Cite as: 534 U. S. 235 (2002)
Opinion of the Court
Patrick J. Veters argued the cause for respondent. With him on the brief was John L. Duvieilh.*
Justice Stevens delivered the opinion of the Court. Respondent operates a fleet of barges used for oil and gas exploration. On April 9, 1997, one of those barges, "Rig 52," was towed to a location in the territorial waters of Louisiana, where it drilled a well over two miles deep. On June 16, 1997, when the crew had nearly completed drilling, an explosion occurred, killing four members of the crew and injuring two others. Under United States Coast Guard regulations, the incident qualified as a "marine casualty" because it involved a commercial vessel operating "upon the navigable waters of the United States." 46 CFR § 4.03-1 (2000).
Pursuant to its statutory authority, the Coast Guard conducted an investigation of the casualty. See 46 U. S. C. §§ 6101-6104, 6301-6308 (1994 ed. and Supp. V).1 The resulting report was limited in scope to what the Coast Guard described as "purely vessel issues," and noted that the Coast Guard "does not regulate mineral drilling operations in state waters, and does not have the expertise to adequately analyze all issues relating to the failure of an oil/natural gas well." App. to Pet. for Cert. 24a. The Coast Guard determined that natural gas had leaked from the well, spread throughout the barge, and was likely ignited by sparks in the pump room. The report made factual findings concerning the crew's actions, but did not accuse respondent of violating any Coast Guard regulations. Indeed, the report noted the
*Jeffrey Robert White and Frederick M. Baron filed a brief for the Association of Trial Lawyers of America as amicus curiae urging reversal.
Briefs of amici curiae urging affirmance were filed for the American Waterways Operators by Barbara L. Holland and Alan P. Sherbrooke; for the Associated General Contractors of America et al. by Charles T. Carroll, Jr., and Carl Larsen Taylor; and for the Transportation Institute by John Longstreth.
1 Unless otherwise noted, all United States Code references in this opinion are to the 1994 edition.
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