Collapse to view only § 715b. Interstate transportation of contraband oil forbidden

§ 715. Purpose of chapter

It is declared to be the policy of Congress to protect interstate and foreign commerce from the diversion and obstruction of, and the burden and harmful effect upon, such commerce caused by contraband oil as herein defined, and to encourage the conservation of deposits of crude oil situated within the United States.

(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 1, 49 Stat. 30.)
§ 715a. Definitions
As used in this chapter—
(1) The term “contraband oil” means petroleum which, or any constituent part of which, was produced, transported, or withdrawn from storage in excess of the amounts permitted to be produced, transported, or withdrawn from storage under the laws of a State or under any regulation or order prescribed thereunder by any board, commission, officer, or other duly authorized agency of such State, or any of the products of such petroleum, except petroleum or any of its constituent parts, title to which has been acquired by a State pursuant to its laws.
(2) The term “products” or “petroleum products” includes any article produced or derived in whole or in part from petroleum or any product thereof by refining, processing, manufacturing, or otherwise.
(3) The term “interstate commerce” means commerce between any point in a State and any point outside thereof, or between points within the same State but through any place outside thereof, or from any place in the United States to a foreign country, but only insofar as such commerce takes place within the United States.
(4) The term “person” includes an individual, partnership, corporation, or joint-stock company,
(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 2, 49 Stat. 30; Pub. L. 89–644, Oct. 13, 1966, 80 Stat. 890.)
§ 715b. Interstate transportation of contraband oil forbidden

The shipment or transportation in interstate commerce from any State of contraband oil produced in such State is prohibited. For the purposes of this section contraband oil shall not be deemed to have been produced in a State if none of the petroleum constituting such contraband oil, or from which it was produced or derived, was produced, transported, or withdrawn from storage in excess of the amounts permitted to be produced, transported, or withdrawn from storage under the laws of such State or under any regulation or order prescribed thereunder by any board, commission, officer, or other duly authorized agency of such State.

(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 3, 49 Stat. 31.)
§ 715c. Suspension of operation of section 715b of this title

Whenever the President finds that the amount of petroleum and petroleum products moving in interstate commerce is so limited as to be the cause, in whole or in part, of a lack of parity between supply (including imports and reasonable withdrawals from storage) and consumptive demand (including exports and reasonable additions to storage) resulting in an undue burden on or restriction of interstate commerce in petroleum and petroleum products, he shall by proclamation declare such finding, and thereupon the provisions of section 715b of this title shall be inoperative until such time as the President shall find and by proclamation declare that the conditions which gave rise to the suspension of the operation of the provisions of such section no longer exist. If any provision of this section or the application thereof shall be held to be invalid, the validity of application of section 715b of this title shall not be affected thereby.

(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 4, 49 Stat. 31.)
§ 715d. Enforcement of chapter
(a) Rules and regulations
(b) Certificate of clearance for petroleum and petroleum products
(c) Review of order of denial of certificate of clearance
(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 5, 49 Stat. 31.)
§ 715e. Penalties for violation of chapter

Any person knowingly violating any provision of this chapter or any regulation prescribed thereunder shall upon conviction be punished by a fine of not to exceed $2,000 or by imprisonment for not to exceed six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 6, 49 Stat. 32.)
§ 715f. Forfeiture of contraband oil shipped in violation of law; procedure
(a) Seizure procedure; return of contraband oil
(b) Certificates of clearance
(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 7, 49 Stat. 32.)
§ 715g. Refusal of carrier to accept shipment without certificate of clearance; certificate as justifying acceptance of shipment

No common carrier who shall refuse to accept petroleum or petroleum products from any area in which certificates of clearance are required under authority of this chapter, by reason of the failure of the shipper to deliver such a certificate to such carrier, or who shall refuse to accept any petroleum or petroleum products when having reasonable ground for believing that such petroleum or petroleum products constitute contraband oil, shall be liable on account of such refusal for any penalties or damages. No common carrier shall be subject to any penalty under section 715e of this title in any case where (1) such carrier has a certificate of clearance which on its face appears to be valid and to have been issued by a board created under authority of section 715d of this title, certifying that the shipment in question is not contraband oil, and such carrier had no reasonable ground for believing such certificate to be invalid or to have been issued as a result of fraud or misrepresentation of fact, or (2) such carrier, as respects any shipment originating in any area where certificates of clearance are not required under authority of this chapter, had no reasonable ground for believing such petroleum or petroleum products to constitute contraband oil.

(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 8, 49 Stat. 32.)
§ 715h. Hearings and investigation by boards; appointment of board and employees
(a) Hearings
(b) Appointments
(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 9, 49 Stat. 33; Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 782, title XI, § 1106(a), 63 Stat. 972.)
§ 715i. Restraining violations
(a) Mandatory injunction upon application of President
(b) Discretionary action in district court to enjoin acts or practices
(c) Exclusive jurisdiction of district court; review
(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 10, 49 Stat. 33.)
§ 715j. “President” as including agencies, officers and employees

Wherever reference is made in this chapter to the President such reference shall be held to include, in addition to the President, any agency, officer, or employee who may be designated by the President for the execution of any of the powers and functions vested in the President under this chapter.

(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 11, 49 Stat. 33.)
§ 715k. Saving clause

If any provision of this chapter, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, shall be held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the chapter and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

(Feb. 22, 1935, ch. 18, § 12, 49 Stat. 33.)
§ 715l. Repealed. June 22, 1942, ch. 436, 56 Stat. 381
§ 715m. Cooperation between Secretary of the Interior and Federal and State authorities

The Secretary of the Interior, in carrying out the Act of February 22, 1935, as amended (15 U.S.C., ch. 15A), is authorized to cooperate with Federal and State authorities.

(June 25, 1946, ch. 472, § 3, 60 Stat. 307.)