33 USC § 1473 - Consultations and determinations respecting creation of hazards to human health, etc.; criteria for determinations respecting grave and imminent dangers of major harmful consequences to United States coastline or related interests

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t33/s1473"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "33 USC § 1473 - Consultations and determinations respecting creation of hazards to human health, etc.; criteria for determinations respecting grave and imminent dangers of major harmful consequences to United States coastline or related interests"
title_number: 33
title_name: "NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS"
section_number: "1473"
section_name: "Consultations and determinations respecting creation of hazards to human health, etc.; criteria for determinations respecting grave and imminent dangers of major harmful consequences to United States coastline or related interests"
chapter_number: 28
chapter_name: "POLLUTION CASUALTIES ON THE HIGH SEAS: UNITED STATES INTERVENTION"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 93–248, § 4, Feb. 5, 1974, 88 Stat. 9; Pub. L. 95–302, § 1(3), June 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 344.)"
---


# § 1473. Consultations and determinations respecting creation of hazards to human health, etc.; criteria for determinations respecting grave and imminent dangers of major harmful consequences to United States coastline or related interests

**(a)** The Secretary, after consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of Commerce, shall determine when a substance other than those enumerated in the protocol is liable to create a hazard to human health, to harm living resources, to damage amenities, or to interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea.

**(b)** In determining whether there is grave and imminent danger of major harmful consequences to the coastline or related interests of the United States, the Secretary shall consider the interests of the United States directly threatened or affected including but not limited to, human health, fish, shellfish, and other living marine resources, wildlife, coastal zone and estuarine activities, and public and private shorelines and beaches.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 93–248, § 4, Feb. 5, 1974, 88 Stat. 9; Pub. L. 95–302, § 1(3), June 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 344.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1978— added subsec. (a), designated existing provisions as subsec. (b), and inserted “human health,” before “fish”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

For effective date of amendment by , see , set out as a note under .