Abandoned Barge Act of 1992

Abandoned Barge Act of 1992

Long title	An Act to amend title 46, United States Code, to prohibit abandonment of barges, and for other purposes.
Acronyms (colloquial)	ABA
Nicknames	Oceans Act of 1992
Enacted by	the 102nd United States Congress
Effective	November 4, 1992
Citations
Public law	102-587
Statutes at Large	106 Stat. 5039 aka 106 Stat. 5081
Codification
Titles amended	46 U.S.C.: Shipping
U.S.C. sections created	46 U.S.C. ch. 47 § 4701 et seq.
Legislative history
Introduced in the House as H.R. 5397 by W.J. Tauzin (D–LA) on June 15, 1992 Committee consideration by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Passed the House on August 3, 1992 (Passed voice vote) Passed the Senate on October 7, 1992 (Passed voice vote, in lieu of H.R. 5617) Signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on November 4, 1992

Abandoned Barge Act of 1992, known as the Oceans Act of 1992, is United States federal law prohibiting the abandonment of barges in navigable and territorial waters. The Act of Congress establishes financial penalties and removal procedures for unattended barges exceeding forty-five days. The federal statute provides the U.S. Secretary of Transportation authority to contract with barge removal contractors for abandoned barges of more than one hundred gross tons.

The 1992 legislation was drafted as House Bill H.R. 5397 and Senate Bill S. 3262.^[1] The H.R. 5397 bill was superseded by House Bill H.R. 5617 finalizing the Oceans Act of 1992.^[2] The Act was passed by the 102nd United States Congressional session and enacted into law by the 41st President of the United States George H.W. Bush on November 4, 1992.

Provisions of the Act

The Act amended Title 46 Shipping creating Chapter 47 Abandonment of Barges with five codified sections defining enforcement for abandoned flat-bottomed marine vessels navigating the America's Marine Highway.

46 U.S.C. § 4701 ~ Definitions

46 U.S.C. § 4702 ~ Abandonment of barge prohibited

46 U.S.C. § 4703 ~ Penalty for unlawful abandonment of barge

46 U.S.C. § 4704 ~ Removal of abandoned barges

46 U.S.C. § 4705 ~ Liability of barge removal contractors

See also

Inland waterways of the United States

Intracoastal Waterway

References

External links

• "Protest of Army Contract Award for Barge Removal" (PDF). U.S. GAO ~ B-228896. U.S. Government Accountability Office. December 15, 1987. 
• "Coast Guard: Abandoned Vessels Are Polluting the Waterways" (PDF). U.S. GAO ~ T-RCED-92-54. U.S. Government Accountability Office. June 10, 1992. 
• "Coast Guard: Abandoned Vessels Pollute Waterways and Cost Millions to Clean Up and Remove" (PDF). U.S. GAO ~ RCED-92-235. U.S. Government Accountability Office. July 21, 1992.