BP Sued by Obama Administration Over Worst Oil Spill

[ProSense]

BP Sued by Obama Administration Over Worst Oil Spill

By Justin Blum and Margaret Cronin Fisk

The Obama administration sued units of BP Plc and four other companies, saying they violated environmental laws in the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, according to a court filing.

The civil lawsuit, filed today in U.S. District Court in New Orleans, is the first brought by the U.S. over the oil spill caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in April. The Justice Department’s civil investigation is continuing, as is a probe of potential criminal violations.

The lawsuit seeks damages under the Clean Water Act and to declare four of the defendants liable under the Oil Pollution Act for all removal costs and damages caused by the oil spill, including damages to the environment, according to a Justice Department statement. The lawsuit doesn’t ask for a specified amount of damages.

“We intend to prove that these defendants are responsible for government removal costs, economic losses and environmental damages without limitation,” said Attorney General Eric Holder in the statement.

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