Legal Authorities Available to the President to Respond to a Severe Energy Supply Interruption or Other Substantial Reduction in Available Petroleum Products

CourtDepartment of Justice Office of Legal Counsel
DecidedNovember 15, 1982
StatusPublished

This text of Legal Authorities Available to the President to Respond to a Severe Energy Supply Interruption or Other Substantial Reduction in Available Petroleum Products (Legal Authorities Available to the President to Respond to a Severe Energy Supply Interruption or Other Substantial Reduction in Available Petroleum Products) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Legal Authorities Available to the President to Respond to a Severe Energy Supply Interruption or Other Substantial Reduction in Available Petroleum Products, (olc 1982).

Opinion

Legal Authorities Available to the President to Respond to a Severe Energy Supply Interruption or Other Substantial Reduction in Available Petroleum Products

[The follow ing m em orandum , prepared for the P resident for transm ission to Congress in accordance with the direction in § 3 of the E nergy Em ergency Preparedness Act of 1982, describes in com prehensive fashion the authorities available to the President under existing statutes to respond to a severe energy supply shortage o r interruption. It sets forth the legal basis for certain specific em ergency preparedness activities, discusses the scope of each available em ergency authority, and analyzes the differing threshold standards for activation o f the President’s authority under each of the statutes involved.]

November 15, 1982

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS INTRODUCTION I. STATUTORY AUTHORITIES A. Energy Policy and Conservation Act 1. § 103. Limitations on Exports 2. § 106. Accelerated Production Rates 3. §§ 151-161. Strategic Petroleum Reserve a. Establishment of the SPR b. Filling the SPR c. Drawdown and Distribution of the SPR 4. §§ 201-202. Energy Conservation Contingency Plans 5. §§ 251, 252, 254. Authorities in Support of the Allocation and Information Provisions of the IEP a. § 251. International Allocation b. § 252. Antitrust Defense c. § 254. Exchange of Information with the International Energy Agency

644 B. Defense Production Act of 1950 1. § 101(a). Priority Performance of Contracts and Allocation of Materials 2. § 101(c). Maximizing Domestic Energy Supplies 3. § 708. Voluntary Agreements 4. § 710. Employment of Persons from the Private Sector a. Circumstances Governing Use of Employees b. Conflict-of-interest and Antitrust Restrictions 1) Conflict-of-interest Restrictions 2) Antitrust Exposure C. Trade Expansion Act of 1962 D. International Emergency Economic Powers Act E. Emergency Energy Conservation Act of 1979 F. Export Administration Act of 1979 G. Other Statutory Authorities 1. Fuel Switching Authorities 2. Miscellaneous Statutes II. LEGAL BASES FOR SPECIFIED ENERGY PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES A. Authority to Implement the 1EP 1. Obligations Imposed by the IEP Agreement a. Emergency Reserves (Chapter I) b. Demand Restraint (Chapter II) c. Oil Sharing (Chapter III) d. Information Exchange (Chapter V) 2. Activation of the IEP Emergency System 3. Statutory Authority to Implement the IEP Agreement a. Emergency Reserves b. Demand Restraint Measures c. Oil Sharing d. Information Exchange 4. December 10, 1981, Decision of the Governing Board with Respect to Subcrisis Activities 5. National Emergency Sharing Organization 6. Emergency Sharing System 7. Supply Rights Project B. Authority to Fulfill NATO Obligations C. Authority with Respect to Development and Use of the SPR D. Authority for Government Incentives to Encourage Private Petroleum Product Stocks E. Authority for Reactivation of the Executive Reserve F. Authority for Coordination with State and Local Governments 1. Preemption of State Laws and Regulations 2. Burden on Interstate Commerce G. Authority for Public Information Activities

645 UI. TRIGGERS FOR EXERCISE OF STATUTORY AUTHORITIES A. Situations Involving War, International Tensions That Threaten National Security, and Other Presidentially Declared Emergencies B. Events Resulting in Activation of the International Energy Program C. Less Severe Events or Situations IV. CONCLUSION

646 GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS

DPA Defense Production Act of 1950 EAA Export Administration Act of 1979 EECA Emergency Energy Conservation Act of 1979 EEPA Energy Emergency Preparedness Act of 1982 EPAA Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1975 EPCA Energy Policy and Conservation Act ESA Energy Security Act FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FPA Federal Power Act FPM Federal Personnel Manual FTC Federal Trade Commission FUA Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 IEA International Energy Agency IEEPA International Emergency Economic Powers Act IEP International Energy Program IPR Industrial Petroleum Reserve Mer Maximum efficient rate of production MLLA Mineral Lands Leasing Act NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NEA National Emergencies Act NESO National Emergency Sharing Organization NGA Natural Gas Act NGPA Natural Gas Policy Act NPRs Naval Petroleum Reserves OCS Outer Continental Shelf PURPA Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 SPR Strategic Petroleum Reserve TEA Trade Expansion Act of 1962 Ter Temporary emergency production rate TWEA Trading with the Enemy Act WOCs Without Compensation Employees

647 MEMORANDUM OF LAW

Introduction

This memorandum is submitted in response to § 3 of the Energy Emergency Preparedness Act of 1982 (EEPA), Pub. L. No. 97-229, 96 Stat. 248 (1982). That section amends Title II o f the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, 42 U .S.C . §§ 6201-6422 (1982), by adding, inter alia, a new § 272(a). Section 272(a) directs the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, to prepare for transmission by the President to Congress a “ Memorandum of Law” describing the “ nature and extent of the authorities available to the President under existing law to respond to a severe energy supply interruption or other substantial reduction in the amount of petroleum products available in the United States.” 1 Section 272(a) provides that the Memorandum of Law shall address the legal bases for certain specific emergency preparedness activities to deal with a petroleum shortage,2 and to distinguish among the threshold stand­ ards for activation of the President’s statutory authorities.3

1 This M emorandum was prepared by the O ffice of Legal Counsel of the Department of Justice, at the direction of and under the supervision o f the Attorney G eneral, in consultation with the Department of Energy Assistance was also provided by the Antitrust Division and L and and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice, the Department o f Defense, the Department of State, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency 2 Section 272(a)(3)(A) specifies that the M emorandum include the following subjects: (i) activities of the United States in support of the international energy program and the De­ cem ber 10, 1981, International Energy Agency agreem ent entitled ‘Decision on Preparation for Riture Supply Disruptions’ including— (I) the National Emergency Sharing Organization, (II) emergency sharing systems; and (III) the supply right project; (ii) activities of the United States pursuant to its energy emergency preparedness obligations to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; (in) development and use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; (iv) Government incentives to encourage private petroleum product stocks, (v) reactivation of the following Executive M anpower Reserves. (I) the Emergency Electric Power Reserve, (II) the Emergency Petroleum an d Gas Reserve; and (III) the Emergency Solid Riels Reserve, (vi) energy emergency response management in coordination with State and local governments; and (vn) em ergency public information activities, . . . 3 Section 272(a)(3)(B) provides that the M emorandum should distinguish among— (i) situations involving limited o r general war, international tensions that threaten national security, and other Presidentially declared emergencies, (ii) events resulting in activation o f the international energy program; and (iii) events or situations less severe than those described in clauses (i) and (ii).

648 In order to implement fully the intent of the EEPA, we have prepared the following analysis of the primary statutory authorities that would be available to the President in the event of a severe energy supply interruption.

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