(a) Purpose and scope.

(1) Section 302 of the Act authorizes the Administrator to assess a civil penalty, in an amount not to exceed $25,000 for each violation, against any person found to have committed an act prohibited by section 301 of the Act. Each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense.

(2) Section 106 of the Act describes the circumstances under which the Administrator may suspend or revoke a license or permit, or suspend or modify activities under a license or permit, in addition to or in lieu of imposing of a civil penalty, or in addition to imposing a fine.

(3) Section 306 of the Act makes provisions of the customs laws relating to, among other things, the remission or mitigation of forfeitures, applicable to forfeitures of vessels and hard mineral resources. The Administrator is authorized to entertain petitions for administrative settlement of property seizures made under the Act which would otherwise proceed to judicial forfeiture.

(4) Section 114 of the Act authorizes the Administrator to place observers on vessels used by a licensee or permittee under the Act to monitor compliance and environmental effects of activities under the license or permit.

(5) Section 117 of the Act describes the circumstances under which a person may bring a civil action against an alleged violator or against the Administrator for failure to perform a nondiscretionary duty, and directs the Administrator to issue regulations governing procedures prerequisite to such a civil action.

(6) The regulations in this subpart provide uniform rules and procedures for the assessment of civil penalties (§§971.1001-971.1002), and license and permit sanctions (§971.1003); the remission or mitigation of forfeitures (§971.1004); observers (§971.1005); protection of certain information related to enforcement (§971.1006); and procedures requiring persons planning to bring a civil action under section 117 of the Act to give advance notice (§971.1007).

(b) Filing and service of documents.

(1) Except as otherwise provided by this subpart, filing and service of documents required by this subpart will be in accordance with §971.901(i). The method for computing time periods set forth in §971.901(i) also applies to any action or event, such as payment of a civil penalty, required by this subpart to take place within a specified period of time.

(2) If an oral or written request is made to the Administrator within ten days after the expiration of a time period established in this subpart for the required filing of documents, the Administrator may permit a late filing if the Administrator finds reasonable grounds for an inability or failure to file within the time periods. All extensions will be in writing. Except as provided by this paragraph, by 15 CFR 904.102 or by order of an administrative law judge, no requests for an extension of time may be granted.