TITLE 15 - US CODE - CHAPTER 15A - INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS

15 USC 715 - Purpose of chapter

It is declared to be the policy of Congress to protect interstate and foreign commerce from the diversion and obstruction of, and the burden and harmful effect upon, such commerce caused by contraband oil as herein defined, and to encourage the conservation of deposits of crude oil situated within the United States.

15 USC 715a - Definitions

As used in this chapter

(1) The term contraband oil means petroleum which, or any constituent part of which, was produced, transported, or withdrawn from storage in excess of the amounts permitted to be produced, transported, or withdrawn from storage under the laws of a State or under any regulation or order prescribed thereunder by any board, commission, officer, or other duly authorized agency of such State, or any of the products of such petroleum, except petroleum or any of its constituent parts, title to which has been acquired by a State pursuant to its laws.

(2) The term products or petroleum products includes any article produced or derived in whole or in part from petroleum or any product thereof by refining, processing, manufacturing, or otherwise.

(3) The term interstate commerce means commerce between any point in a State and any point outside thereof, or between points within the same State but through any place outside thereof, or from any place in the United States to a foreign country, but only insofar as such commerce takes place within the United States.

(4) The term person includes an individual, partnership, corporation, or joint-stock company,

15 USC 715b - Interstate transportation of contraband oil forbidden

The shipment or transportation in interstate commerce from any State of contraband oil produced in such State is prohibited. For the purposes of this section contraband oil shall not be deemed to have been produced in a State if none of the petroleum constituting such contraband oil, or from which it was produced or derived, was produced, transported, or withdrawn from storage in excess of the amounts permitted to be produced, transported, or withdrawn from storage under the laws of such State or under any regulation or order prescribed thereunder by any board, commission, officer, or other duly authorized agency of such State.

15 USC 715c - Suspension of operation of section 715b of this title

Whenever the President finds that the amount of petroleum and petroleum products moving in interstate commerce is so limited as to be the cause, in whole or in part, of a lack of parity between supply (including imports and reasonable withdrawals from storage) and consumptive demand (including exports and reasonable additions to storage) resulting in an undue burden on or restriction of interstate commerce in petroleum and petroleum products, he shall by proclamation declare such finding, and thereupon the provisions of section 715b of this title shall be inoperative until such time as the President shall find and by proclamation declare that the conditions which gave rise to the suspension of the operation of the provisions of such section no longer exist. If any provision of this section or the application thereof shall be held to be invalid, the validity of application of section 715b of this title shall not be affected thereby.

15 USC 715d - Enforcement of chapter

(a) Rules and regulations
The President shall prescribe such regulations as he finds necessary or appropriate for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter, including but not limited to regulations requiring reports, maps, affidavits, and other documents relating to the production, storage, refining, processing, transporting, or handling of petroleum and petroleum products, and providing for the keeping of books and records, and for the inspection of such books and records and of properties and facilities.

(b) Certificate of clearance for petroleum and petroleum products
Whenever the President finds it necessary or appropriate for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter he shall require certificates of clearance for petroleum and petroleum products moving or to be moved in interstate commerce from any particular area, and shall establish a board or boards for the issuance of such certificates. A certificate of clearance shall be issued by a board so established in any case where such board determines that the petroleum or petroleum products in question does not constitute contraband oil. Denial of any such certificate shall be by order of the board, and only after reasonable opportunity for hearing. Whenever a certificate of clearance is required for any area in any State, it shall be unlawful to ship or transport petroleum or petroleum products in interstate commerce from such area unless a certificate has been obtained therefor.

(c) Review of order of denial of certificate of clearance
Any person whose application for a certificate of clearance is denied may obtain a review of the order denying such application in the United States District Court for the district wherein the board is sitting by filing in such court within thirty days after the entry of such order a written petition praying that the order of the board be modified or set aside, in whole or in part. A copy of such petition shall be forthwith served upon the board, and thereupon the board shall certify and file in the court a transcript of the record upon which the order complained of was entered. Upon the filing of such transcript, such court shall have jurisdiction to affirm, modify, or set aside such order, in whole or in part. No objection to the order of the board shall be considered by the court unless such objection shall have been urged before the board. The finding of the board as to the facts, if supported by evidence, shall be conclusive. The judgment and decree of the court shall be final, subject to review as provided in sections 1254, 1291, and 1292 of title 28.

15 USC 715e - Penalties for violation of chapter

Any person knowingly violating any provision of this chapter or any regulation prescribed thereunder shall upon conviction be punished by a fine of not to exceed $2,000 or by imprisonment for not to exceed six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

15 USC 715f - Forfeiture of contraband oil shipped in violation of law; procedure

(a) Seizure procedure; return of contraband oil
Contraband oil shipped or transported in interstate commerce in violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be liable to be proceeded against in any district court of the United States within the jurisdiction of which the same may be found, and seized for forfeiture to the United States by a process of libel for condemnation; but in any such case the court may in its discretion, and under such terms and conditions as it shall prescribe, order the return of such contraband oil to the owner thereof where undue hardship would result from such forfeiture. The proceedings in such cases shall conform as nearly as may be to proceedings in rem in admiralty, except that either party may demand a trial by jury of any issue of fact joined in any such case, and all such proceedings shall be at the suit of and in the name of the United States. Contraband oil forfeited to the United States as provided in this section shall be used or disposed of pursuant to such rules and regulations as the President shall prescribe.

(b) Certificates of clearance
No such forfeiture shall be made in the case of contraband oil owned by any person (other than a person shipping such contraband oil in violation of the provisions of this chapter) who has with respect to such contraband oil a certificate of clearance which on its face appears to be valid and to have been issued by a board created under authority of section 715d of this title, certifying that the shipment in question is not contraband oil, and such person had no reasonable ground for believing such certificate to be invalid or to have been issued as a result of fraud or misrepresentation of fact.

15 USC 715g - Refusal of carrier to accept shipment without certificate of clearance; certificate as justifying acceptance of shipment

No common carrier who shall refuse to accept petroleum or petroleum products from any area in which certificates of clearance are required under authority of this chapter, by reason of the failure of the shipper to deliver such a certificate to such carrier, or who shall refuse to accept any petroleum or petroleum products when having reasonable ground for believing that such petroleum or petroleum products constitute contraband oil, shall be liable on account of such refusal for any penalties or damages. No common carrier shall be subject to any penalty under section 715e of this title in any case where

(1) such carrier has a certificate of clearance which on its face appears to be valid and to have been issued by a board created under authority of section 715d of this title, certifying that the shipment in question is not contraband oil, and such carrier had no reasonable ground for believing such certificate to be invalid or to have been issued as a result of fraud or misrepresentation of fact, or

(2) such carrier, as respects any shipment originating in any area where certificates of clearance are not required under authority of this chapter, had no reasonable ground for believing such petroleum or petroleum products to constitute contraband oil.

15 USC 715h - Hearings and investigation by boards; appointment of board and employees

(a) Hearings
Any board established under authority of section 715d of this title, and any agency designated under authority of section 715j of this title, may hold and conduct such hearings, investigations, and proceedings as may be necessary for the purposes of this chapter, and for such purposes those provisions of section 78u of this title relating to the administering of oaths and affirmations, and to the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of evidence (including penalties), shall apply.

(b) Appointments
The members of any board established under authority of section 715d of this title shall be appointed by the President, subject to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5; and any such board may appoint, subject to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, such employees as may be necessary for the execution of its functions under this chapter.

15 USC 715i - Restraining violations

(a) Mandatory injunction upon application of President
Upon application of the President, by the Attorney General, the United States District Courts shall have jurisdiction to issue mandatory injunctions commanding any person to comply with the provisions of this chapter or any regulation issued thereunder.

(b) Discretionary action in district court to enjoin acts or practices
Whenever it shall appear to the President that any person is engaged or about to engage in any acts or practices that constitute or will constitute a violation of any provision of this chapter or of any regulation thereunder, he may in his discretion, by the Attorney General, bring an action in the proper United States District Court to enjoin such acts or practices, and upon a proper showing a permanent or temporary injunction or restraining order shall be granted without bond.

(c) Exclusive jurisdiction of district court; review
The United States District Courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction of violations of this chapter or the regulations thereunder, and of all suits in equity and actions at law brought to enforce any liability or duty created by, or to enjoin any violation of, this chapter or the regulations thereunder. Any criminal proceeding may be brought in the district wherein any act or transaction constituting the violation occurred. Any suit or action to enforce any liability or duty created by this chapter or regulations thereunder, or to enjoin any violation of this chapter or any regulations thereunder, may be brought in any such district or in the district wherein the defendant is found or is an inhabitant or transacts business, and process in such cases may be served in any other district of which the defendant is an inhabitant or wherever the defendant may be found. Judgments and decrees so rendered shall be subject to review as provided in sections 1254, 1291, and 1292 of title 28.

15 USC 715j - President as including agencies, officers and employees

Wherever reference is made in this chapter to the President such reference shall be held to include, in addition to the President, any agency, officer, or employee who may be designated by the President for the execution of any of the powers and functions vested in the President under this chapter.

15 USC 715k - Saving clause

If any provision of this chapter, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, shall be held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the chapter and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

15 USC 715l - Repealed. June 22, 1942, ch. 436, 56 Stat. 381

Section, acts Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, 13, 49 Stat. 33; June 14, 1937, ch. 335, 50 Stat. 257; June 29, 1939, ch. 250, 53 Stat. 927, provided for expiration of this chapter on June 30, 1942.

15 USC 715m - Cooperation between Secretary of the Interior and Federal and State authorities

The Secretary of the Interior, in carrying out this chapter, is authorized to cooperate with Federal and State authorities.