OPA 90

OPA 90 is the US Oil Pollution Act of 1990, enacted after the Exxon Valdez spill to consolidate federal oil-pollution law and tighten prevention, response, and liability. It imposes strict liability on the responsible party for cleanup and damages, requires a Certificate of Financial Responsibility, and mandates vessel response plans. It phased in a double-hull requirement for tankers in US waters, completed by 2015. Original tanker liability limits were the greater of 1,200 dollars per gross ton or 10 million dollars for ships over 3,000 GT, since raised for inflation. OPA 90 does not preempt state law and runs separately from the international CLC regime.