USC Chapter 19

in effect

33 U.S.C. § 981 Creation of Corporation

There is hereby created, subject to the direction and supervision of the Secretary of Transportation, a body corporate to be known as the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the “Corporation”).

33 U.S.C. § 982 Management of Corporation; appointment of Administrator; terms; vacancy; Advisory Board; establishment; membership; meetings; duties; compensation and expenses

(a) The management of the corporation shall be vested in an Administrator who shall be appointed by the President. Any Administrator appointed to fill a vacancy in that position prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. (b) There is established the Advisory Board of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation which shall be composed of five members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, not more than three of whom shall belong to the same political party. The Advisory Board shall meet at the call of the Administrator, who shall require it to meet not less often than once each ninety days; shall review the general policies of the Corporation, including its policies in connection with design and construction of facilities and the establishment of rules of measurement for vessels and cargo and rates of charges or tolls; and shall advise the Administrator with respect thereto. Members of the Advisory Board shall receive for their services as members compensation of not to exceed $50 per diem when actually engaged in the performance of their duties, together with their necessary traveling expenses while going to and coming from meetings.

33 U.S.C. § 983 Functions of Corporation

(a) Construction of deep-water navigation works in Saint Lawrence River; conditions precedentThe Corporation is authorized and directed to construct, in United States territory, deep-water navigation works substantially in accordance with the “Controlled single stage project, 238–242” (with a controlling depth of twenty-seven feet in channels and canals and locks at least eight hundred feet long, eighty feet wide, and thirty feet over the sills), designated as “works solely for navigation” in the joint report dated January 3, 1941, of the Canadian Temporary Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Basin Committee and the United States Saint Lawrence Advisory Committee, in the International Rapids section of the Saint Lawrence River together with necessary dredging in the Thousand Islands section; and to operate and maintain such works in coordination with the Saint Lawrence Seaway Authority of Canada, created by chapter 24 of the acts of the fifth session of the Twenty-first Parliament of Canada 15–16, George VI (assented to December 21, 1951): Provided, That the Corporation shall not proceed with the aforesaid construction unless and until—(1) the Saint Lawrence Seaway Authority of Canada, provides assurances satisfactory to the Corporation that it will complete the Canadian portions of the navigation works authorized by section 10, chapter 24 of the acts of the fifth session of the Twenty-first Parliament of Canada 15–16, George VI, 1951, as nearly as possible concurrently with the completion of the works authorized by this section; (2) the Corporation has received assurances satisfactory to it that the State of New York, or an entity duly designated by it, or other licensee of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in conjunction with an appropriate agency in Canada, as nearly as possible concurrently with the navigation works herein authorized, will construct and complete the dams and power works approved by the International Joint Commission in its order of October 29, 1952 (docket 68) or any amendment or modification thereof. (b) Coordination of activities regarding power projectsThe Corporation shall make necessary arrangements to assure the coordination of its activities with those of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Authority of Canada and the entity designated by the State of New York, or other licensee of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, authorized to construct and operate the dams and power works authorized by the International Joint Commission in its order of October 29, 1952 (docket 68) or any amendment or modification thereof.

33 U.S.C. § 984 General powers of Corporation

(a) For the purpose of carrying out its functions under this chapter the Corporation—(1) shall have succession in its corporate name; (2) may adopt and use a corporate seal, which shall be judicially noticed; (3) may sue and be sued in its corporate name; (4) may adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws, rules, and regulations governing the manner in which its business may be conducted and the powers vested in it may be exercised; (5) may make and carry out such contracts or agreements as are necessary or advisable in the conduct of its business; (6) shall be held to be an inhabitant and resident of the northern judicial district of New York within the meaning of the laws of the United States relating to venue of civil suits; (7) may appoint and fix the compensation, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, of such officers, attorneys, and employees as may be necessary for the conduct of its business, define their authority and duties, and delegate to them such of the powers vested in the Corporation as the Administrator may determine; (8) may acquire, by purchase, lease, condemnation, or donation such real and personal property and any interest therein, and may sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of such real and personal property, as the Administrator deems necessary for the conduct of its business; (9) shall determine the character of and the necessity for its obligations and expenditures, and the manner in which they shall be incurred, allowed and paid, subject to provisions of law specifically applicable to Government corporations; (10) may retain toll revenues for purposes of eventual reinvestment in the Seaway.11 So in original. The period probably should be a semicolon. (11) may provide services and facilities necessary in the maintenance and operation of the seaway, including but not limited to providing, at reasonable prices, services to vessels using the seaway and to visitors to the seaway, but not to include overnight housing accommodations for visitors; (12) may participate with the Saint Lawrence Seaway Authority of Canada, or its designee, in the ownership and operation of a toll bridge company: Provided, That the United States’ portion of the revenue from the tolls charged to the users of any toll bridge operated under this section shall be applied solely to the cost of the bridge and approaches, including maintenance and operation, amortization of principal and interest, as established by the Secretary of the Treasury; and (13) 22 So in original. There are two pars. designated (13). shall be credited with amounts received from any of the activities authorized by clauses (10) and (11) 33 Clauses (10), (11), and (12) redesignated (11), (12), and (13) by Pub. L. 97–369. of this subsection. (13) 2 shall accept such amounts as may be transferred to the Corporation under section 9505(c)(1) of title 26, except that such amounts shall be available only for the purpose of operating and maintaining those works which the Corporation is obligated to operate and maintain under subsection (a) of section 983 of this title. (b) Amounts credited under subsection (a)(12) 3 are available to pay any obligation or expense of the Corporation under this chapter, except as specifically provided in subsection (a)(11).3

33 U.S.C. § 985 Bonds; issuance; maturity; redemption; interest; purchase of obligations by Secretary of the Treasury

(a) To finance its activities, the Corporation may issue revenue bonds payable from corporate revenue to the Secretary of the Treasury. The total face value of all bonds so issued shall not be greater than $140,000,000. Not more than fifty per centum of the bonds may be issued during any one year. Such obligations shall have maturities agreed upon by the Corporation and the Secretary of the Treasury, not in excess of fifty years. Such obligations may be redeemable at the option of the Corporation before maturity in such manner as may be stipulated in such obligations, but the obligations thus redeemed shall not be refinanced by the Corporation. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to purchase any obligations of the Corporation to be issued hereunder and for such purpose the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to use as a public debt transaction the proceeds from the sale of any securities issued under chapter 31 of title 31, and the purposes for which securities may be issued under chapter 31 of title 31 are extended to include any purchases of the Corporation’s obligations hereunder. (b) Effective as of October 21, 1970, the obligations of the Corporation incurred under subsection (a) of this section shall bear no interest, and the obligation of the Corporation to pay the unpaid interest which has accrued on such obligations is terminated.

33 U.S.C. § 985a Cancellation of bonds issued under section 985

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any bond issued under section 985 of this title, is hereby canceled together with the obligation to pay such bond.

33 U.S.C. § 986 Payments to States and local governments in lieu of taxes; tax exemption of Corporation

The Corporation is authorized to make payments to State and local governments in lieu of property taxes upon property which was subject to State and local taxation before acquisition by the Corporation. Such payments may be in the amounts, at the times, and upon the terms the Corporation deems appropriate, but the Corporation shall be guided by the policy of making payments not in excess of the taxes which would have been payable for such property in the condition in which it was acquired, except in cases where special burdens are placed upon the State or local government by the activities of the Corporation or its agents. The Corporation, its property, franchises, and income are expressly exempted from taxation in any manner or form by any State, county, municipality, or any subdivision thereof, but such exemption shall not extend to contractors for the Corporation.

33 U.S.C. § 987 Services and facilities of other agencies

(a) Utilization of personnel, services, facilities, and informationThe Corporation may, with the consent of the agency concerned, accept and utilize, on a reimbursable basis, the officers, employees, services, facilities, and information of any agency of the Federal Government, except that any such agency having custody of any data relating to any of the matters within the jurisdiction of the Corporation shall, upon request of the Administrator, make such data available to the Corporation without reimbursement. (b) Contributions to retirement and disability, and employees’ compensation, funds; payment of costsThe Corporation shall contribute to the civil-service retirement and disability fund, on the basis of annual billings as determined by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, for the Government’s share of the cost of the civil-service retirement system applicable to the Corporation’s employees and their beneficiaries. The Corporation shall also contribute to the employee’s compensation fund, on the basis of annual billings as determined by the Secretary of Labor, for the benefit payments made from such fund on account of the Corporation’s employees. The annual billings shall also include a statement of the fair portion of the cost of the administration of the respective funds, which shall be paid by the Corporation into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.

33 U.S.C. § 988 Rates of charges or tolls

(a) Negotiation with Canadian authorities; revenue sharing formula; consideration of American financing costs, including interest and debt principal; rules of measurement; hearings and rehearings; approval by President; court reviewThe Corporation is further authorized and directed to negotiate with the Saint Lawrence Seaway Authority of Canada, or such other agency as may be designated by the Government of Canada, an agreement as to the rules for the measurement of vessels and cargoes and the rates of charges or tolls to be levied for the use of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, and for an equitable division of the revenues of the seaway between the Corporation and the Saint Lawrence Seaway Authority of Canada. Any formula for a division of revenues which takes into consideration annual debt charges shall include the total cost, including both interest and debt principal, incurred by the United States in financing activities authorized by this chapter, whether or not reimbursable by the Corporation. Such rules for the measurement of vessels and cargoes and rates of charges or tolls shall, to the extent practicable, be established or changed only after giving due notice and holding a public hearing. In the event that such negotiations shall not result in agreement, the Corporation is authorized and directed to establish unilaterally such rules of measurement and rates of charges or tolls for the use of the works under its administration: Provided, however, That the Corporation shall give three months’ notice, by publication in the Federal Register, of any proposals to establish or change unilaterally the basic rules of measurement and of any proposals to establish or change unilaterally the rates of charges or tolls, during which period a public hearing shall be conducted. Any such establishment of or changes in basic rules of measurement or rates of charges or tolls shall be subject to and shall take effect thirty days following the date of approval thereof by the President, and shall be final and conclusive, subject to review as hereinafter provided. Any person aggrieved by an order of the Corporation establishing or changing such rules or rates may, within such thirty-day period, apply to the Corporation for a rehearing of the matter upon the basis of which the order was entered. The Corporation shall have power to grant or deny the application for rehearing and upon such rehearing or without further hearing to abrogate or modify its order. The action of the Corporation in denying an application for rehearing or in abrogating or modifying its order shall be final and conclusive thirty days after its approval by the President unless within such thirty-day period a petition for review is filed by a person aggrieved by such action in the United States Court of Appeals for the circuit in which the works to which the order applies are located or in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The court in which such petition is filed shall have the same jurisdiction and powers as in the case of petitions to review orders of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission filed under section 825l of title 16. The judgment of the court shall be final subject to review by the Supreme Court upon certiorari or certification as provided in sections 1254(1) and 1254(2) of title 28. The filing of an application for rehearing shall not, unless specifically ordered by the Corporation, operate as a stay of the Corporation’s order. The filing of a petition for review shall not, unless specifically ordered by the court, operate as a stay of the Corporation’s order. (b) Principles governing establishment of ratesIn the course of its negotiations, or in the establishment, unilaterally, of the rates of charges or tolls as provided in subsection (a), the Corporation shall be guided by the following principles:(1) That the rates shall be fair and equitable and shall give due consideration to encouragement of increased utilization of the navigation facilities, and to the special character of bulk agricultural, mineral, and other raw materials. (2) That rates shall vary according to the character of cargo with the view that each classification of cargo shall so far as practicable derive relative benefits from the use of these facilities. (3) That the rates on vessels in ballast without passengers or cargo may be less than the rates for vessels with passengers or cargo. (4) That the rates prescribed shall be calculated to cover, as nearly as practicable, all costs of operating and maintaining the works under the administration of the Corporation, including depreciation and payments in lieu of taxes.

33 U.S.C. § 988a Waiver of collection of charges or tolls

(a) Notwithstanding section 988 of this title or any other provision of law, the Corporation shall not collect any charge or toll established pursuant to section 988 of this title with respect to a commercial vessel (as defined in section 4462(a)(4) of title 26). (b) The Corporation will maintain a record of the annual amount of each charge or toll that would have been collected with respect to each such commercial vessel if it were not for paragraph (a) of this section.

33 U.S.C. § 989 Special reports

(a) Repealed. Pub. L. 104–66, title I, § 1121(j), Dec. 21, 1995, 109 Stat. 724. (b) The Corporation, after July 17, 1957, shall submit special reports to the Congress whenever there is proposed a new feature, design, or phase of the seaway project, not heretofore included in estimates, or whenever there is proposed an abandonment of any feature, design, or phase, heretofore included in estimates, involving an estimated value exceeding one million dollars, and such special reports shall include justification for the modifications.

33 U.S.C. § 990 Offenses and penalties

(a) Application of penal statutesAll general penal statutes relating to the larceny, embezzlement, or conversion, of public moneys or property of the United States shall apply to the moneys and property of the Corporation. (b) Frauds and false entries, reports, or statementsAny person who, with intent to defraud the Corporation, or to deceive any director, officer, or employee of the Corporation or any officer or employee of the United States, (1) makes any false entry in any book of the Corporation, or (2) makes any false report or statement for the Corporation, shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. (c) Receipt of compensation, or conspiracy, with intent to defraud, etc.Any person who shall receive any compensation, rebate, or reward, or shall enter into any conspiracy, collusion, or agreement, express or implied, with intent to defraud the Corporation or wrongfully and unlawfully to defeat its purposes, shall, on conviction thereof, be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.