Executive Order 12316—Responses to Environmental Damage

By the authority vested in me as President of the United States of America by Section 115 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (94 Stat. 2796; 42 U.S.C. 9615), it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. National Contingency Plan. (a) The National Contingency Plan, hereinafter referred to as the NCP and which was originally published pursuant to Section 311 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1321), shall be amended to contain the implementing procedures for the coordination of response actions to releases of hazardous substances into the environment. (b) The NCP shall contain a concept of a national response team composed of representatives of appropriate Executive agencies for the coordination of response actions. The national response team shall, in addition to representatives of other appropriate agencies, include representatives of the following: Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and United States Coast Guard. (c) The responsibility for the amendment of the NCP and all of the other functions vested in the President by Section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, hereinafter referred to as the Act (42 U.S.C. 9605), is delegated to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. (d) In accord with Section 111(h)(1) of the Act and Section 311(f)(5) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1321(f)(5)), the following shall be among those designated in the NCP as Federal trustees for natural resources: (1) Secretary of Defense. (2) Secretary of the Interior. (3) Secretary of Agriculture. (4) Secretary of Commerce. (e) Amendments to the NCP shall be coordinated with members of the national response team prior to publication for notice and comment. Amendments shall also be coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in order to avoid inconsistent or duplicative requirements in the emergency planning responsibilities of those agencies. (f) All amendments to the NCP, whether in proposed or final form, shall be subject to review and approval by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Sec. 2. Response Authorities. (a) The functions vested in the President by the first sentence of Section 104(b) of the Act relating to "illness, disease, or complaints thereof" are delegated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services who shall, in accord with Section 104(i) of the Act, perform those functions through the Public Health Service. (b)(1) The functions vested in the President by Section 101(24) of the Act, to the extent they require a determination by the President that "permanent relocation of residents and businesses and community facilities" is included within the terms "remedy" or "remedial action" as defined in Section 101(24) of the Act, are delegated to the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2) The functions vested in the President by Section 104(a) of the Act, to the extent they require permanent relocation of residents, businesses, and community facilities or temporary evacuation and housing of threatened individuals not otherwise provided for, are delegated to the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (c) The functions vested in the President by Section 104 (a) and (b) of the Act are delegated to the Secretary of Defense with respect to releases from Department of Defense facilities or vessels, including vessels owned or bare-boat chartered and operated. (d) Subject to subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this Section, the functions vested in the President by Sections 101(24) and 104 (a) and (b) of the Act are delegated to the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating, hereinafter referred to as the Coast Guard, with respect to any release or threatened release involving the coastal zone, Great Lakes waters, ports, and harbors. (e) Subject to subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this Section, the functions vested in the President by Sections 101(24) and 104 (a) and (b) of the Act are delegated to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, hereinafter referred to as the Administrator. (f) The functions vested in the President by Section 104 (c), (d), (f), (g), and (h) of the Act are delegated to the Coast Guard, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Administrator in order to carry out the functions delegated to them by subsections (a), (b), (d), and (e) of this Section. The exercise of authority under Section 104(h) of the Act shall be subject to the approval of the Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy. (g) The functions vested in the President by Section 104(e)(2)(c) of the Act are delegated to the Administrator; all other functions vested in the President by Section 104(e) of the Act are delegated to the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Coast Guard, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in order to carry out the functions delegated to them by this Section. Sec. 3. Abatement Action. (a) The functions vested in the President by Section 106(a) of the Act are delegated to the Coast Guard with respect to any release or threatened release involving the coastal zone, Great Lakes waters, ports, and habors. (b) Subject to subsection (a) of this Section, the functions vested in the President by Section 106(a) of the Act are delegated to the Administrator. Sec. 4. Liability. (a) The function vested in the President by Section 107(c)(1)(C) of the Act is delegated to the Secretary of Transportation. (b) The functions vested in the President by Section 107(c)(3) of the Act are delegated to the Coast Guard with respect to any release or threatened release involving the coastal zone, Great Lakes waters, ports, and harbors. (c) Subject to subsection (b) of this Section, the functions vested in the President by Section 107(c)(3) of the Act are delegated to the Administrator. (d) The functions vested in the President by Section 107(f) of the Act are delegated to each of the Federal trustees for natural resources set forth in Section l(d) of this Order for resources under their trusteeship. Sec. 5. Financial Responsibility. (a) The functions vested in the President by Section 107(k)(4)(B) of the Act are delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury. The Administrator will provide the Secretary with such technical information and assistance as the Administrator may have available. (b) The functions vested in the President by Section 108(a) of the Act are delegated to the Federal Maritime Commission. Notwithstanding Section l(d) of Executive Order No. 12291, the regulations issued pursuant to this authority shall be issued in accordance with that Order. The Commission shall be responsible, in accord with Section 109 of the Act, for the enforcement of civil penalties for violations of the regulations issued under Section 108(a) of the Act. (c) The functions vested in the President by Section 108(b) of the Act are delegated to the Secretary of Transportation with respect to all transportation related facilities, including any pipeline, motor vehicle, rolling stock, or aircraft. (d) Subject to subsection (c) of this Section, the functions vested in the President by Section 108(b) of the Act are delegated to the Administrator. Sec. 6. Employee Protection and Notice to Injured. (a) The functions vested in the President by Section 110(e) of the Act are delegated to the Secretary of Labor. (b) The functions vested in the President by Section 111(g) of the Act are delegated to the Secretary of Defense with respect to releases from Department of Defense facilities or vessels, including vessels owned or bare-boat chartered and operated. (c) Subject to subsection (b) of this Section, the functions vested in the President by Section 111(g) of the Act are delegated to the Administrator. Sec. 7. Management of the Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund and Claims. (a) The functions vested in the President by Section 111(a) of the Act are delegated to the Administrator, subject to the provisions of this Section and applicable provisions of this Order. (b) The Administrator shall transfer, to transfer appropriation accounts for other agencies, from the Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund, out of sums appropriated, such amounts as the Administrator may determine necessary to carry out the purposes of the Act. These allocations shall be consistent with the President's Budget, within the amounts approved by the Congress, unless a revised allocation is approved by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. (c) The Administrator shall chair a budget task force composed of representatives of agencies having responsibilities under this Order or the Act. The Administrator shall also, as part of the budget request for the Environmental Protection Agency, submit a budget for the Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund which is based on recommended allocations developed by the budget task force. The Administrator may prescribe reporting and other forms, procedures, and guidelines to be used by the agencies of the Task Force in preparing the budget request. (d) The Administrator and each agency head to whom funds are allocated pursuant to this Section, with respect to funds allocated to them, are authorized in accordance with Section 111(f) of the Act to designate Federal officials who may obligate such funds. (e) The functions vested in the President by Section 112 of the Act are delegated to the Administrator for all claims presented pursuant to Section 111. Sec. 8. General Provisions. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Order, any representation pursuant to or under this Order in any judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings shall be by or through the Attorney General. The conduct and control of all litigation arising under the Act shall be the responsibility of the Attorney General. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Order, the President's authority under the Act to require the Attorney General to commence litigation is retained by the President. (c) The functions vested in the President by Section 301 of the Act are delegated as follows: (1) With respect to subsection (a), to the Administrator in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury. (2) With respect to subsection (b), to the Secretary of the Treasury. (3) With respect to subsection (c), to the Secretary of the Interior. (4) With respect to subsection (f), to the Administrator. (d) The Attorney General shall manage and coordinate the study provided for in Section 301(e) of the Act. (e) The performance of any function under this Order shall be done in consultation with interested agencies represented on the national response team, as well as with any other interested agency. (f) Certain functions vested in the President by the Act which have been delegated or assigned by this Order may be redelegated to the head of any agency with his consent; those functions which may be redelegated are those set forth in Sections 2, 3, 4(b), 4(c), and 6(c) of this Order. (g) Executive Order No. 12286 of January 19, 1981, is revoked. RONALD REAGAN The White House, August 14, 1981. [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 1:23 p.m., August 18, 1981]