---
kind: "section"
citation: "33 U.S.C. § 1472"
title: "33"
title_heading: "Navigation and Navigable Waters"
number: "1472"
heading: "Grave and imminent danger from oil pollution casualties to coastline or related interests of United States; Federal nonliability for Federal preventive measures on the high seas"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/33/1472"
units:
  - "Chapter 28 — Pollution Casualties on the High Seas: United States Intervention"
---

# §1472. Grave and imminent danger from oil pollution casualties to coastline or related interests of United States; Federal nonliability for Federal preventive measures on the high seas


Whenever a [ship](/usc/33/1471.md?p=5) collision, stranding, or other incident of navigation or other occurrence on board a [ship](/usc/33/1471.md?p=5) or external to it resulting in material damage or imminent threat of material damage to the [ship](/usc/33/1471.md?p=5) or her cargo creates, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/33/1471.md?p=4), a grave and imminent danger to the coastline or related interests of the [United States](/usc/33/1471.md?p=7) from pollution or threat of pollution of the sea by [convention oil](/usc/33/1471.md?p=3) or of the sea or atmosphere by [a substance other than convention oil](/usc/33/1471.md?p=1) which may reasonably be expected to result in major harmful consequences, the [Secretary](/usc/33/1471.md?p=4) may, except as provided for in [section 1479 of this title](/usc/33/1479.md), without liability for any damage to the owners or operators of the [ship](/usc/33/1471.md?p=5), to her cargo or crew, to underwriters or other parties interested therein, take measures on the high seas, in accordance with the provisions of the [convention](/usc/33/1471.md?p=2), the [protocol](/usc/33/1471.md?p=6) and this chapter, to prevent, mitigate, or eliminate that danger.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 93–248, § 3, Feb. 5, 1974, 88 Stat. 8; Pub. L. 95–302, § 1(2), June 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 344.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1978—Pub. L. 95–302 substituted “convention oil or of the sea or atmosphere by a substance other than convention oil” for “oil”, and “convention, the protocol” for “Convention”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

For effective date of amendment by Pub. L. 95–302, see section 2 of Pub. L. 95–302, set out as a note under section 1487 of this title.