US Government Sues BP

On December 15, the BBC reported that the US government is suing BP and eight other firms for all damages and clean-up costs resulting from the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. The government is suing on the grounds of allegedly violating safety regulations, which led to the largest spill in US history. “We intend to prove that these defendants are responsible for government removal costs, economic losses, and environmental damages without limitation,” US Attorney General Eric Holder said. The BBC points out that the lawsuit comes after the government prohibited drilling in new areas along the Gulf and in the Atlantic Ocean.