33 U.S.C. § 1501 : US Code - Section 1501: Congressional declaration of policy

Search 33 U.S.C. § 1501 : US Code - Section 1501: Congressional declaration of policy

(a) It is declared to be the purposes of the Congress in this
chapter to -
(1) authorize and regulate the location, ownership,
construction, and operation of deepwater ports in waters beyond
the territorial limits of the United States;
(2) provide for the protection of the marine and coastal
environment to prevent or minimize any adverse impact which might
occur as a consequence of the development of such ports;
(3) protect the interests of the United States and those of
adjacent coastal States in the location, construction, and
operation of deepwater ports;
(4) protect the rights and responsibilities of States and
communities to regulate growth, determine land use, and otherwise
protect the environment in accordance with law;
(5) promote the construction and operation of deepwater ports
as a safe and effective means of importing oil or natural gas
into the United States and transporting oil or natural gas from
the outer continental shelf (!1) while minimizing tanker traffic
and the risks attendant thereto; and
(6) promote oil or natural gas production on the outer
continental shelf (!1) by affording an economic and safe means of
transportation of outer continental shelf (!1) oil or natural gas
to the United States mainland.
(b) The Congress declares that nothing in this chapter shall be
construed to affect the legal status of the high seas, the
superjacent airspace, or the seabed and subsoil, including the
Continental Shelf.