U.S. joins Gulf oil spill lawsuits, seeks unlimited damages - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Washington (CNN) -- The federal government Wednesday joined the dozens of lawsuits against BP and several other companies over the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, seeking unlimited penalties against all but one firm. In a lawsuit filed in New Orleans, the Justice Department accuses BP, its partners in the ruptured well and drilling contractor Transocean of failing to take "necessary precautions" to prevent or control the April 20 blowout. The spill eventually dumped an estimated 205 million gallons (4.9 million barrels) of crude into the Gulf over nearly three months. "We intend to hold them fully accountable for their violations of the law," Attorney General Eric Holder said in announcing the lawsuit. The suit asks the court for civil penalties under the Clean Water Act and to declare eight of the defendants liable without limitations under the federal Oil Pollution Act. It asks a court to impose all removal costs and damages caused by the oil spill, including damages to natural resources, on the companies, according to the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. "This is about getting a fair deal for the region that suffered enormous consequences from this disaster, and it's also about securing the future of the Gulf," EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said. The suit will join nearly 80 others that have been consolidated in New Orleans. The defendants include BP and oil companies MOEX and Anadarko, which were partners in the Macondo well off Louisiana; Transocean and its partner, Triton Asset Leasing; and Transocean insurer QBE/Lloyd's. The insurer is the only company not being sued under the Clean Water Act or and the only company against which the government is not seeking unlimited damages. "The responsibility for hydrocarbons discharged from a well lies solely with its owner and operator," Transocean spokesman Brian Kennedy said. "This fact is made clear by both the letter and spirit of the law, is reinforced in official contracts between BP and other parties -- including Transocean and the U.S. government -- and was reaffirmed by BP in public statements following the incident." BP, Transcoean and cementing contractor Halliburton have pointed fingers at each other since the blowout, which sank the Transocean-owned drill rig Deepwater Horizon and killed 11 workers aboard. Halliburton was not named in Wednesday's lawsuit, but Holder said both civil and criminal investigations were still under way, and other defendants could be added. "While today's civil action marks a crucial first step forward, it is not -- it is not -- a final step," he said. Tony West, the head of the Justice Department's civil division, said the suit does not ask for a specific amount of damages "because it's going to take years" to fully calculate the costs of the spill. BP says it has paid $4.2 billion in damages and has agreed to put $20 billion in escrow to pay for cleanup, for which it is responsible under federal law. The company has estimated that the full cost of the spill may reach as high as $40 billion. In addition to the Justice Department, several other bodies are investigating the disaster. A presidential commission investigating the spill is due to present its final report January 11, while a joint Coast Guard-Interior Department panel is slated to deliver its findings later that month. Several congressional committees also have held hearings into the blowout, the worst oil spill in U.S. history. [/QUOTE] Source: [url]http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/12/15/gulf.oil.lawsuits/index.html?hpt=T2[/url]

I hope they take every last dime these companies made.

Unspecified damages, not unlimited. Otherwise, this is great news. BP shouldn't get away with fucking shit up like the bankers did.

There will be permanent damage to the area around the spill, killing countless wildlife and making the area uninhabitable to all sea creatures. I hope they get fined out the gills.

BP needs to get their anus probed for money

Just like the Government to get in on this, because throwing money at a situation fixes things (or in this case taking it away from someone). All this is going to do is hurt all of whom have to pay at the pump.

[QUOTE=The Last Man;26719671]Just like the Government to get in on this, because throwing money at a situation fixes things (or in this case taking it away from someone). All this is going to do is hurt all of whom have to pay at the pump.[/QUOTE] A. there is more than one oil corporation B. let's fucking hold them accountable for their fuckup

Just think of all the potential cash that just spewed into the ocean...

[QUOTE=The Last Man;26719671]Just like the Government to get in on this, because throwing money at a situation fixes things (or in this case taking it away from someone). All this is going to do is hurt all of whom have to pay at the pump.[/QUOTE] They're filing suit against BP so they can be found liable in a civic sense for their royal fuckup. Should BP be allowed to get away with this with no penalties whatsoever?

[QUOTE=Prismatex;26721426]They're filing suit against BP so they can be found liable in a civic sense for their royal fuckup. Should BP be allowed to get away with this with no penalties whatsoever?[/QUOTE] But unlimited damages? No company should have to pay that. All it will do is make gas prices soar higher than they already are. On top of that if the damages are estimated at 40 billion why not just file a general suit for 50 billion and call it even? Is it really necessary to take away jobs from BP workers because of an Environmental disaster that has already been cleaned up?

[QUOTE=The Last Man;26721651]But unlimited damages? No company should have to pay that. All it will do is make gas prices soar higher than they already are. On top of that if the damages are estimated at 40 billion why not just file a general suit for 50 billion and call it even? Is it really necessary to take away jobs from BP workers because of an Environmental disaster that has already been cleaned up?[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Prismatex;26715476]Unspecified damages, not unlimited.[/QUOTE]

Bring on the gas prices for fuck's sake. We need some innovation in this bitch. In fact, they should just give the fined money to small alternative energy research firms. Every time you hear something a scientific break through, it was government funded. Call it spreading the wealth, for the good of man kind.

Awesome, now we can swim in money, instead of oil.

[QUOTE=The Last Man;26721651]But unlimited damages? No company should have to pay that. All it will do is make gas prices soar higher than they already are. [/QUOTE] Holy shit, you're dumb. You managed to rate my earlier post dumb for saying BP should pay for what they did, but you ignored the part that clarified the title (unspecified damages, not unlimited damages). How could they possibly sue for unlimited damages? How would that possibly work?

Oh come on, BP spent billions of dollars cleaning up the spill.

[QUOTE=Mr Dinosaur;26722826]Oh come on, BP spent billions of dollars cleaning up the spill.[/QUOTE] Point being?

[QUOTE=Mr Dinosaur;26722826]Oh come on, BP spent billions of dollars cleaning up the spill.[/QUOTE] they're a trillion dollar company so really that doesn't mean much

[QUOTE=Mr Dinosaur;26722826]Oh come on, BP spent billions of dollars cleaning up the spill.[/QUOTE] You're defending an oil company who has already made up their profits and has caused permanent damage to the environment. They cut costs, and this is what happened.

[QUOTE=JLea;26722954]You're defending an oil company who has already made up their profits and has caused permanent damage to the environment. They cut costs, and this is what happened.[/QUOTE] I'd like to see you apply this logic to real life "You're defending that FUCKING IDIOT ASSHOLE who spilt milk on my laptop and paid for it with his own money? He wasn't careful and this is what happened."

[QUOTE=Tetracycline;26723191]I'd like to see you apply this logic to real life "You're defending that FUCKING IDIOT ASSHOLE who spilt milk on my laptop and paid for it with his own money? He wasn't careful and this is what happened."[/QUOTE] He paid for the napkins to wipe up the milk. He's since made up the couple of dollars he lost on the cleanup while your keyboard's keys still get stuck and your $1200 Macbook smells like spoiled milk. "Hey man, at least he tried to make things right."

[QUOTE=Sega Saturn;26723420]He paid for the napkins to wipe up the milk. He's since made up the couple of dollars he lost on the cleanup while your keyboard's keys still get stuck and your $1200 Macbook smells like spoiled milk. "Hey man, at least he tried to make things right."[/QUOTE] Except, they spent billions on restoring it.

[QUOTE=Mr Dinosaur;26723500]Except, they spent billions on restoring it.[/QUOTE] they made billions more off the rig itself

[QUOTE=Mr Dinosaur;26723500]Except, they spent billions on restoring it.[/QUOTE] Yeah, and so did the U.S. government.

No matter what BP will never go broke. They could pay off the U.S debt for fuck sake.

[QUOTE=hezzy sucks co-;26746639]No matter what BP will never go broke. They could pay off the U.S debt for fuck sake.[/QUOTE] A username that I can trust.

[QUOTE=hezzy sucks co-;26746639]No matter what BP will never go broke. They could pay off the U.S debt for fuck sake.[/QUOTE] They will go broke when oil runs out in the world.

Guys just think who will be affected by this - the rich billionaires at the top of the company or the people who work on the rigs and at the gas stations? Doing this is going to mean that lots and lots of innocent people will be losing their jobs.

Just take all of the money from the CEO of the company.

Oh look, the American's are trying to expand their oil empire, what a surprise [editline]17th December 2010[/editline] [QUOTE=Sobotnik;26751445]Just take all of the money from the CEO of the company.[/QUOTE] He was probably the person who had the least to do with the accident.

Harming the coffers of BP wouldn't help the economy.