NORFOLK, Va. (NEWSnet/AP) — The U.S. government is trying to stop a planned expedition to recover items of historical interest from Titanic, citing a federal law and international agreement that consider the shipwreck a hallowed gravesite.

The expedition is organized by RMS Titanic Inc., which owns salvage rights. The company exhibits artifacts that have been recovered from the wreck site in the North Atlantic.

The dispute in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, which oversees Titanic salvage matters, hinges on federal law and a pact with Great Britain to treat Titanic as a memorial to the more than 1,500 people who died. The ship struck an iceberg and sank in 1912.

The U.S. argues that entering the Titanic's severed hull, or physically altering or disturbing the wreck, is regulated by federal law and its agreement with Britain. Among the government's concerns: possible disturbance of artifacts any human remains that may exist.

RMST's expedition is planned for May 2024, according to a court report it filed in June.

The company said it would “work collaboratively” with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. agency that represents the public's interest in the wreck. But RMST said it does not intend to seek a permit.

U.S. government lawyers said the firm can't proceed without one, arguing RMST must obtain approval from U.S. Secretary of Commerce, which oversees NOAA.

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