According to BBC News, the US is suing BP for alleged federal safety violations in relation to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in April 2010.
The lawsuit states that the company should be held liable for all damage and clean=up costs associated with the spill – believed to be the worst environmental disaster every seen in the US – with no limitations.
The explosion at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig last April caused 11 workers to lose their lives and leaked millions of barrels of oils in the months following the blast.
Along with BP Exploration and Production Inc., the other firms named in the lawsuit include:
• Transocean Deepwater Inc.
• Transocean Holdings LLC
• Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling Inc.
• Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
• Anadarko Exploration & Production LP
• QBE Underwriting Ltd/Lloyd’s Syndicate 1036
• MOEX Offshore 2007 LLC
• Triton Asset Leasing GMBH
All of these firms – all of whom are likely to have professional indemnity insurance in place – are charged in the lawsuit under the US Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act. The US Attorney General Eric Holder has said:
“As investigations continue, we will not hesitate to take whatever steps necessary to hold accountable those responsible for this spill.”
Whatever the outcome of the trial, the case is set to be phenomenally expensive for all involved.