http://m.industry.bnet.com/energy/10004688/bps-gulf-oil-spill-the-odds-of-fines-jail-time-and-the-death-penalty/BP's Gulf Oil Spill: The Odds of Fines, Jail Time and the "Death Penalty"
By Kirsten Korosec | Jun 3, 2010
Here’s where BP’s past problems could really come back to haunt it. Under the Clean Air Act, fines for criminal violations double if it’s for a violation committed after the first conviction.
BP doesn’t have one conviction. It has at least three prior federal convictions — two of them felonies, in the past decade. BP Products North America is still on probation for the Texas City refinery fire. BP Exploration Alaska Inc., which plead guilty in 2007 to a misdemeanor violation of the the Federal Water Pollution Control Act for its Prudhoe Bay pipeline spill in 2006, was also put on three years of probation.
BP’s probation could be revoked altogether. However, the feds would have to successfully argue that although probation was issued to BP Products and BP Exploration, it applies to the parent company.
http://alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/energy/5369-bp-still-fighting-fines-stemming-from-06-oil-spills-at-prudhoe-bayBP still fighting fines stemming from '06 oil spills at Prudhoe Bay
Jill Burke | May 17, 2010
According to the Justice Department, BP, after already receiving permission for several delays, failed to implement weekly cleanings and internal inspections of various pipeline segments prone to corrosion by 15 to 149 days beyond the order's deadline. In total, the complaint lists 635 days when BP was out of compliance with the order. For dragging its feet in complying with repair orders BP could be slapped with up to $100,000 per violation per day in penalties, per an April 2007 compliance order sent to BP from the U.S. Pipeline Safety Office.
http://alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15109121.htmQ+A-How would penalties apply to the Gulf oil spill? 15 Jun 2010 21:52:47 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds new figures based on updated flow rate)
By Jeremy Pelofsky
WASHINGTON, June 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Tuesday drastically raised the estimates of oil coming out of the broken well on the sea floor of the Gulf of Mexico, to as much as 60,000 barrels per day (2.5 million gallons/9.5 million liters). Companies linked to the spill, including BP Plc <BP.L><BP.N>, face increasing liability and potential penalties. Following are some questions and answers for how it could play out.
So, the government literally has BP over the proverbial barrel. They can play some real hardball and get money that is considered "serious" even in oil circles.
My question is: How good a negotiator will President Obama be on behalf of the American people? He was rolled by Pharma into a piddly contribution while giving up what would have been far more in savings through drug negotiation.
Will he be rolled by BP as well?