Sep 04, 2014
The 2010 oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico was the result of BP's "gross negligence" and "willful misconduct," a federal judge has ruled.
The ruling on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier means the oil giant could be responsible for as much as $18 billion in penalties under the Clean Water Act, as the Act allows for the maximum fine per barrel of oil discharged to be quadruple the $1,100 per barrel fine when the discharge results from gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Barbier also placed blame on Transocean and Halliburton, though the bulk of the blame was appropriated to BP. He stated that BP was 67% at fault for the disaster, Transocean was 30% at fault, and Halliburton was 3% at fault.
The New York Timesadds:
In a 153-page, densely technical decision, Judge Barbier described how BP repeatedly ignored mounting warning signs that the well was unstable, making decisions that he says were "primarily driven by a desire to save time and money, rather than ensuring that the well was secure."
Healthy ocean advocacy group Ocean Conservancy welcomed Barbier's ruling, stating that "BP has spent inordinate amounts of time and money shirking responsibility, pointing fingers at others and downplaying the seriousness of the disaster." The group also stated that the decision "means more funding available for restoring the Gulf."
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) said the ruling was step towards accountability for the disaster that "put people and wildlife in grave danger."
"Eleven men lost their lives. Bottlenose dolphins, endangered sea turtles and countless species of fish and wildlife perished. Studies have estimated that the oil killed an astonishing 800,000 birds and caused billions of dollars of economic damage," stated Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of NWF.
"Today's decision is a critical step towards ensuring that BP is held accountable for the full impacts of the Gulf oil disaster and required to restore the vibrant ecosystem of this national treasure--justice demands nothing less," O'Mara stated.
Barbier's ruling on BP's conduct comes the same week as an announcement that Halliburton had reached a $1.1 billion settlement for its role in the oil disaster, while Transocean reached a settlement last year to pay $1.4 billion in civil and criminal fines and penalties for its role in the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
As the Washington Postnotes, the next two parts of the case will determine the amount of oil that was discharged into the Gulf and the total amount in fines.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The 2010 oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico was the result of BP's "gross negligence" and "willful misconduct," a federal judge has ruled.
The ruling on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier means the oil giant could be responsible for as much as $18 billion in penalties under the Clean Water Act, as the Act allows for the maximum fine per barrel of oil discharged to be quadruple the $1,100 per barrel fine when the discharge results from gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Barbier also placed blame on Transocean and Halliburton, though the bulk of the blame was appropriated to BP. He stated that BP was 67% at fault for the disaster, Transocean was 30% at fault, and Halliburton was 3% at fault.
The New York Timesadds:
In a 153-page, densely technical decision, Judge Barbier described how BP repeatedly ignored mounting warning signs that the well was unstable, making decisions that he says were "primarily driven by a desire to save time and money, rather than ensuring that the well was secure."
Healthy ocean advocacy group Ocean Conservancy welcomed Barbier's ruling, stating that "BP has spent inordinate amounts of time and money shirking responsibility, pointing fingers at others and downplaying the seriousness of the disaster." The group also stated that the decision "means more funding available for restoring the Gulf."
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) said the ruling was step towards accountability for the disaster that "put people and wildlife in grave danger."
"Eleven men lost their lives. Bottlenose dolphins, endangered sea turtles and countless species of fish and wildlife perished. Studies have estimated that the oil killed an astonishing 800,000 birds and caused billions of dollars of economic damage," stated Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of NWF.
"Today's decision is a critical step towards ensuring that BP is held accountable for the full impacts of the Gulf oil disaster and required to restore the vibrant ecosystem of this national treasure--justice demands nothing less," O'Mara stated.
Barbier's ruling on BP's conduct comes the same week as an announcement that Halliburton had reached a $1.1 billion settlement for its role in the oil disaster, while Transocean reached a settlement last year to pay $1.4 billion in civil and criminal fines and penalties for its role in the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
As the Washington Postnotes, the next two parts of the case will determine the amount of oil that was discharged into the Gulf and the total amount in fines.
The 2010 oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico was the result of BP's "gross negligence" and "willful misconduct," a federal judge has ruled.
The ruling on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier means the oil giant could be responsible for as much as $18 billion in penalties under the Clean Water Act, as the Act allows for the maximum fine per barrel of oil discharged to be quadruple the $1,100 per barrel fine when the discharge results from gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Barbier also placed blame on Transocean and Halliburton, though the bulk of the blame was appropriated to BP. He stated that BP was 67% at fault for the disaster, Transocean was 30% at fault, and Halliburton was 3% at fault.
The New York Timesadds:
In a 153-page, densely technical decision, Judge Barbier described how BP repeatedly ignored mounting warning signs that the well was unstable, making decisions that he says were "primarily driven by a desire to save time and money, rather than ensuring that the well was secure."
Healthy ocean advocacy group Ocean Conservancy welcomed Barbier's ruling, stating that "BP has spent inordinate amounts of time and money shirking responsibility, pointing fingers at others and downplaying the seriousness of the disaster." The group also stated that the decision "means more funding available for restoring the Gulf."
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) said the ruling was step towards accountability for the disaster that "put people and wildlife in grave danger."
"Eleven men lost their lives. Bottlenose dolphins, endangered sea turtles and countless species of fish and wildlife perished. Studies have estimated that the oil killed an astonishing 800,000 birds and caused billions of dollars of economic damage," stated Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of NWF.
"Today's decision is a critical step towards ensuring that BP is held accountable for the full impacts of the Gulf oil disaster and required to restore the vibrant ecosystem of this national treasure--justice demands nothing less," O'Mara stated.
Barbier's ruling on BP's conduct comes the same week as an announcement that Halliburton had reached a $1.1 billion settlement for its role in the oil disaster, while Transocean reached a settlement last year to pay $1.4 billion in civil and criminal fines and penalties for its role in the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
As the Washington Postnotes, the next two parts of the case will determine the amount of oil that was discharged into the Gulf and the total amount in fines.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.