authority to require the owner or operator of a facility to establish and maintain such records, make such reports, install, use, and maintain such monitoring equipment and methods, and provide such other information as may be required to carry out the objectives of section 311 of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321].

(c) Each District and Area Commander is delegated authority within the Commander's assigned district or area to—

(1) Deny entry to any place in the United States or to the navigable waters of the United States, and to detain at any place in the United States, any vessel subject to section 1016 of OPA 90 [33 U.S.C. 2716] that, upon request, does not provide evidence of financial responsibility;

(2) Seize and, through the Chief Counsel, seek forfeiture to the United States of any vessel subject to the requirements of section 1016 of OPA 90 [33 U.S.C. 2716] that is found in the navigable waters of the United States without the necessary evidence of financial responsibility;

(3) Assess any class I civil penalty under subsection (b) of section 311 of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321], in accordance with the procedures in subpart 1.07 of this chapter;

(4) Assess any civil penalty under section 4303 of OPA 90 [33 U.S.C. 2716a] in accordance with the procedures in subpart 1.07 of this chapter;

(5) Board and inspect any vessel upon the navigable waters of the United States or the waters of the contiguous zone, except for public vessels; with or without warrant, arrest any person who, in the Commander's presence or view, violates a provision of section 311 of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321] or any regulation issued thereunder; and execute any warrant or other process issued by an officer or court of competent jurisdiction, as prescribed in section 311(m)(1) of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321(m)(1)];

(6) Enter and inspect any facility in the coastal zone at reasonable times; have access to and copy any records; take samples; inspect monitoring equipment required by section 311(m)(2)(A) of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321(m)(2)(A)]; with or without warrant, arrest any person who, in the Commander's presence or view, violates a provision of section 311 of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321] or any regulation issued thereunder; and execute any warrant or other process issued by an officer or court of competent jurisdiction, as prescribed in section 311(m)(2) of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321(m)(2)(A)]; and

(7) Determine for purposes of section 311(b)(12) of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321(b)(12)]—

(i) Whether reasonable cause exists to believe that an owner, operator, or person in charge may be subject to a civil penalty under section 311(b) of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321(b)]; and

(ii) Whether a filed bond or other surety is satisfactory.

(d) Each Coast Guard official predesignated as the On-Scene Coordinator by the applicable Regional Contingency Plan is delegated authority pursuant to section 311(c) of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321(c)], subject to paragraph (e) of this section, in accordance with the National Contingency Plan and any appropriate Area Contingency Plan, to ensure the effective and immediate removal of a discharge and mitigation or prevention of a substantial threat of a discharge of oil or a hazardous substance by—

(1) Removing or arranging for the removal of a discharge and mitigating or preventing an imminent and substantial threat of a discharge at any time;

(2) Directing or monitoring all Federal, State, and private actions to remove a discharge, including issuance of orders;

(3) Determining, pursuant to section 311(c) of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321(c)], whether a discharge or a substantial threat of a discharge of oil or a hazardous substance from a vessel, offshore facility, or onshore facility is of such a size or character as to be a substantial threat to the public health or welfare of the United States (including, but not limited to fish, shellfish, wildlife, other natural resources, and the public and private beaches and shorelines of the United States); and, if it is, directing all Federal, State, and private actions to remove the discharge or to mitigate or prevent the threatened discharge;

(4) Determining, pursuant to section 311(e) of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321(e)], that there may be an imminent and substantial threat to the public health and welfare of the United States, and, if there is, may—

(i) Determine an imminent and substantial threat as a basis for recommending referral for judicial relief; or

(ii) Act pursuant to section 311(e)(1)(B) of the FWPCA [33 U.S.C. 1321(e)(1)(B)], including the issuance of orders; and

(5) Acting to mitigate the damage to the public health or welfare caused by a discharge of oil or a hazardous substance.

(e) The authority described in paragraph (d) of this section does not include the authority to—

(1) Remove or destroy a vessel; or

(2) Take any other action that constitutes intervention under the Intervention on the High Seas Act [33 U.S.C. 1471, et seq.] or other applicable laws. For purposes of this section, “intervention” means any detrimental action taken against the interest of a vessel or its cargo without the consent of the vessel's owner or operator.

Except as provided in § 1.01-80(e)(1) and (2), each Coast Guard officer to whom authority is granted in § 1.01-80 may redelegate and authorize successive redelegations of that authority within the command under the officer's jurisdiction, or to members of the officer's staff.

Any commissioned, warrant, or petty officer of the United States Coast Guard may be authorized to carry out the functions delegated to superior officials under §§ 1.01-1, 1.01-20, 1.01-30, 1.01-70, and 1.07-80, or redelegated under § 1.01-85, within the jurisdiction of the cognizant official. They will do so under the supervision and general direction of that official.