EDF President Fred Krupp applauds DOJ for robust $4 billion criminal settlement with BP

(Washington, D.C. – November 15, 2012) Today, BP and the U.S. Department of Justice announced they have reached a $4 billion settlement pertaining to criminal charges stemming from the 2010 Gulf oil disaster, including $2.4 billion for Gulf restoration. Of that, an impressive $1.2 billion will be dedicated to Louisiana for coastal restoration and river diversion projects.

 

Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), released the following statement in response:

 

“Today’s settlement is the largest penalty ever paid in a criminal case, and we applaud the Department of Justice for pursuing unprecedented fines and for allocating a huge portion of funds to restoration in the Mississippi River Delta and Gulf of Mexico. In Louisiana, restoration projects are expected to include large-scale river diversions, which EDF strongly supports. It is deeply gratifying to see the Justice Department stand firmly on the side of the citizens and environment of the Gulf Coast. We look forward to working with the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation to get large-scale restoration projects going along the Gulf Coast and in the Mississippi River Delta.”

 

“The full magnitude of environmental damages in the Gulf will not be known for years, but we do know that the spill’s effects continue to unfold. Therefore, it’s essential that BP be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. BP broke two major laws that have two very important purposes, and they should pay for violating both. The Gulf Coast depends on full justice being served. This settlement raises our expectations that the Department of Justice will continue to hold BP fully accountable for its civil violations under both the Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act.”