The Department of Justice has some pretty strong words for BP. "Gross" and "negligence" are two of them.
It may feel like the Deepwater Horizon accident and ensuing spill happened a long time ago, but the impacts will be long-lasting and the legal fight is far from over. The government's position has been clear: Early on, a White House commission called the event "entirely preventable."
Now, analysts believe that the government is gearing up for a real fight with BP, and may attempt to make the case that the energy giant was grossly negligent, which would require significantly larger damages payments. Via the Guardian, some of the government's blistering language:
Specifically, errors made by BP and Swiss-based Transocean, owner of the Deepwater Horizon platform, in deciphering a key pressure test of the Macondo well are a clear indication of gross negligence, the justice department said.
"That such a simple, yet fundamental and safety-critical test could have been so stunningly, blindingly botched in so many ways, by so many people, demonstrates gross negligence," the government said in its 39-page filing.
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Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
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