Rachel Maddow video: BP tries to cover up oil spill size to avoid EPA per gallon fines
US Attorney General Eric Holden has opened criminal and civil investigations into the BP oil spill. Should BP be found guilty of a crime, any caps on their financial liability would no longer apply.
The clean water act of 1972 gives the US environmental Protection Agency the power to seek civil penalties for each barrel of oil that leaks into US waters.
Under normal circumstances the fine is $1,100 per barrel. However if BP is found guilty of gross negligence because they reportedly failed to repair the damaged blow out preventer on the Deepwater Horizon, that penalty rises to $4,300 per barrel.
At the now accepted spill rate of 25,000 barrels a day beginning on April 20 when the Deepwater Horizon exploded, until the completion of relief wells in August, the fines from the EPA alone would be 10.7 billion dollars.
EPA oil spill fines are well known throughout the industry, so BP had a great deal of motivation to underestimate their original figures on the amount of oil being spilled.
Comments
What is going on in Gulf of Mexico is horrible, I have seen some photos that make you sick of this oil spill. Do not know what are they still doing. I received an email from my friend that if you are affected from the oil spill and would like to sue them here is the place www.bit.ly/ayU0hA please forward this to your friends and family affected by the oil spill.
Have you EVER in your life seen such a detached unemotional president? A good friend was on certain medication for depression and acted the exact same way as Obama is. Disconnected and calm. Nothing fazed my friend. His mood never wavered. I think Obama needs to come out to the American people and tell us he is on some strong anti psychotic meds. WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!
This Madcow guy should really get some viewers.
The BP video feed has been grainy and jumpy from the first. Do you think this is what the R.O.V. operators are seeing to control their ROV's.
HELL NO they aren't going to be operating multi-million dollar machines with cell phone cameras. They are using video cameras with the highest definition and speed possible. BP had to intentionally degrade the video signal before they sent it out. Yes, BP had to take an extra step to make the video unusable for independent analysis of the amount of oil flow.
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