View all text of Subchapter I [§ 1711 - § 1727]
§ 1719. Civil penalties
(a) Failure to comply with applicable law, to permit inspection, or to notify Secretary of assignment; exceptions to application of penalty
Any person who—
(1) after due notice of violation or after such violation has been reported under subparagraph (A), fails or refuses to comply with any requirements of this chapter or any mineral leasing law, any rule or regulation thereunder, or the terms of any lease or permit issued thereunder; or
(2) fails to permit inspection authorized in section 1718 of this title or fails to notify the Secretary of any assignment under section 1712(a)(2) 1
1 See References in Text note below.
of this titleshall be liable for a penalty of up to $500 per violation for each day such violation continues, dating from the date of such notice or report. A penalty under this subsection may not be applied to any person who is otherwise liable for a violation of paragraph (1) if:
(A) the violation was discovered and reported to the Secretary or his authorized representative by the liable person and corrected within 20 days after such report or such longer time as the Secretary may agree to; or
(B) after the due notice of violation required in paragraph (1) has been given to such person by the Secretary or his authorized representative, such person has corrected the violation within 20 days of such notification or such longer time as the Secretary may agree to.
(b) Failure to take corrective action
(c) Failure to make royalty payment; failure to permit lawful entry, inspection, or audit; failure to notify Secretary of well production
Any person who—
(1) knowingly or willfully fails to make any royalty payment by the date as specified by statute, regulation, order or terms of the lease;
(2) fails or refuses to permit lawful entry, inspection, or audit; or
(3) knowingly or willfully fails or refuses to comply with section 1712(b)(3) of this title,
shall be liable for a penalty of up to $10,000 per violation for each day such violation continues.
(d) False information; unauthorized removal, etc., of oil or gas; purchase, sale, etc., of stolen oil or gas
Any person who—
(1) knowingly or willfully prepares, maintains, or submits false, inaccurate, or misleading reports, notices, affidavits, records, data, or other written information;
(2) knowingly or willfully takes or removes, transports, uses or diverts any oil or gas from any lease site without having valid legal authority to do so; or
(3) purchases, accepts, sells, transports, or conveys to another, any oil or gas knowing or having reason to know that such oil or gas was stolen or unlawfully removed or diverted,
shall be liable for a penalty of up to $25,000 per violation for each day such violation continues.
(e) Hearing
(f) Deduction of penalty from sums owed by United States
(g) Compromise or reduction of penalties
(h) Notice
(i) Reasons on record for amount of penalty
(j) Review
(k) Failure to pay penalty
If any person fails to pay an assessment of a civil penalty under this chapter—
(1) after the order making the assessment has become a final order and if such person does not file a petition for judicial review of the order in accordance with subsection (j), or
(2) after a court in an action brought under subsection (j) has entered a final judgment in favor of the Secretary,
the court shall have jurisdiction to award the amount assessed plus interest from the date of the expiration of the 90-day period referred to in subsection (j). Judgment by the court shall include an order to pay.
(l) Nonliability for leases automatically terminated
(Pub. L. 97–451, title I, § 109, Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2454.)