NewsBP oil spillBP Oil Spill 2010bp oil spill cleanup

BP Caught Trying 'College' Tricks In Massive Oil Spill Court Case

How Red-Faced BP Was Caught Trying 'College' Tricks In Massive Court Case
Asa Bennett
|
Open Image Modal
A BP Plc gas station stands empty across from the Gulf of Mexico in Long Beach, Mississippi, U.S., on Monday, March 5, 2012. BP Plc may face as much as $17.6 billion in civil pollution fines and possibly billions of dollars more in criminal penalties as its settlement with businesses and individuals harmed by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill shifts the focus to government claims. Photographer: Julie Dermansky/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Bloomberg via Getty Images

BP has been told off by a US judge for trying to squeeze six extra pages into a court filing by changing the line spacings, in a move that was branded "not be appropriate for a college term paper".

The oil giant was rebuked in a case concerning the oil spill that happened in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, after its lawyers were invited to submit a response of up to 35 pages, with the lines double spaced.

Judge Carl Barbier said that BP had "abused the page limit by reducing the line spacing to slightly less than double spaced" in order to squeeze in an extra six pages worth of text.

"The court should not have to waste its time policing such simple rules—particularly in a case as massive and complex as this," he wrote, warning that he would dismiss "any future briefs using similar tactics".

Story continues below the slideshow...

Animals Still Impacted By The BP Oil Spill
Pelicans(01 of10)
Open Image Modal
Brown pelicans were already a threatened species when the BP oil spill occurred. After the spill, nearly one thousand were collected for cleaning, but more than 500 died. The population has largely rebounded, with the number of brown pelicans reported nesting in 2012 nearly as high as it was pre-spill. But images of the oil-slicked pelicans became an ubiquitous part of the media's coverage, and the oil has stuck: Two years later, researchers detected chemical and petroleum pollutants from the BP spill in the eggs of white pelicans in Minnesota, chemicals that could negatively affect embryo development. (credit:Oiled pelicans wait to be cleaned at the Bird Rehabilitation Center at Fort Jackson in Buras, Louisiana. (Getty Images))
Bottlenose Dolphins (02 of10)
Open Image Modal
A late 2013 study found dolphins in the vicinity of the BP oil spill showed previously unseen signs of sickness, including lung damage, low levels of adrenal hormones and unhealthy weight loss.

"I've never seen such a high prevalence of very sick animals -- and with unusual conditions such as the adrenal hormone abnormalities," one of the study's authors, Dr. Lori Schwacke, stated at the time.

Researchers also found an "unusual" spike in dolphin strandings; according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) findings: In 2013, bottlenose dolphins were found dead or stranded at rates three times higher than the average pre-spill rate. (credit:A dolphin swims through the water off the coast of Louisiana. (Getty Images))
Sea Turtles(03 of10)
Open Image Modal
NOAA research released in August 2013 found large numbers of sea turtle strandings in the years since the spill, with about 500 stranded sea turtles in the area affected every year from 2011 to 2013. (Historically, estimates for strandings in the area would have been closer to 100 per year.) (credit:A dead sea turtle is seen washed onto shore April 14, 2011 in Waveland, Mississippi. (Getty Images))
Sperm Whales(04 of10)
Open Image Modal
It's difficult to measure just how many sperm whales were affected, but one arresting photo of a rotting, burnt sperm whale carcass circulated widely after researchers saw the animal from a ship about 77 miles from the Deepwater Horizon site in June 2010. A 2013 study of sperm whale skin samples found higher than usual levels of genotoxic metals in Gulf of Mexico whales after the spill, with the whales closest to the site of the spill with the highest levels.

The genotoxic metals, including nickel and chromium, are capable of damaging DNA, causing lasting genetic impacts on generations of whales. In the short term, even a few whale deaths can affect an entire population as sperm whales, already an endangered species, give birth to very few calves.

"As soon as we get to the level of three deaths caused by human interaction -- and this would include the oil spill -- that would jeopardize that particular sperm whale population," Celine Godard-Codding, an environmental toxicologist at Texas Tech University, told National Geographic. (credit:A bloated and burned juvenile sperm whale that had been found dead on June 15, 2010 in the Gulf Of Mexico. (Courtesy of Greenpeace))
Loons(05 of10)
Open Image Modal
As water birds, loons are vulnerable to water pollution -- and researchers have found they were indeed affected by the spill. A 2013 study of loons turned up dangerous levels of PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in their bloodstreams, which could contribute to anemia, weight loss, liver damage, cancer, immunosuppression and other health issues. (credit:A common loon, photographed on May 6, 2012 at Port St. Joe, Florida. (Flickr))
Red Snapper(06 of10)
Open Image Modal
In the immediate aftermath, red snapper in the affected area were found with lesions and rotting fins. While such physical scarring are less common in fish four years later, a recently published study conducted between 2011 and 2013 found the population of young snappers in the Gulf unusually small, with a noticeable decline in other reef fish as well. (credit:A bucket full of red snapper catch sits in Water Street Seafood in Apalachicola, Florida. (Getty Images))
Oysters(07 of10)
Open Image Modal
The Gulf Coast is home to about two-thirds of American oysters, but that population was significantly impacted by the spill. As non-moving organisms, oysters couldn't avoid the spill, and population growth was significantly down in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Across the northern Gulf of Mexico, oyster larvae were much rarer than usual, and mortality was high. According to fisherman, oyster populations are still drastically low (and fisherman can file claims for compensation as a result). (credit:A mountain of oyster sheels lies outside the BP oil spill cleanup operations center on May 4, 2010 in Hopedale, Louisiana. (Getty Images))
Crabs(08 of10)
Open Image Modal
Crab populations are also down, with a major drop of blue crabs identified in 2013. One reason could be still-slick marshes, which the crabs could be avoiding as they select their habitats. The remaining crabs were still showing signs of damage as of 2013.

"People are bringing in (crabs) that are really messed up," Darryl Felder, a University of Louisiana biology professor, told the Tampa Bay Times. "The crab catches are really down, and what they're getting have big lesions on them -- lesions and fungal or bacterial infections." (credit:A crab skirts tarballs of oil on a beach at sunrise on May 23, 2010 on Grand Isle, Louisiana. (Getty Images))
Whale Sharks(09 of10)
Open Image Modal
These massive fish feed at the water's surface for hours. A study published in August 2013 identified uncharacteristic whale shark sightings off the Florida Gulf of Mexico possibly connected to the spill, meaning the oil altered the fish's typical migratory paths. But not every whale shark was able to avoid the oil, confirmed biologist Eric Hoffmayer to National Geographic, and the oil could clog or suffocate their gills and contaminate their prey. A year after the disaster, researchers identified the already vulnerable whale sharks as a species uniquely at risk. (credit:A whale shark photographed on August 11, 2011, in Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico. (Getty Images))
Tuna(10 of10)
Open Image Modal
The 2010 spill occurred during spawning season for yellowfin and bluefin tuna, meaning the fish embryos, larvae and newborn fish were also affected. According to a recent study, this resulted in defects in heart development, which affects the development of other organs and could lead to shortened lifespans. In addition, according to the NWF report, blackfin tuna, blue marlin, mahi-mahi and sailfish all had fewer larvae in 2010 than in the three years before. (credit:Bluefin tuna, 2006. (Getty Images))

"Counsel are expected to follow the court’s orders both in letter and in spirit. The court should not have to resort to imposing character limits, etc., to ensure compliance.

"Counsel’s tactic would not be appropriate for a college term paper. It certainly is not appropriate here."

Judge Barbier earlier this month ruled that BP had been "grossly negligent" over the Deepwater Horizon disaster, with the oil giant facing potential civil fines of nearly $18bn (£11bn) under the Clean Water Act.

Government experts estimated 4.2 million barrels, or 176 million gallons, spilled into the Gulf of Mexico as a result.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Barbier's ruling "will ensure that the company is held fully accountable for its recklessness" and will "serve as a strong deterrent to anyone tempted to sacrifice safety and the environment in the pursuit of profit."

The judge ruled that BP had made "profit-driven decisions" during the drilling that led to the blowout. "These instances of negligence, taken together, evince an extreme deviation from the standard of care and a conscious disregard of known risks," he wrote.

BP said in response that it would appeal, arguing that the evidence did not meet the "very high bar" to prove gross negligence.

READ MORE:

Labour To Scrap Annual Gathering If Scotland Votes For Independence

Miliband Heckled In Edinburgh, Attacks 'Ugly Side' Of Yes Campaign

Scottish Independence Polls Give 'No' Campaign Slender Lead

Investigation Launched After Galloway Is Sent Death Threat At Parliament

5 Reasons Why Many Scots Will Vote For Independence

Pro-Union Rally Triggers Wave Of Twitter Wrath At Bob Geldof And English Celebs

Independent Scotland May Need To Raise Billions To Keep The Pound, Warns Carney

Journalists Covering Scotland Face 'Range Of Abuse' Including Threats Of Violence

Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip