Experts: Legal issues driving BP's oil spill stance

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Experts: Legal issues driving BP's oil spill stance

By Marisa Taylor and Shashank Bengali | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — Under pressure to stop the oil spill that's gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, BP is struggling to play conflicting roles: projecting an image of a responsible company while deflecting legal blame for the disaster.

That tension, which is reflected most recently in BP's decision to continue using a chemical dispersant that the Environmental Protection Agency calls toxic, has fueled a growing perception that the company is more focused on protecting its own interests than the public's.

Scientists and legal experts said that BP's decision to keep using Corexit, a chemical dispersant that the EPA says may be toxic to marine life, helps the company appear to be fighting the slick. However, it also may hide how much oil is being spilled, which could help BP in court.

"They want to be seen to be doing something," said Rick Steiner, a veteran marine conservation consultant who's based in Alaska.

"Secondly, they clearly want to limit the amount of oil coming to shore; that's what people see. And thirdly, if they can limit the amount of oil in evidence, they can limit the public outrage and likely pay less financial damages down the road."

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/25/94815/will-bp-adopt-legal-strategy-to.html