Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Increasing Penalties for Offshore Polluters Act”.
Increasing Penalties for Offshore Polluters Act
A BILL
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to increase the civil and criminal penalties for oil spills, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Civil and criminal penalties relating to oil spills
Civil penalties— Section 311(b)(7) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(b)(7)) is amended—
in subparagraph (A) by striking “an amount up to” each place it appears and inserting “an amount that is at least”; and
in subparagraph (D) by striking “not more than” and inserting “at least”.
Criminal penalties— Section 309(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1319(c)) is amended—
in paragraph (1)—
by striking “$2,500” and inserting “$5,000”;
by striking “$25,000” and inserting “$50,000”;
by striking “not more than 1 year” and inserting “not more than 2 years”; and
by striking “punishment shall be by a fine of not more than $50,000 per day of violation, or by imprisonment of not more than 2 years, or by both” and inserting “the maximum punishment shall be doubled with respect to both fine and imprisonment”;
in paragraph (2)—
by striking “not less that $5,000” and inserting “not less than $10,000”;
by striking “$50,000” and inserting “$100,000”;
by striking “not more than 3 years” and inserting “not more than 6 years”; and
by striking “punishment shall be by a fine of not more than $100,000 per day of violation, or imprisonment of not more than 6 years, or by both” and inserting “the maximum punishment shall be doubled with respect to both fine and imprisonment”; and
in paragraph (3)(A)—
by striking “$250,000” and inserting “$500,000”;
by striking “not more than 15 years” and inserting “not more than 30 years”; and
by striking “$1,000,000” and inserting “$2,000,000”.