The Federal Water Pollution Control Act...

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Question 1 of 2066636ef128f7522a1c5226d6

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act requires the person in charge of a vessel to immediately notify the Coast Guard as soon as he knows of any oil discharge. Failure to notify the Coast Guard can lead to a monetary fine and imprisonment up to what duration?

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Question 1 of 20

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🔍 Key Concepts

• Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) penalty provisions for failure to report an oil discharge • Difference between civil penalties (fines) and criminal penalties (fines + imprisonment) • Who is the person in charge (PIC) and why the law treats failure to report so seriously

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: Is Congress likely to set a very long prison term for failure to report (not for causing a major spill), or a shorter one to encourage prompt reporting? • Think about similar maritime reporting offenses (like failure to report a marine casualty) — are their maximum jail times usually measured in 1–2 years, or 5+ years? • Consider proportionality: prison time for not calling the Coast Guard vs. prison time for serious felonies outside the maritime world — which option seems more in line with a regulatory violation?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify that the question is about failure to notify (reporting requirement), not about causing the pollution event itself. • Focus on the maximum imprisonment term stated in the FWPCA section on reporting oil discharges — not the fine amount. • Mentally compare each choice with typical maximum terms for regulatory reporting violations; extremely long terms are usually reserved for more serious criminal acts.

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