Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 22, 2024

Title 46 - Shipping last revised: Nov 04, 2024
§ 387.1 - Scope.

This part is applicable to Surplus Property that is recommended by the Secretary as being needed for the development or operation of a Port Facility and is appropriate for being assigned to, or that has been assigned to the Secretary for conveyance as provided for in Public Law 103-160 and 40 U.S.C. 471 et seq.

§ 387.2 - Definitions.

(a) Act means the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 as amended, 40 U.S.C. 471 et seq., and 41 CFR 101-47. Terms defined in the Act and not defined in this section have the meanings given to them in the Act.

(b) Applicant means any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any political subdivision, municipality, or instrumentality thereof, that has submitted an application to the Secretary to obtain surplus Federal property.

(c) Disposal Agency means the executive agency of the Government which has authority to assign property to the Secretary for conveyance for development or operation of a port facility.

(d) Grantee means the Applicant to which surplus Federal property is conveyed.

(e) Grantor means the Secretary.

(f) Port Facility means any structure and improved property, including services connected therewith, whether located on the waterfront or inland, which is used or intended for use in developing, transferring, or assisting maritime commerce and water dependent industries, including, but not limited to, piers, wharves, yards, docks, berths, aprons, equipment used to load and discharge cargo and passengers from vessels, dry and cold storage spaces, terminal and warehouse buildings, bulk and liquid storage terminals, tank farms, multimodal transfer terminals, transshipment and receiving stations, marinas, foreign trade zones, shipyards, industrial property, fishing and aquaculture structures, mixed use waterfront complexes, connecting channels and port landside transportation access routes.

(g) Secretary means the Secretary of Transportation acting by and through the Maritime Administrator, Maritime Administration by delegation of authority.

(h) Surplus Property means Federal real and related personal property duly determined to be unneeded by a Federal agency which may be conveyed to an Applicant for use in the development or operation of a port facility.

§ 387.3 - Notice of availability of surplus property.

The Disposal Agency shall publish notices of availability of excess and surplus Federal real and personal property. The Secretary will advise eligible public port agencies, in an appropriate manner, of the availability of Surplus Property that is deemed to have port facility potential. Potential Applicants shall notify the Secretary, in writing, of a desire to acquire surplus Federal property before the expiration of the notice period specified in the Notice of Surplus Property—Government Property.

§ 387.4 - Applications.

Application forms for conveyance of Surplus Property can be obtained from the Maritime Administration, Division of Ports, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. The applicant shall identify on the application form the requested property, agree to the terms/conditions of the conveyance and shall also submit a Port Facility Redevelopment Plan (PFRP) which details the plan of use for the property and the associated economic development plan.

§ 387.5 - Surplus property assignment recommendation.

Before any assignment recommendation is submitted to the Disposal Agency by the Secretary the following conditions shall be met:

(a) The Secretary has received and approved an application for the property.

(b) The Applicant is able, willing, and authorized to assume immediate possession of the property and pay administrative expenses incidental to the conveyance (application preparation, documentation, legal and land transfer costs).

(c) The Secretary, after consultation with the Secretary of Labor, has determined that the property to be conveyed is located in an area of serious economic disruption.

(d) The Secretary, after consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, approves the PFRP as part of a necessary economic development program.

(e) The Secretary determines that the application complies with the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as prepared by the Disposal Agency.

§ 387.6 - Terms, reservations, restrictions, and conditions of conveyance.

(a) Conveyances of property shall be on forms approved by, and available from the Secretary, and shall include such terms, reservations, restrictions and conditions set forth in this part and such other terms, reservations, restrictions and conditions as the Secretary may deem appropriate or necessary.

(b) Property shall be conveyed by a quitclaim deed or deeds on an “as is, where is” basis without any warranty, expressed or implied.

(c) Property shall be used and maintained in perpetuity for the purpose for which it was conveyed, and that if the property ceases to be used or maintained for that purpose, all or any portion of the property shall, in its then existing condition, at the option of the Government, revert to the Government.

(d) The entire Port Facility, including all structures, improvements, facilities and equipment in which the deed conveys any interest shall be maintained at all times in safe and serviceable condition, to assure its efficient operation and use, provided, however, that such maintenance shall be required as to structures, improvements, facilities and equipment only during the useful life thereof, as determined by the Grantor.

(e) No property conveyed shall be mortgaged or otherwise disposed of, or rights or interest granted by the Grantee without the prior written consent of the Grantor. However, the Grantor will only review leases of five years or more to determine the interest granted therein.

(f) Property conveyed for a Port Facility shall be used and maintained for the use and benefit of the public on fair and reasonable terms, without discrimination.

(g) The Grantee shall, insofar as it is within its powers and to the extent reasonable, adequately protect the water and land access to the Port Facility.

(h) The Grantee shall operate and maintain in a safe and serviceable condition, as deemed reasonably necessary by Grantor, the port and all facilities thereon and connected therewith which are necessary to service the maritime users of the Port Facility and will not permit any activity thereon which would interfere with its use as a Port Facility.

(i) The Port Facility is subject to the provisions of Title 46 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 340.

(j) The Grantee shall furnish the Grantor such financial, operational and annual utilization reports as may be required.

(k) Where construction or major renovation is not required or proposed, the Port Facility shall be placed into use within twelve (12) months from the date of this conveyance. Where construction or major renovation is contemplated at the time of conveyance, the property shall be placed in service according to the redevelopment time table approved by the Grantor in the PFRP.

(l) The Grantee shall not enter into any transaction which would operate to deprive it of any of the rights and powers necessary to perform or comply with any or all of the terms, reservations, restrictions and conditions set forth in the application and the deed.

(m) The Grantee shall keep up to date at all times a Port Facility layout map of the property described herein showing:

(1) the boundaries of the Port Facility and all proposed additions thereto, and

(2) the location of all existing and proposed port facilities and structures, including all proposed extensions and reductions of existing port facilities.

(n) In the event that any of the terms, reservations, restrictions and conditions are not met, observed, or complied with by the Grantee, the title, right of possession and all other rights conveyed by the deed to the Grantee, or any portion thereof, shall, at the option of the Grantor revert to the Government, in its then existing condition sixty (60) days following the date upon which demand to this effect is made in writing by Grantor or its successor in function, unless within said sixty (60) days such default or violation shall have been cured and all such terms, reservations, restrictions and conditions shall have been met, observed, or complied with, in which event said reversion shall not occur.

(o) The deed will contain a severability clause dealing with the terms, reservations, restrictions and conditions of conveyance.

(p) The Grantee shall remain at all times a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any political subdivision, municipality, or instrumentality thereof.

(q) The Grantee shall comply at all times with all applicable provisions of law, including, the Water Resources Development Act of 1990.

(r) The Grantee shall not modify, amend or otherwise change its approved PFRP without the prior written consent of Grantor and shall implement the PFRP as approved by the Grantor.

(s) The Government under Section 120 (h)(3) of the Comprehensive, Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, warrants that:

(1) all remedial action necessary to protect human health and the environment with respect to any hazardous substance on the property has been taken before the date of the conveyance, and

(2) any additional remedial action found to be necessary after the date of the conveyance shall be conducted by the Government.

(t) The Government reserves the right of access to any and all portions of the property for purposes of environmental investigation, remediation or other corrective action and compliance inspection purposes.

(u) The Grantee shall agree that in the event, the Grantor exercises its option to revert all right, title, and interest in and to any portion of the property to the Government, or Grantee voluntarily returns title to the property in lieu of a reverter, the Grantee shall provide protection to, and maintenance of the property at all times until such time as the title is actually reverted or returned to and accepted by the Government. Such protection and maintenance shall, at a minimum, conform to the standards prescribed in regulations implementing the Act.

(v) The Grantor expressly reserves from the conveyance:

(1) oil, gas and mineral rights,

(2) improvements without land,

(3) military chapels, and

(4) property disposed of pursuant to 204 (c) of the Act.

(w) The Government reserves all right, title, and interest in and to all property of whatsoever nature not specifically conveyed, together with right of removal thereof from the Port Facility within one (1) year from the date of the deed.

(x) The Grantee shall agree to maintain any portion of the property identified as “historical” in accordance with recommended approaches in the Secretary of Interior Standards for Historic Property at 16 U.S.C. 461-470w-6.

(y) Prior to the use of any property by children under seven (7) years of age, the Grantee shall remove all lead-based paint hazards and all potential lead-based paint hazards in accordance with applicable lead-based paint laws and regulations.

(z) The Grantee agrees that any construction or alteration is prohibited unless a determination of no hazard to air navigation is issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.

(aa) The Grantee shall agree that in its use and occupancy of the Port Facility it shall comply with all laws relating to asbestos.

(bb) All construction on any portion of the property identified as “wetlands” as determined by the appropriate District of the Army Corps of Engineers shall comply with Department of the Army Wetland Construction Restrictions contained in Title 33 CFR, Parts 320 through 330.

(cc) The Grantee shall agree to maintain, indemnify and hold harmless the Grantor and the Government from any and all claims, demands, costs or judgments for damages to persons or property that may arise from the use of the property by the Grantee, guests, employees and lessees.

(dd) The Grantor, on written request from the Grantee, may grant release from any of the terms, reservations, restrictions and conditions contained in the deed, or the Grantor may release the Grantee from any terms, restrictions, reservations or conditions if the Grantor determines that the property so conveyed no longer serves the purpose for which it was conveyed.

(ee) The Grantor shall make reforms, corrections or amendments to the deed if necessary to correct such deed or to conform such deed to the requirements of applicable law.

authority: Pub. L. 103-160, 107 stat. 1933 (40 U.S.C. 484 (q))
source: 60 FR 42467, Aug. 16, 1995; 60 FR 43720, Aug. 23, 1995, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 46 CFR 387.5