The fallout from the April 20, 2010 explosion and oil spill at the Macondo Prospect where oil churned out into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days continues to negatively impact the residents, fishermen, and business owners living or working in the Gulf. Recently, BP Oil has made some strides in its efforts to thwart payouts while it reaps the benefits of new business prospects.
After taking strenuous legal actions to prevent victims of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill from recovering damages under and agreed-upon settlement, BP America appears to be moving forward to a profitable future as Gulf Coast residents continue to face the emotional, physical, and economic toll of the environmental catastrophe. In March 2014, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it was lifting its ban on awarding government contracts to BP. In addition, BP announced, with triumphant colors flying, that the Gulf Coast clean-up had been completed. Although this has been loudly denounced as incorrect, BP seems to believe that it has the right to start raking in the money while others continue to suffer.
The EPA announced that BP’s commitment to company-wide improvements in ethics and safety policies was sufficient to warrant the lifting of the ban, less than four years after the horrific blowout and oil spill. BP has entered into a five-year deal with the EPA that will permit BP to enter into oil exploration leases for the deepwater areas in the Gulf of Mexico, where the evidence of the disastrous spill is still present. Although this agreement merely allows BP to compete for the federal contracts, it is tantamount to welcoming BP back into the Gulf.
In addition to earning back the right to compete for federal leases, despite the obstructionist legal tactics pursued by the company in fighting the settlement, BP has declared the Gulf Coast clean-up complete, even though it is far from over. In an editorial piece that was published in a number of Gulf Coast papers, the chairman of BP America, John Mingé, stated that the active portion of the shoreline clean-up had been completed. In response to this bombastic statement, the Coast Guard issued an official statement that the clean-up effort still was ongoing. Mr. Mingé claimed that BP had spent $27 billion on the clean-up and that any additional claims for more environmental clean-up were merely attempts by individuals and businesses trying to get money for their causes.
BP has claimed that its about-face on fixing the harm that the Deepwater Horizon disaster caused is the result of greedy lawyers and improper claimants. However, legal experts have commented on the absurdity of BP coming out swinging against the very deal that its legal experts assisted in crafting and promoted. The legal wrangling of BP has had some negative consequences for Gulf claimants as new rules about the payment of claims are drawn up. Many claims have been delayed. For those victims who have been suffering the consequences of the BP spill for four years now, the delays and turnabouts have caused them to wonder if they ever will get closure for the harm that they suffered.
Despite the assertions of BP Oil that the only reason it is fighting various aspects of the settlement is because of unscrupulous attorneys and greedy businesses, the fact is that real people continue to suffer financially, physically, and emotionally as the result of the negligence that led to one of the world’s worst environmental disasters. The dedicated BP Oil Spill Attorneys at the Mississippi firm of Barrett Law PLLC remain committed to getting justice for oil spill victims. To schedule a time to discuss your case in a free consultation, call us at (601) 790-1505.
