[QUOTE]New York (CNN) -- The Justice Department says it may sue BP for damages from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to a filing made Monday night with the U.S. District Court in New Orleans, Louisiana.
"At this juncture, the United States expects that it may file a civil complaint related to the Deepwater Horizon disaster," the court document says.
While the legal wording of the filing presents some ambiguity, the Justice Department has gone as far as to signal its intent by requesting that the court establish a track separate from the many private lawsuits. The government says its claims, "may involve complex scientific and economic expert testimony" that may not be needed to quantify claims from private parties.
BP told CNN it has no comment.
Other companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon drilling accident also might be subject to a federal lawsuit.
Justice Department attorneys told the court they may seek claims under the Oil Pollution Act, which was enacted in 1990 after the Exxon-Valdez oil spill, and the Clean Water Act, which gives the government the right to seek potentially huge penalties.
"The Clean Water Act authorizes the United States to seek civil penalties from various entities for oil spills like the Deepwater Horizon spill, in amounts potentially up to $1,100 (and in some circumstances up to $4,300) per barrel of oil spilled," the filing states.
Justice attorneys argue the government may seek compensation for the cost of removing oil; economic damage such as the cost of increased public services and loss of tax revenue; and destruction of natural resources and assessment of that damage.
The Justice Department has been conducting both civil and criminal investigations into the Deepwater Horizon accident. A department official would not give a timetable for legal action.
BP has already agreed to set aside $20 billion over several years to pay for claims resulting from the oil spill.
The company has paid the U.S. government $390 million for the cost of cleanup and last week received an additional bill for $128.5 million from the Obama administration.
[url]http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/14/bp.justice.legal.action/index.html?iref=allsearch[/url][/QUOTE]
What a load of bull. If the US wins (and it probably will, it can spend a lot more on lawyers than a single company can), none of that money will ever go to it's original purpose. It will disappear in the miles of red tape that is our government.
Putting a major company out of business because of a mistake, catastrophic or not, is not a good idea
[QUOTE=Tetracycline;24848906]Putting a major company out of business because of a mistake, catastrophic or not, is not a good idea[/QUOTE]Especially an oil company, in these days...
Getting rid of oil dependence would be fine, but it would get rid of a lot of jobs at the same time...
a lawsuit isn't going to clean the spill up any quicker.
they should do this after it's all cleaned up.
cause hurricane igor is heading in it's direction, and fast, and if hurricane julia merges with igor, it will be even WORSE, and if karl combines with [b]that[/b] then the devastation would be catastrophic
We haven't learned from past companies have we? Like the explosion in india that poisoned and killed a lot of people? They said we shouldn't put them out of business either.
[QUOTE=Jessesmith1;24849531]a lawsuit isn't going to clean the spill up any quicker.
they should do this after it's all cleaned up.
cause hurricane igor is heading in it's direction, and fast, and if hurricane julia merges with igor, it will be even WORSE, and if karl combines with [b]that[/b] then the devastation would be catastrophic[/QUOTE]
What would the oil do that's so bad? Just get on everyone's houses and stuff?
[QUOTE=Tetracycline;24849629]What would the oil do that's so bad? Just get on everyone's houses and stuff?[/QUOTE]
free oil from the sky everyone grab a bucket
People need to leave this company alone.
[QUOTE=Tetracycline;24849629]What would the oil do that's so bad? Just get on everyone's houses and stuff?[/QUOTE]
Being sprayed in oil is not good. Having rain on everything you love, especially an open flames, is not good either,
[QUOTE=Encryption;24849675]People need to leave this company alone.[/QUOTE]
go away Tony Hayward
[QUOTE=Encryption;24849675]People need to leave this company alone.[/QUOTE]
The company itself deserves the bad rep. However, your friendly neighborhood idiots that take it upon themselves to be righteous and boycott aren't hurting BP, they are hurting local business owners.
[QUOTE=Jessesmith1;24849531]a lawsuit isn't going to clean the spill up any quicker.
they should do this after it's all cleaned up.
cause hurricane igor is heading in it's direction, and fast, and if hurricane julia merges with igor, it will be even WORSE, and if karl combines with [B]that[/B] then the devastation would be catastrophic[/QUOTE]
Hurricane Igor is going nowhere near the gulf. Igor and Julia are going up into the Atlantic Ocean. It's likely they won't even make landfall. Igor may be a repeat of Earl though. The closet one to the spill is Tropical Storm Karl, which is taking a 90 degree turn into Mexico.
[editline]06:50PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Encryption;24849675]People need to leave this company alone.[/QUOTE]
BP is questionably the shittiest and most irresponsible oil company in the world. They have fucked up before and are known to have shitty safety records.
[editline]06:50PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Tigster;24849890]The company itself deserves the bad rep. However, your friendly neighborhood idiots that take it upon themselves to be righteous and boycott aren't hurting BP, they are hurting local business owners.[/QUOTE]
This is true though, you're only hurting the Mom and Pop gas stations.
bp has a history of irresponsibility
this is like a good spanking for them
sure am glad i didn't invest in bp
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