BP Responds To Accusations Of Botched Gulf Response By . . . Launching New Website!

[hatrack]

EDIT

In a question-and-answer format entitled "Answering our critics," the new website says the Deepwater Horizon accident resulted from multiple causes by a variety of parties, including itself, and contractors Transocean, which owned the Deepwater Horizon drillship, and Halliburton, which provided cement to seal the well.

Does BP believe it was grossly negligent in actions leading to the spill, the website asks. The question was the focus of the first phase of the civil liability trial that is being heard in U.S. District Court in New Orleans.

"Absolutely not," the website states. "BP was not grossly negligent. 'Gross negligence' is a legal standard under U.S. law that requires plaintiffs to show 'a culpable state of mind' and 'extreme and egregious misconduct.' This is an extremely high bar that BP believes the plaintiffs did not have in this case, and any gross negligence finding is therefore unwarranted."

The answers also include the company's contention that only 3.26 million barrels of oil were released during the spill, of which 2.45 million barrels ended up in the Gulf waters, compared with a federal government estimate of 4.2 million barrels spilled. The differences are important because BP could be fined as much as $1,100 per barrel of oil released, or $4,300 per barrel if found grossly negligent, under the Clean Water Act.

EDIT

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/11/bp_launches_new_web_site_defen.html#incart_river

[gtar100]

1. Sounds like their "corexit" strategy in public relations.

Don't deny, just disburse the blame. Make it look less than what it really is, and above all don't take responsibility except the bare minimum.

I couldn't imagine an oil company doing any more than this to right their wrongs. But we must not let them get away with the crimes they have committed.

What will they say when they render the oceans uninhabitable? Or our very atmosphere toxic to life? Do we want to find out?

[Nihil]

2. Halliburton, on the other hand, invested wisely.

You can clean stains far more easily with bought politicians than with a website.

Whilst BP were merely "gross" in their heartless & incompetent handling of events,
the actual "gross negligence" was on Halliburton's part and they aren't even getting
a slap on the wrist (thanks, in part, to the scumbag who deliberately destroyed the
evidence in the best Cheney fashion).