Amendment to Executive Order No. 12580
Transfers Certain Spill Response Powers to Natural Resource Agencies
What it does
Agencies must exercise delegated hazardous-release authority only with required concurrence and ensure coordinated, efficient responses.
Real-world impact
- Gives agencies that manage natural resources authority to order coastal and Great Lakes responses.
- Prohibits using Superfund money to pay for responses instead of responsible parties.
- Requires agreement from the Coast Guard or the Administrator and coordinated actions.
Topics
Summary
This order amends a prior executive order to give certain Cabinet departments the President's spill-response powers under the hazardous waste law in specific situations. It lets departments with responsibility for natural resources or for vessels and facilities act on releases in coastal areas, the Great Lakes, ports, and harbors, but only with the Coast Guard's agreement in those waters or with the Administrator's agreement elsewhere.
The order also forbids using Superfund money to pay for responses instead of requiring responsible parties to pay, and it requires agencies to coordinate to be efficient.
Questions, answered
Ask questions about this executive order and its implications. Try:
- “What agencies are affected by this order?”
- “How does this order change existing policy?”
- “What are the practical implications of this order?”