Executive Order 13016: Amendment to Executive Order No. 12580
President: Bill Clinton
Allowed federal natural-resource trustees to use specified CERCLA enforcement and settlement powers for releases affecting resources or facilities under their responsibility.
Status: In effect.
Is Executive Order 13016 still in effect? Yes. Active amendment to the continuing Superfund delegation order.
What does Executive Order 13016 do?
EO 13016 amended EO 12580 by delegating CERCLA sections 106(a) and 122 powers to the Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, Defense and Energy secretaries for releases affecting trust resources or facilities under their custody. Coastal and Great Lakes uses require Coast Guard concurrence; other uses require EPA concurrence, and trustees may not displace the designated lead response agency. The amendment also bars use of Superfund money merely to cover a recipient’s failure to comply with a trustee-issued order. The parent delegation remains part of current Superfund administration.
Before and after
Before the order
EPA and the Coast Guard held the principal delegated response and settlement tools under EO 12580.
After the order
Resource trustees could act on covered releases with lead-agency concurrence and coordination.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Federal trustees | Issue covered orders and enter settlements | Within delegated jurisdiction |
| EPA or Coast Guard | Concur and preserve lead-response roles | As applicable |
| Trustee agencies | Coordinate exercise of authority | Continuing |
What happened next
EO 12580 delegated CERCLA response functions.
EO 13016 added trustee enforcement delegations.
The disposition record showed no revocation of the amendment.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
CERCLA supplies the liability, response and settlement powers. The order only delegates presidential functions and expressly limits overlap, fund use and displacement of the lead agency.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — EO 13016 (opens in a new tab) Order text
- U.S. Code — CERCLA (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 14, 2026. How we research →