Tickets Issued for Small Oil Spills
The Coast Guard is testing a program of handing out tickets when small oil spills occur.
Oil spills require a full-scale investigation by the Coast Guard, a procedure that can drag on before ending in hearings before an administrative officer. Hoping to speed up the process, the agency is launching a six-month test of issuing tickets in spills of 100 gallons or less in the port areas of Long Beach, Charleston, S.C., and Galveston, Tex.
When a spill occurs and the violator is known, the investigating officer can issue a ticket immediately under the program. The violator will be able to pay a penalty to close the case within 30 days or request a hearing.
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