§ 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] of this title

shall 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

If corrective action in not taken within 40 days or a longer period as the Secretary may agree to, after due notice or the report referred to in subsection (a)(1) of this section, such person shall be liable for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 per violation for each day such violation continues, dating from the date of such notice or report.

(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

No penalty under this section shall be assessed until the person charged with a violation has been given the opportunity for a hearing on the record.

(f) Deduction of penalty from sums owed by United States

The amount of any penalty under this section, as finally determined ^[2] may be deducted from any sums owing by the United States to the person charged.

(g) Compromise or reduction of penalties

On a case-by-case basis the Secretary may compromise or reduce civil penalties under this section.

(h) Notice

Notice under subsection (a) of this section shall be by personal service by an authorized representative of the Secretary or by registered mail. Any person may, in the manner prescribed by the Secretary, designate a representative to receive any notice under this subsection.

(i) Reasons on record for amount of penalty

In determining the amount of such penalty, or whether it should be remitted or reduced, and in what amount, the Secretary shall state on the record the reasons for his determinations.

(j) Review

Any person who has requested a hearing in accordance with subsection (e) of this section within the time the Secretary has prescribed for such a hearing and who is aggrieved by a final order of the Secretary under this section may seek review of such order in the United States district court for the judicial district in which the violation allegedly took place. Review by the district court shall be only on the administrative record and not de novo. Such an action shall be barred unless filed within 90 days after the Secretary’s final order.

(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) of this section, or

(2) after a court in an action brought under subsection (j) of this section 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) of this section. Judgment by the court shall include an order to pay.

(l) Nonliability for leases automatically terminated

No person shall be liable for a civil penalty under subsection (a) or (b) of this section for failure to pay any rental for any lease automatically terminated pursuant to section 188 of this title.

[1] See References in Text note below.

[2] So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma.

U.S. Code

§ 1719. Civil penalties